SAM FOXMAN INTERVIEWS ENTERTAINMENT GURU DANNY BERGOLD AT TSE IN TAMPA

NEW EVENT TECH: ATMOSPHERE

I am not even going to attempt to make the case that live music isn’t superior. However, the new technology introduced by Atmosphere is pretty darn cool! Imagine a live band with a drummer, bass player, singer and guitarist. Now imagine 4 large plasma screens representing each player. Here’s the catch… All 4 screens interact and play music in unison!

This technology is called High Definition Multichannel Entertainment (HDME). HDME is an innovative and creative presentation form for High Resolution audio & video film productions used at events, in casinos and luxury venues worldwide. The HDME master recording has four separate synchronized HD multichannels for playback. Contrary to standard television or film productions, HDME delivers a larger spectrum of picture information combined with a very high resolution. HDME captures the viewer in a unique way, thereby creating a new, and more emotional, film or music experience.

Enough of the techy talk, check out this video!

MICHAEL CAVANAUGH BRINGS THE MUSIC OF BILLY JOEL TO YOUR EVENT!

Michael Cavanaugh was hand-selected by Billy Joel to create the original lead in Broadway’s Movin’ Out as the show’s captivating ‘Piano Man’  – a role that earned him Tony and Grammy nominations. Upon completion of his Movin’ Out performances, Cavanaugh has continued with his music career, performing a combination of original songs, classic Rock ’N’ Roll favorites, and Billy Joel hits for private and corporate audiences. In addition to performing in the private events sector, Cavanaugh is currently touring symphony orchestras with his program “Michael Cavanaugh in Concert: The Music of Billy Joel and More!” 

POP-UP STORES: WHERE RETAIL MEETS EVENT DESIGN

For the last several years, pop-up stores have been all the rage for big retailers as well as several boutique shops. The concept is to stage a unique space, featuring hot products for a very limited time. Sound familiar? It’s pretty much what event designers do every week when staging one-of-a-kind environments for parties, meetings and product launches.

The most notable pop-up environments have been design by renowned event guru David Stark. In New York, his shop employs 30 craftsmen, set designers, and florists who can build out amazing designs to transform ordinary space into a sensory environment. Starks latest foray into the pop-up retail world is a woodshop-themed shop in Nolita, open throughout February. Whimsical and funky, the Haus Interiors space on Elizabeth Street features 75 signature items ranging from embroidered linen napkins, pocket pouches to knitted facsimiles of axes and paint cans, an oversized pipe in a glass bell jar.

Read more: http://www.dwell.com/articles/David-Stark-Pop-Up-Shop.html#ixzz1mEDP7uon

In May of last year, David Stark opened the “Purely Paper Flower Shoppe,” in collaboration with West Elm. The store-within-a-store was only open for two days, and construction needed to be completed in an even tighter time frame. Stark filmed a stop-motion video of the entire process, so you can see how quickly all of the build-out and design elements came together. See below.

One of the biggest pop-up innovations was a store for Target’s Liberty of London launch in New York. Target nabbed Stark to design the space and bring a psychedelic twist to spring.  New Yorkers had a chance to preview the fashion for men, women, and babies as well as home furnishings directly across the street from Bryant Park, the home of New York Fashion Week!

HOT ENTERTAINMENT: THE COMPANY MEN

I know the world is nutty over any acapella group that slightly resembles something from GLEE, but I have to say I was pretty blown away when I saw The Company Men.

This unique vocal group brings together a unique blend of talent, personality and showmanship that harkens back to an earlier era, while pushing the boundaries of today’s popular music.

Daniel Tatar, Shawn Perucca, Stuart Ambrose and Brian Purcell have joined together to create a truly unique musical experience, “timeless hits. today’s sound,” mashing the music of six decades. Hear the Four Tops mixed with Michael Jackson, or Frankie Lymon mashed with Bruno Mars and Beyonce. This collection of music includes a multitude of yesterday’s and today’s most popular artists including The Temptations, Michael Bublè, Maroon 5, and more.

These modern gentlemen stand apart from other groups with their intricate four-part harmonies, sharp choreography and new, modern interpretations of classic and current hits. These men have performed worldwide, and would be perfect for corporate, social or non-profit events!

For pricing and availability, email info@contemporaryevents.com

HYBRID EVENTS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

This is not Terminator 3 and the machines are not taking over… well not yet at least. However, there is an increasing buzz surrounding hybrid events and the notion of combining live event experiences with the worldwide web.  A hybrid event is a meeting, conference, seminar, party or other event that combines a “live” in-person event with a “virtual” online component. With the growing popularity and cost-effectiveness of virtual events, hybrid events have become a popular way of increasing participation in traditional events at a relatively low cost. They also enable participation by people who might be unable to attend physically due to travel or time zone constraints or through a wish to reduce the carbon footprint of the event.

Here is what you need to know:

1.   This is not going away. As a matter of fact, it is happening whether you incorporate it into your plan or not. With the rapid growth of social networking technologies and their widespread use in our workplace, your event is going to hit the web via social media, with or without your involvement. Wouldn’t it be great to have influence over the process?

2.  The live event still has to be spectacular, or at least on par with what your competition is doing. Otherwise there is no need to broadcast it to thousands of people on the web. The keynote speaker needs to be relevant, the set design still needs to be exciting and the atmosphere should inspire your live attendees to Tweet or post during the event.

3.   We live in a global community. If you believe your message is worthy of the people two counties over, then you may as well reach a little farther. You are already putting the effort into effecting the 1200 people in the room, why would you stop there? For very little investment, you can connect with interested parties around the world with a simple plan (see #5).

4.   The virtual platform has to be easy to use and understand. Integrating Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn directly into the event program will engage attendees to use the technology in which they are familiar. It will also encourage them to communicate via these channels after the event and continue to spread the message organically across thier network.

5.   There has to be a plan. Flashing the Twitter icon on the screen with @yourorganization and asking people to send you comments during a presentation is not exactly crossing the bridge. There are many more elements to consider. This process begins when / how a guest receives an invitation to the event. It continues as the attendee interacts with your organization online and via social media. It manifests itself in the way you use technology at the event and inspire guests to join in. It can also last many weeks after the live event – especially if there is smart follow-up content as part of the strategy.

If you want to discuss how your organization can incorporate hybrid elements into your next event, email me at sfoxman@contemporaryevents.com

CHAMPAGNE DIVA DRESS

Living tables are soooo 2008! Check out the brand spankin’ new Champagne Diva Dresses from Champagne Creative. These gorgeous ladies can hover around a cocktail party offering guests Champagne flutes directly from their dresses! The costumes are beautifully designed and the flutes can be replaced with chilled soup, ceviche or another beverage item.

For pricing and availability, email info@contemporaryevents.com