THE NEWS from EventWorks, Inc.

Dear Friends, As the year draws to a close we reflect on the events of the past 12 months.  We consider ourselves so lucky to make a living in a profession that makes us happy.  We appreciate all the opportunities for creative and exciting collaborations with you. Thank You! We are looking forward to a successful 2019. From our EW Family to Your Family: Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays  and a Happy New Year!

Wow. What a can of worms! Since a Cleveland, Ohio, radio station started a ban on the 74-year old Christmas tune "Baby, It's Cold Outside" because the lyrics were deemed "inappropriate" by some listeners in the #metoo era, public reaction has been swift. Twitter and Facebook erupted. Extensive scrolling of both platforms shows that 99+% of all comments supports the Holiday classic. But the issue started a conversation we in the event industry take very seriously. DJ Lee Dyson has a lot to say! Can a flirty duet written in the social context of the 1940s become politically so incorrect that it has to be yanked off radio and event playlists? WDOK listeners seemed to find it offensive enough to call in. A week ago WDOK stopped playing the classic tune. Other stations followed suit. The ban created headlines and reaction in media and on social media platforms. The overwhelming consensus: the ban is completely unjustified. Comical #BabyItsColdOutside memes pop

Janet's recent Europe trip included many historic sites but since Kiev, Ukraine, is now a tech goldmine, she checked out an event company on her vacation as well. "I originally met Sergey Rodinov during his business trip to the US. I contacted him once I knew my dates in Kiev and he graciously invited us to visit his offices. His global services and work are a trend worth exploring." Silicon Valley companies like Google and Oracle outsource 100,000 jobs to Kiev,  Seedstars director of business development Igor Ovcharenko: "We have 100 thousand developers and IT-related people officially working for outsourcing companies in Ukraine but you can easily triple that amount with freelancers and those who are not officially registered." Janet: "Kiev is one of the hottest markets for tech startups in the world and this industry is global. During our lunch in Los Angeles I was impressed with the quality of the pre-visit renderings his company produced

"Being of Los Angeles and for Los Angeles", the most expensive U.S. soccer stadium is not only great for sports but also an event producer's dream.  Ted Bowers and Alisa Walsh recently had the pleasure of exploring the newest large addition to Downtown Los Angeles' event site offerings - and came back to the office inspired. Alisa Walsh, an avowed soccer fan - you may remember her report from World Cup in Russia: "I can’t wait to show it to our clients!” The Banc of California stadium in Exposition Park, next to the Coliseum and the USC Campus offers a myriad of event possibilities in an elegant, high tech setting.  Perfectly located near Downtown and great for #LA2028 - call us soon to plan your future event. Alisa Walsh: "The interior of the stadium is a design dream come true. Each room and event space was beautifully crafted with unique personality to encompass the lifestyle of Los Angeles – from chic gold & white marbled bar fronts, to co

Davis Firefighters Local 3494/Facebook.com Little moments of beauty will occur even in the most dire situations. This Facebook post put a smile on our faces. Davis Firefighters Local 3494 posted this image of a Davis fire strike team — Capt. Richard Moore and firefighters Matt Elder and Noah Easterday — getting up-close with a deer while searching for hotspots at the Camp Fire in Butte County. “During the most horrific fire in our wonderful state’s history we have this amazing moment,” the Facebook post said. Do you feel overwhelmed by all the recent disasters as well? We give thanks that our EW crew is okay. Please find a list of ways to help victims below. California news has been dominated by a horrific mass shooting and devastating fires since early November. The East Coast is dealing with the first deadly snow storm of the season and much of the Southeast is barely beginning to recover from hurricanes Florence and Michael; just to name a few disasters that took place

Can YOU spot Ted and Kristen among the band members of POSTMODERN JUKEBOX? Let us know where they are on Facebook or Instagram. The Event: an annual fundraising gala Date: October 13, 2018 Location: City National Grove of Anaheim Guest Count: 650 Our goal: produce a soiree that would support and enhance the fundraising mission of our client. We immersed attendees in elegance, weaving a cohesive entertainment concept into every aspect of the event, from a guest's entrance to their departure. Ted Bowers: "We have produced this event for several years. In the past, the main attraction was a big name entertainer's performance. This year the client wanted to change it up and shifted in format. The 2018 concept wove entertainment aspects into every segment of the evening, from entrance to departure. We had custom tailored all elements of the experience to compliment the main performance, Postmodern Jukebox. Their energized show provided the icing on the cake."

