Nearly 1,000 guests, umbrellas in tow, celebrated the second anniversary of WCVB Channel 5’s local fashion, nightlife, and culture television show Style Boston at the Headhouse Concourse at Seaport World Trade Center on September 20. This year’s party saw 150 more guests than last year and focused on food, drawing a dozen culinary sponsors.
Style Boston tapped Creative Events to produce the event, which aimed to create anticipation for the show’s third year and showcase its stylish, creative, and fun brand, according to AJ Williams, president and creative director of Creative Events.
“We had a very large venue, so creating an intimate atmosphere was crucial,” she said. Elevated lounges by Cort Event Furnishings overlooked and flanked the dance floor, the focal point of the space. The venue's existing lighting also affected the design. Williams worked with High Output to soften the bright lighting under the concourse by shifting the lighting every 15 minutes from turquoise to burnt orange to fuchsia.
Another focus was sponsor integration. The large, outdoor venue allowed guests to interact with Audi cars in the event space. The Jamaica Tourist Board chopped coconuts on site for cocktails, and a Svedka-sponsored photo booth allowed guests to shoot three-second videos that were projected onto screens above the two DJs.
Daytime rain meant planners had to shift lounge furniture from the venue’s balcony to under the concourse and move two cars to the balcony, where guests entered. “Despite nervous chefs and sponsors, I took a huge risk by keeping [some sponsors] outdoors on the balcony, knowing that Mother Nature was always on my side,” Williams said. “I kept telling everyone, ‘The rain will stop at 4 p.m.’ with a smile, and it did.”