Around Town
Eat, Drink and Crush Grapes
Photo: Adam LathamMalibu Family Wines hosted its Sixth Annual Harvest & Crush Event as a fundraiser to benefit the non-profit City Hearts: Kids Say “Yes” to the Arts organization. Guests roamed the sprawling grounds of Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, Calif., tasting wines and sampling dishes donated by local restaurants, including Chapter 8 and The Melting Pot. The event’s signature attraction, the barefoot grape crush, offered participants a chance to experience one of the more unique and fun aspects of wine production, followed by a botanical foot soak and foot massage by salons Bonicca and Borrelli. Actress Jane Seymour, City Hearts’ honorary national chairperson, attended the celebration.
Palm Springs Rocks
Photo: Terry DaffinGuests at Enterprise’s Fleet Service Annual Awards Program found out just how much “E Rocks!” when Bravo Productions put together an edgy, MTV-themed event at the Hilton Palm Springs. Graffiti art, chain link fencing and neon trussing provided by Heaven or Las Vegas were just some of the attractions at this hip, concert-style experience. Acts included The Fleet Girls, three Enterprise employees performing a selection by Destiny’s Child and senior management impersonating the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Music videos shot by Enterprise departments and edited by BT West, which also provided lighting, sound and technical equipment, entertained between awards. Linens and seat covers were provided by BBJ Linen. The awards show was followed by a chic after-party.
Partying Rat Pack Style
Photo: Scott HuntleyEvent production company DaVinci Fusion teamed up with Nouvelle Roux for a gala evening benefiting the philanthropic efforts of NBA player Chris Webber. As part of the Bada Bling Celebrity Weekend, the country’s hottest athletes and celebrities gathered at Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace Ballroom, which was transformed into the super-swank club of the Rat Pack days, complete with a glitzy martini bar and a 1950s stage featuring a silver eyelash drape and special lighting. DaVinci Fusion dressed the room in sapphire-blue velour and placed white leather booths on risers. A 50-foot Lexan and light bar highlighted the specially selected collection of glasses. Actor Mark Curry hosted the evening, which included entertainment by Rafael Saadiq, Teena Marie and Christine Deavers.
A Gracious Celebration
Photo: Q. ParkerOver 200 guests dressed in black, red and silver showed up at Vancouver, British Columbia’s Mynt Lounge to celebrate event production and PR specialist Gracious Host’s three-year anniversary and new image. DJ Solomon rocked the house full of event planners, media and PR professionals. Entertainment included unique guitar stylings by Max Serpentini, dynamic freestyle rap by Ndidi Cascade and Deanna Teeple, and airbrush art and body painting by Virgo Visual Artistry’s Sammy Rae. Winners of the “Best Dressed” award and the Chinglish Scavenger Hunt (guests vied to find the best phrase lost in translation from Chinese in Gracious Host owner Alice Zhou’s newsletters) were announced later in the evening. Event sponsors included Vancouver View Magazine, Sasha’s Secrets and Shark Energy Drink.
Breaking Ground
Photo: Scott BrinegarSt. Joseph Hospital in Orange, Calif., called on Pacific Partners, a corporate event management and production firm, to produce the Ground Breaking Ceremony for its new 87,000-square-foot cancer center. More than 500 guests attended the event, which saw a dirt lot transformed into 20,000 square feet event space, complete with a “Garden of Hope” featuring live foliage, flowering baskets, park benches and a real 20-foot-tall magnolia tree named the “Tree of Life.” Guests had a chance to write their hopes and wishes for the new cancer center on the “leaves of hope.” A Hope and Healing Procession began when 250 cancer survivors crossed the street, leaving the old cancer center for the new.
Windshields, Beware
Courtesy: Gekko EventsWhen London, U.K., event management and production company Gekko Events produced this year’s Shoreditch Urban Open in the English capital, Londoners flocked from afar to experience the game of golf in one of London’s trendiest neighborhoods. While the players took a swing at “urban golf” on the colorful streets of Shoreditch — abiding by Gekko Events’ motto “we provide the greens, and you play in the streets” — the pubs in the area showed the Ryder Cup, which coincided with this urban counterpart. Players’ scores were also projected on wide screens to create a fun and unique experience that put an exclusive game within reach of the players, celebrities and golf pros alike.
"Over 200 guests dressed in
“Over 200 guests dressed in black, red and silver showed up at Vancouver” so what’s wrong with that? I mean it’s not like a New York mesothelioma attorney will sue you!