We all wanted to go. We provided support for an annual conference for a longtime client and friend we cherish in a city we love: New Orleans. While hard at work, it is impossible not to get infected with New Orleans' Joie de Vivre; that talent to enjoy life in the midst of hard work. Ted Bowers, Marcelo Cruz and Ben Majors were the lucky L.A. crew that got to go. They are happy to share some highlights. Ted Bowers: "When I walked through the lobby of the hotel following our general session I felt like I was in a time warp. The lobby was filled with ladies dressed in period attire. There were also hat stations, or rather fascinator stations, providing the perfect hat accessory. I got into a conversation with these three ladies who had stopped by on their way to the opera to celebrate "The Stormin' of the Sazerac Bar", an annual local event toasting a feminist milestone, the first time women were allowed unaccompanied in a drinking establishment,  that hap

Can you imagine a good monster movie without a scary soundtrack? Neither can we. DJ Lee Dyson created this playlist specifically for Halloween.  

How do you judge an event's success? Watch how many attendees snap photos. The client may or may not encourage hash-tagging and live social media integration, depending on the level of privacy they wish to maintain. However, in the age of Snapchat and Instagram, guests love to strike a pose and collect their memories with their smart phones. It is one way of ensuring great engagement. Branded, ready-made photo backdrops are popping up everywhere. And we love them, too.  Here Brynne with our very own City of Angels Wings, created for a La La Land event last year.  Branded, social media savvy PR campaigns and activations abound. Why spend a lot of money on advertising when you can get the public to do it for you. Selfies on social media have been around since 2013 when the word was named "word of the year". However, recognizable backdrops are nothing new. The granddaddy of all famous signs in the L.A. area, the HOLLYWOOD sign, was erected in 1923. The original &

This client loves to surprise his young guests with new, exciting aspects during the annual Closing Party. We upped the ante once again. The Event: A Closing Night Party Event Date: September 2018 Event Time: 6-11PM Event Location: A Ballroom in Southern California We have done aerial sommeliers, atmospheric acrobats and stage shows enhanced by close proximity pyrotechnics and aerial acrobats. We have taken branded decor to new immersive levels with LED Towers and synchronized 360 degree surround projection. This last month we had to surprise the guests once again. We had added entertainment to every aspect of the evening. For the closing Dance Party we introduced the Action Bar: a double trampoline and five performers, surrounded by 8' long black bars to turn the central bar from gathering point into a show element. Brynne Peña: “Our intention with the Trampoline Wall was two-fold:  entertainment and branding.  Given the large size of the wall itself, it provided

Who says you can't wear white after Labor Day? We checked in with our Creative Director Kate Brack. Kate loves the renaissance of all things palm tree, now trending year-round. Here a digital rendering of our Branching Communal Table with Palm Frond enhancements. Faithful readers may have noticed that we love working in tropical locations. Our production work frequently takes us to Hawaii, Southern Florida or Mexico. We live under palm trees and love to work under them, too. Palm leaf motives have been popular for decades. The famous Beverly Hills Hotel introduced palm tree print wallpaper in 1942 with Don Loper's design. Tropical prints have made a fashion come back this year and even over-sized pool decor has taken the form of pineapples and pink flamingos. They do add a sense of vacation and sunshine to any affair and Kate advises that cold weather and a winter season do not have to put an end to our love of tropical trends. Kate Brack: "The retro palm chic

Ted Bowers with Heather Heimerl Brunold | Executive Director | Licensee, Words2Action | TEDxPasadena We absolutely loved working in our backyard, Pasadena, CA, for this inspiring, uplifting event: TEDxPasadena 2018 - Transform Words to Action. Date: September 22, 2018 Location: The Huntington Library Our Task: staging, lighting and sound as part of comprehensive technical support for the one-day conference featuring 17 individual speakers. Ted Bowers: "The tag line "a day dedicated to transforming the future, and putting words to action" captures the essence of this event. TEDxPasadena's Executive Director Heather Heimerl Brunold, M.Ed., Ed.D. has done an incredible job organizing these events since 2015. Besides the large all-day annual conference, smaller salon events take place throughout the year. Since it's inception the scope of the all volunteer-managed conference has grown considerably. For the first time this year, they decided to hire us to as

Mary Spellerberg, Associate Director of Sales, and Alisa Walsh  It may be fall in most of the country but summer continues in Southern California. Alisa Walsh recently visited the newly remodeled roof top location right off the legendary Sunset Boulevard. The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills offers three roof top space possibilities with pools and views!  The London Penthouse is the largest suite in Los Angeles. We can't wait to produce an event in this luxurious, hip space overlooking the L.A. skyline and Hollywood Hills. The best season for clear skies and amazing views is about to start. Alisa Walsh: "I am accustomed to seeing impressive sites in Los Angeles. However, the London West Hollywood offers three different gorgeous roof top spaces for any size and style of event. The expanse, location and level of luxury of the newly remodeled Penthouse Suite at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills definitely raise the bar. L.A. skies are the clearest