GOING PLACES Classic Party Rentals of Culver City, Calif., has promoted Walter Borchert and Jeff Sparks to sales consultants and Camille Conroy to office manager. Kristjan Gavin has joined the company as vice president of operations and Gus Galanis as sales consultant. The company's San Diego office has promoted Ann Salvati to inside sales manager and Erin Shean to sales consultant. 310/202-0011 (Culver City); 619/496-9700 (San Diego). Mosaic Event Management has hired Laura Wolfe as development manager; Jordana Shipman as event planner; and Richard Starkey as a meeting associate in the conference services department. 480 Second St., Suite 302, San Francisco, CA 94107; 415/908-2650. Jon Smith has joined Epicure Catering as director of business development. 110 Church St., Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia; +61 3 9818 7822; e-mail: [email protected]. Edward Nase is the new director of dining services at the University of Maine. 5734 Hilltop Commons, Suite 103, Orono, ME 04469-5734; 207/581-4375; e-mail: [email protected]. Lorran Bronnar has joined the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University as special events coordinator. Stanford, CA 94305-5060; 650/724-3599; e-mail: [email protected]. Keith Hickman has been promoted to manager, group sales and events, at The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. 411 Elm St., Suite 120, Dallas, TX 75202; 214/747-6660, ext. 6610; e-mail: [email protected]. The Meetinghouse Companies has hired Maureen Ancheta as special event producer, Richard DeVita as floral designer and Beverly Sobieski as art director. 781 N. Church Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126; 630/941-0600. Eureka! Tents & Seasonal Structures has promoted Robert Blandford to designer in the development area; Matthew Hamilton-Jones has been appointed industrial designer. P.O. Box 966, Binghamton, NY 13902-0966; 607/779-2200.
SPECIAL SITES Cafe Brauer, Chicago Designed in 1908 by Dwight Perkins in the Prairie School style, Cafe Brauer in Chicago's Lincoln Park closed its doors in 1941. Restored to its original splendor in the late '80s, it accommodates up to 300 dinner guests in The Great Hall, which features hardwood floors, decorative stained glass and a crowning skylight. Call 312/742-2400.
Los Angeles Center Studios, Los Angeles The Los Angeles Center Studios, a new film and television production studio in downtown L.A., boasts six 18,000-square-foot sound stages and 450,000 square feet of production and meeting space. Each sound stage features a 1,200-person capacity. The studios' Beaudry Building, completed in 1958, can accommodate a total of 1,500 guests in five different venues, including a theater and outdoor decks and patios. Call 213/534-3000.
Gibson Hall, London When completed in 1865, Gibson Hall was the greatest of London's banking halls. Today, the renovated venue, with its Corinthian columns, marble pillars and glazed domes, provides instant atmosphere for special events and meetings. Its main room, Gibson Hall, seats 240 for a dinner with dancing; the Garden room seats 100, and the outside garden has room for 150 diners under its marquee. Call +44 171 454 2324.
"Treat your staff well because as long as they're treated with respect and fairness, they will give respect and good service to the clients. A happy staff makes a happy client. Also, it's always better to have one or two extra people at an event than to be understaffed. If a party is understaffed, it filters down to everything."
Inna Poncher, Poko Event Productions, Los Angeles
