NO ONE IMAGE captures New York City; the city stands for diversity. For an April conference of corporate real estate executives, Sandy Spaeth, president of New York-based Spaeth Design Events, showcased this diversity, juxtaposing New York's bustling Grand Central Terminal and the stately American Museum of Natural History.
The first evening featured an elegant dinner for 300 VIPs in the Hall of Ocean Life at the museum. Entertainers in animal costumes escorted guests through the wildlife area to the hall, where they were greeted by sea nymphs who led them to the main dining area downstairs. Dramatic lighting washed over a 94-foot replica of a blue whale hanging overhead while the sounds of crashing waves played so that you felt like you were underwater, Spaeth notes. New York-based Bentley Meeker Lighting & Staging provided the lighting.
Design company Matthew David, also based in New York, created 4-foot-tall sea-themed centerpieces using sea sponges, sand dollars and brown sugar as edible sand.
The second night of the event was held in Grand Central Terminal. Because this was a New York City- and New York state-supported event, Grand Central Terminal was nice enough to let us stage it there, Spaeth says.
Because of the renovation, we couldn't touch anything, she notes. Everything had to be on wheels. With just one hour allocated for setup, Spaeth was taken by surprise when an entire train let out at the exact time we were told we could roll out. She attributes the success of the setup to military precision. L.P.
Spaeth Design Events
423 W. 55th St.
New York, NY 10019
212/489-0770
www.spaethdesign.com
GOING PLACES
New York-based event and media services company Production Resources has hired Marsha Greenberg as an account executive in its New York office and Andrea Williams-Hart as an account executive in its San Francisco office. Call the New York office at 212/366-1358 or the San Francisco office at 415/551-9800; Web site: www.productionresources.net. ▪ Lexington, Ky.-based Lundy's Special Events, an off-premise catering and hospitality company, has named Abigail Lundergan director of special events and Jamey Gumm director of hospitality, motor sports division. Call 859/255-0717. ▪ EventClicks, the online event planning service portal of Hong Kong-based e-Kong Group, has promoted Liza Sheung to vice president of operations and Ted Suen to director of sales. Call +852 2296 9728; Web site: www.eventclicks.com. ▪ Oak Creek, Wis.-based Karl's Party Rental has hired Mark Lampe as a client liaison. Call 800/383-6332, 414/831-7024; Web site: www.karls.com. ▪ Daniel Rush has been named director of incentive sales at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Call 702/891-1111; Web site: www.mgmgrand.com. ▪ Columbus, Ohio-based full-service production company Mills/James Productions has promoted Bruce Reid to director of event technologies and Rich Yepsen to executive producer. Call 614/777-9933; Web site: www.millsjames.com. ▪ David DeLoach has been named operating manager for Magic Kingdom convention events at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Call 407/824-6287; Web site: http://disney.go.com/disneyworld. ▪ P.W. Feats, a full-service event marketing firm in Baltimore, has hired Barbara Barrett Clapp as director of sales, Amy Kallan as event producer and Lauren Candura as production assistant. Call 410/727-5575; Web site: www.pwfeats.com. ▪ Geoff Kretchmer has joined Southfield, Mich.-based Star Trax Corporate Events as account executive. Call 800/9 EVENTS (938-3687); Web site: www.startraxcorpevents.com. ▪ Ruth Moyte has joined Los Angeles-based event design and catering firm An Original Occasion. Call 323/467-2111; Web site: www.aooevents.com. ▪ Mark Conley has joined Los Angeles-based Good Gracious! Events as event coordinator. Call 323/954-2277.
ADDRESS BOOK
Air Dimensional Design has moved to 14141 Covello St., Building One, Van Nuys, CA 91405. The new phone numbers are 800/680-8823 and 818/988-9901. Web site: www.airdd.com. ▪ Beverly Clark Collection, a bridal accessory manufacturer, has relocated to 1705 S. Waukegan Road, Waukegan, IL 60085. The new phone number is 847/887-0071. The toll-free number is 800/888-6866. Web site: www.beverlyclark.com.
Hey, Good-Looking!
We're searching for fantastic photographs of beautiful buffets for an upcoming story. Interested? Send your pretty pictures to Layna Pedersen at Special Events Magazine, P.O. Box 8987, Malibu, CA 90265.
MEMORY BOUND
Make a lasting impression on an important corporate client or bridal party with a custom-created photo album, handcrafted and designed by New York bookbinders Weitz, Weitz and Coleman. Every detail can be customized, from the color and cover design to the size and weight of the paper inside. For this one-of-a-kind gift, contact the company at 212/831-2213 or visit www.weitzcoleman.com for more information.
VENUE MENU
Your Rolodex might feel neglected once you discover Hallz.com, an online reception venue directory providing addresses and phone numbers for venues across North America. Listing hotels, restaurants, banquet halls and golf and country clubs, this Mississauga, Ontario-based Web site is one of the first online directories devoted exclusively to reception venues, according to the company. For more information, visit Hallz.com at www.hallz.com or call 877/562-2202 or 905/607-0996.
CONTROL YOUR LOSSES
Though it's unpleasant to acknowledge, liability risks are a fact of life in the off-premise catering business. NACE members will be relieved to learn there is a new loss control program geared specifically toward off-premise caterers, focusing on the risks they face, including hiring practices, personnel safety issues and food spoilage. The program begins with an auditing process in which a representative from Columbus, Ohio-based Quadrant Insurance Managers assesses the caterer's liability exposures and compliance with regulatory acts and agencies, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and OSHA. The program offers monthly safety newsletters, special education seminars and insurance coverage in areas such as liquor liability, food spoilage and adulteration, boiler and machinery, and valet parking. For more information, NACE members can contact Quadrant Insurance Managers at 614/841-1425 or visit its Web site at www.quadrant-us.com.
