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Acria Creates Event Buzz With Deborah Hughes

Scott Drevnig
Scott Drevnig
Photo: Russell L. Weiss
Scott Drevnig stepped into his position as director of art and event marketing at AIDS Community Research Initiative of America in 2006. Prior to joining Acria, he worked in media marketing for HBO and was the director of sales and marketing for Preston Bailey. Drevnig now produces roughly 10 annual events, including a Vanity Fair-sponsored benefit in the Hamptons and the big annual “Unframed” fund-raiser hosted by Domino magazine.

PR: “When we need to publicize one of our events to the fashion, art, and media people, Deborah Hughes is amazing and very connected. She’s an industry veteran who does PR for Donna Karan. Deborah is very quick and efficient, and has a wonderful supporter base. She brings great press on board, which is such a gift to us, since we need to raise money and awareness.”
Catering: “For two years, we have used Taste Caterers because Jon Gilman and his staff are incredibly well trained, professional, and amazing to work with. They have everything under control and can handle any problem once they’re on board. For our events, Taste presents fresh, wonderful ideas that are very seasonal and consistently creative. They make these great watermelon goat-cheese bites, and the lemon dill shrimp is savory and delicious.”

Flowers: “We’ve used Jody Zimmerman Designs for many years; Jody is my go-to florist whenever we send our V.I.P.s something special. I just sent two thank-you arrangements, and she whipped up the most beautiful bouquets. I always get the ‘Thank you, these are so gorgeous. Who did you use?’ response. She can create something with a burst of color or do a stark white minimalist design for our gallery venues. Recently, someone needed a completely scentless display of flowers, so Jody made these exquisite orchid arrangements.”

Entertainment: “For the Hamptons event, Paul Sevigny wowed the crowd. He DJed outdoors at a house that used to belong to Truman Capote. He blended the perfect mix of music that was age-appropriate for the diverse twenty-, thirty-, and fiftysomethings. He had a great vibe that kept our cocktails at sunset really flowing. Not one person said, 'Turn it down! It’s too loud.' He really has a knack for picking what people want to hear.”

Security: “We’ve used Citadel Security Agency several times. They give us three or four of their best people; they’re always tough guys who know what they’re doing at the door. There’s no frantic running around, and they understand how to handle crashers and phony press. They are true pros that we trust with a very upscale crowd. When we had Vanessa Carlton perform at an event, someone posing as Avril Lavigne tried to get in. Citadel knew how to let the right people in and politely turn away those not on the list. They show up on time, stay as long as needed, and never ruffle any feathers.”