On Thursday, June 27, 2007, BizBash hosted its first Event Style Show Expo and Awards at the California Market Center in downtown Los Angeles. BizBash partnered with LA Inc., the Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau, for an event that took months of strategic planning. More than 125 vendors from all over the country flocked to the trade show floor and met with more than 1,300 enthusiastic event planners, hungry for new ideas.
On-site registration, in the atrium, which moved swiftly, was organized by E-vents Registration. The invaluable show guide, produced by Design Printing, was easy to read and an important asset in searching out the vendors as well as listing each of the events and speakers. In addition, Creative Intelligence designed the branding and logo for the show in addition to invitations for events held throughout the day. Attendees were ushered from one event to the next with the efficient help and guidance of Argyle Event Staffing. Tasty miniature donuts from Hot Spot Mini Donuts proved to be a big hit, while Alexandra’s Café served up coffee, tea, juices, and water.
The inaugural one-day event was a nonstop marathon of panels and discussions, which provided an infinite amount of networking for event planners and vendors. From “Supercharging Your Event Career” to a general session that planted the seeds for the “greening” of events and provided tips on “What’s New, Hot, and Now” in L.A., attendees discovered innovative ways to plan and organize their events—large or small. Entertainment at the opening general session was provided by acrobatic dance troupe Absolution. Air Dimensional Design’s large inflatable towers sporting BizBash’s branding, along with signage provided by Balloon Emporium & Party Store, helped guide people to the trade show floor.
David Adler, BizBash C.E.O. and founder, welcomed some 600 eager event planners and vendors to the California Market Center’s Fashion Theater’s general session, staged by Go West Events and Multimedia with video equipment provided by Sweetwater Video. He introduced the first guest of the day, former California governor Gray Davis, who knows something about events. Mindful of his audience, Davis was quick to note that in L.A. alone, there are more than 300 events every day and more than $5 billion of event spending each year in L.A., San Diego, and San Francisco.
Elizabeth Wiatt, who serves on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a visionary environmental activist, addressed an eager audience at the “Greening of Events” general session. She provided plenty of environmentally friendly ideas that inspired all the attendees. For more information, check out www.nrdc.org/greenliving.
As guests headed to the trade floor, they stopped in the lounge (designed by Taylor Creative), which featured silver patch balloons lit by pink lighting, while Moss provided the white backdrop and additional decor. The lounge was comfortably furnished by Signature Inc. Branding came courtesy of Balloon Emporium and Air Dimensional Design. The long couches and deep chairs provided rest for the weary. Women & Wine and VeeV Spirits provided drinks that gave everyone a chance to catch their breath and share information about the day, while Ron Rubin Events offered various music performers on the lounge stage and Scott Topper provided music and entertainment as the lounge DJ.
Following the theme of the day, "Dream Big," the vendors provided the planners every opportunity to taste, interact, or just plain talk about the unique and diverse ways to plan parties and events.
Show photographer, Brightroom.com, captured attendees at show sponsor American Express’s booth regarding their planner card services and also caught the performers from the cast of the Broadway musical Wicked, who performed later in the day.
The trade show floor was transformed from a barren, cold space into an elegant, inviting venue with linens by Cloth Connections and modern, bold, colorful furniture from Girari Contemporary Furniture Rental for an afternoon boxed lunch of tofu salad or chicken salad, provided by Akasha’s Visionary Cuisine.
At one end of the trade show floor, Rent-A-PC/Allservice Computer Rentals set up computer stations for people to check e-mails and catch up on business.
With the trade show closing, attendees headed back upstairs to the atrium for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres catered by AN Catering/Crustacean of Beverly Hills. At the same time, journalist and best-selling author Tina Brown was signing her new book, The Diana Chronicles.
That evening, at the Event Style Awards, sponsored by Classic Party Rentals, event planners, organizers, and vendors honored Brown, the recipient of the first BizBash Achievement Award, and inducted Marc Friedland, founder and creative director of Creative Intelligence; Hollace Davids, senior vice president of special projects at Universal Pictures; Mary Micucci, founder of Along Comes Mary Productions; and Judy Levy and Ellen Pazanti, owners/partners of Levy, Pazanti & Associates into the BizBash Hall of Fame. Awaiting the start of the show, attendees, seated on comfortable chairs from Chameleon Chair Collection, were treated to the urban entertainment of Street Beat, as well as a classical performance by twin violinists Jason and Nolan Livesay.
David Fischette and his company, Go West Events and Multimedia, and Goodman Audio produced the awards presentation and Hall of Fame ceremony, which utilized innovative digital videos that were projected onto Sweetwater’s video equipment and screens. Angel City Designs was responsible for transforming the Fashion Theater from its normally minimalist, white space into an event experience in itself—with plasma screens and translucent squares creating a unique backdrop for the main event. All Fashion Theater rentals came courtesy of Classic Party Rentals and Designer 8.
At the award show, hosted by The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison, gold, silver, and bronze awards were given in 13 categories honoring the best and most creative designs, concepts, programs, and strategies of 2006. The winners, chosen by a panel of industry peers at the House of Blues several weeks before the show, were given trophies that rival Oscar himself. The gold statuettes were designed by MK Shannon Awards and Rewards and presented by Groove Crew LA/GCLA Models.
The audience was treated to entertainment from the cast of the hit musical Wicked. The sound, produced by Goodman Audio, and lighting, created by ELS, was first class in every way. The Fashion Theater was beautifully draped in white by Jamie Oristano and Quest Drape. Hall of Fame inductee Marc Friedland and his staff at Creative Intelligence designed the awards presentation invitations. Wildflower Linens added the finishing touches to the evening festivities.
After the awards were handed out, everyone returned to the California Market Center’s atrium for champagne and dessert, served up royally by Global Cuisine—a very sweet way to end a long and productive day that began and ended with one thought: Dream big!
BizBash would like to thank Cvent for online registration. We would also like to thank our hotel sponsor, The Standard, for making us feel so welcome in L.A., and Johnson and Associates for their top-notch security. We would also like to thank Adventures in Advertising/Got Schwag?, which provided speaker gifts, sponsor gifts, and volunteer polo shirts. Additionally, we want to thank Stingaree for its hummer limo/shuttle bus service, which offered free transportation to all attendees staying at the Standard, and Steve Adler, who provided radios for staffing.
A last big thank you to all trade show sponsors for their immense contributions in making the first BizBash Event Style Show Expo and Awards in Los Angeles an event to remember.
