The conference opened with flash and style as planners entered the Kovens Conference Center in North Miami to find an interactive dance floor by Party Tunes flashing shapes, patterns and slogans underfoot in a rainbow of colors. With the never-ending quest for knowledge, education figured prominantly. BiZBash Media president Richard Aaron was in the house to give the general session, "50 Tips in 50 minutes." Break-out sessions that followed included "Catering: It's More Than Just the Food" led by COMCOR's Mona Meretsky and "Promote! Promote! Promote! How to Get the Attention You Deserve," moderated by BiZBashFla's Shari Lynn Rothstein. But the fun was just about to begin.
On the upper floor of the conference center, a team of event industry professionals were busy preparing the main event—a tri-country journey that would figuratively transport attendees around the world. At 5 PM the doors swung open and it was time for the unveiling. Following the lead of design and production company Event Management Group, select vendors including AVHQ, Kevin Black Productions, Panache Party Rentals and Classic Fare Catering brought to life a spectacular environment, capturing the sights, sounds and tastes of the Moulin Rouge in Paris, the vivid colors of Brazil and the spirit of Ireland.
Guests entered the room, which was split into thirds through decor, to find the Brazilian portion of the event. Bright colors and fabulous food arrangements including skewered fruit stuck into pineapple-lined trees offered tropical opulence. Brazil morphed into the Moulin Rouge in Paris, which was done in lush red velvets, crushed velvet linens on small round tables and lots of dim red lighting, adding the feel of mystery and an air of naughtiness to the space. And the last stop on the tour was an Irish pub, complete with a big wood bar, lots of beer, a cheese station and a large amount of the color green. The three areas enveloped a stage where Kevin Black Productions entertained the crowd with three high-energy dance numbers—an Irish Riverdance-like number, a can-can and other burlesque-style dances for the Moulin Rouge and finally, a Brazillian carnivale number. At the same time, guests' appetites were sated with cuisine from all three countries, displayed at three separate stations.
"We wanted to take guests on a voyage around the world that touched on all of their senses," said Mark Keller of EMG. "It was great because our team had the chance to showcase three different looks at one event." When the festivities wound down, empoyees from Towne Park were waiting to bring cars around and see people off.
—Shari Lynn Rothstein
