Sunday, July 25, 2010

Vampires and Parties

We weren’t actually there, but were still pretty close to the premiere screening of the new film Twilight Saga: Eclipse last week. It was kind of fun, looking at the publicity shots of the oh-so-young and gorgeous stars schmoozing it up with their fans. But what we really wanted to know was: what was the party like?

It was a production by Chad Hudson Events, based out of Beverly Hills. And it was true to the theme of blood-dripping fangs, eerie, haunted scenes and Hollywood glam.

The venue was the Event Deck at the L.A. Live Complex in downtown L.A. The rooftop space was 106,000 square feet, which included a 42,000-square-foot tent, an outdoor party area and a special VIP arrivals spot.

After the screening at the Nokia Theatre, 3,000 guests were invited to the after-party, a re-creation of the setting of the film which is set in the state of Washington. Enjoy the photos—they’re bloody good!

Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner arrive for the party.

Chad Hudson Events brought Twilight Saga: Eclipse’s wintery Pacific Northwest setting
to life so that guests felt as if they were actually stepping inside a scene from the movie.
Twilight-themed desserts included crisp Washington apples with assorted toppings.
Inside the giant tent, Chad Hudson and his team created a wintery wilderness,
complete with a hauntingly realistic full moon perched high overhead,
mountains and silhouettes of evergreen trees projected against the tent sides.


A central point in the film is a foggy lake from which the vampires emerge.











Hello, Friends!

Greetings, Event Solutions readers, from your new editor. I’m thrilled to join the ES team and have buckled up my seat belt, anticipating a wild and glorious ride through the wonders and challenges of the events and meetings industry.
I have an idea what to expect, since my last gig was editor of another industry publication, albeit a regional one. That incredibly fun run helped remind me how much I love the business, beginning from my own days as a corporate event planner and meeting manager. (At the time, I had no idea what I was doing, but I learned fast.)

I plan to learn fast in this job as well, by drinking in the national and international buzz and communicating what I find to all of you. I also plan to learn from you. I have nothing but awe and respect for the industry people I’ve met over the years. The folks at my local ISES, MPI, ASAE and NACE chapters have been a great resource to me, and now I’ll be expanding that reach to chapters worldwide. Most of all, I want to get some good discussion going between Event Solutions and our readers, and build new and lasting relationships. You can’t succeed in this business without making contacts and connections, from suppliers to planners to venues and organizations. And that’s what I enjoy the most.

I’m really excited about this new challenge. And I think we’ll have a lot of fun together— hang on tight!