Photo: Courtesy of Sarah Denton
Sarah Denton joined the New York City Opera two years ago as director of special events. She produces two major fall and spring galas annually, as well as family benefits, luncheons, and about 60 small events for patrons of the arts. Most of the opera's fund-raisers take place at the New York State Theater.
Decor: "David Stark Design is such a pleasure to work with. On a personal level, [Stark] is very calm and easy to interact with, which is so important in this profession. He handles time lines and restrictions very well and doesn’t put any unnecessary stress on you. The New York State Theater's event space is a huge atrium four floors high, so it's important to make an impact on that space; for every event, David Stark Design comes up with an inventive idea that makes a big impact while maintaining a good sense of intimacy for our guests."
Flowers: "Urban Flora Design provides us with centerpieces for our pre-performance dinners, and schemes the colors around the opera while also responding to the season. Recently, we did an event with navy tablecloths, natural wood chairs, and tan napkins and chair covers, with a beautiful red floral centerpiece that gave an incredible punch to the table. Guests reacted well to the dinner and loved the production. New York City Opera has worked with Steve Geldman at Urban Flora Design for over 12 years."Catering: "Restaurant Associates has worked with us at Lincoln Center on small events and the biggest galas, delivering all-around, consistently good quality service and a creative, inspiring menu. Their ability to work around production time lines and last-minute changes is impressive."
Invitations: "Heidi Fener has been designing for us for over eight years. She takes a very personal approach to her craft, always stylish and inventive. Heidi invests great time and interest in the opera that the event is planned around, which results in a product that is always spot-on and exquisite, down to the quality of the paper and the beautiful colors."
PR: "Lisa Lori Communications is such a part of the City Opera family, I hardly think of them as external consultants. We’ve worked with them for five years. For our large galas, Lisa Lori gets us great press and brings phenomenal connections, such as Wine Spectator, which is now a wonderful supporter. The care the firm has for the individual project and company translates into the best work relationships."
Decor: "David Stark Design is such a pleasure to work with. On a personal level, [Stark] is very calm and easy to interact with, which is so important in this profession. He handles time lines and restrictions very well and doesn’t put any unnecessary stress on you. The New York State Theater's event space is a huge atrium four floors high, so it's important to make an impact on that space; for every event, David Stark Design comes up with an inventive idea that makes a big impact while maintaining a good sense of intimacy for our guests."
Flowers: "Urban Flora Design provides us with centerpieces for our pre-performance dinners, and schemes the colors around the opera while also responding to the season. Recently, we did an event with navy tablecloths, natural wood chairs, and tan napkins and chair covers, with a beautiful red floral centerpiece that gave an incredible punch to the table. Guests reacted well to the dinner and loved the production. New York City Opera has worked with Steve Geldman at Urban Flora Design for over 12 years."Catering: "Restaurant Associates has worked with us at Lincoln Center on small events and the biggest galas, delivering all-around, consistently good quality service and a creative, inspiring menu. Their ability to work around production time lines and last-minute changes is impressive."
Invitations: "Heidi Fener has been designing for us for over eight years. She takes a very personal approach to her craft, always stylish and inventive. Heidi invests great time and interest in the opera that the event is planned around, which results in a product that is always spot-on and exquisite, down to the quality of the paper and the beautiful colors."
PR: "Lisa Lori Communications is such a part of the City Opera family, I hardly think of them as external consultants. We’ve worked with them for five years. For our large galas, Lisa Lori gets us great press and brings phenomenal connections, such as Wine Spectator, which is now a wonderful supporter. The care the firm has for the individual project and company translates into the best work relationships."
