Contemporary Productions lends a hand to TLC’s Stacy London and Clinton Kelly at St. Louis Fashion Week!

Contemporary Productions and TLC’s What Not to Wear film crew planned a stunning ambush on an unsuspecting St. Louisian at Fashion Week. On Wednesday, October 14, 2009, an episode of the hit cable show starring Stacy London and Clinton Kelly filmed in multiple locations at Hotel Lumiere, the epicenter of St. Louis Fashion Week.

The Contemporary Team worked closely with the New York-based film crew to insure the surprise was genuine. Many elements were critical, including lighting, audio and camera placement. All had to be accomplished using code words and false titles for the project as not to give away the surprise to any of the 500 audience members.

The result was a masterful ambush where the unsuspecting candidate and her family were completely surprised and will go on to New York City to spend $5,000 on a shopping spree with Stacy and Clinton!

Lee’s Summit gets painted RED!

Summit Fair, a 500,000-square-foot, open-air lifestyle center opened August 7-9, 2009 with a Back to School Bash!  Contemporary Productions is proud to have worked again with our good friends at RED Development  to provide the entertainment for the Grand Opening of another spectacular property.

Amid the train rides, concerts in the courtyard and the roaming entertainment of magicians, jugglers, balloon artists and face painters, were featured artists Damon Farmer, Sand Sculptor and Justin Tolentino, Graffiti Artist.  

Summit Fair is located at the crossroads of I-470 & Hwy 50 in Lee’s Summit, MO.  The new center is anchored by Macy’s and JCPenney.

Summit Fair Sand Sculpture by Damon Farmer

Summit Fair Graffiti Art by Justin Tolentino

Two Contemporary events make the “Best of St. Louis” list

Contemporary co-produced two events highlighted in the Riverfront Times “Best of St. Louis” issue on September 30, 2009.

Best Music Festival

Live on the Levee

Live on the Levee isn’t your traditional music festival in the sense of a consecutive-days event, but it has become a staple of St. Louis summers. This year’s edition of the concert series raised the bar with a double-barreled shot of a diverse talent pool — including college-popsters Guster, hometown country gal Gretchen Wilson and indie hip-hop fave Lupe Fiasco — and unseasonably mild weather. The highlight for us, though, came when a cool westerly breeze ushered in the light, fluffy cloudbank that provided a picturesque natural backdrop for Thurston Moore and company as Sonic Youth blasted through the most experimental performance the Landing has seen in quite some time. And when Moore commented that he wouldn’t mind sticking around and maybe taking up residence inside the Arch, the audience applauded with undeniable hometown pride. Let’s hope the folks at Celebrate St. Louis can continue to attract this wide range of quality acts to the banks of the Mississippi.

Best Concert of the Past 12 Months

Sonic Youth

When it was announced that NYC underground rock legends Sonic Youth were going to play Live on the Levee — the free concert series on the Arch grounds mainly known for booking mainstream-leaning acts — reactions ranged from “Is this a joke?” to “Holy fucking shit.” But the May show announcement was no joke — and on a balmy mid-July night, teens, twentysomethings, parents and toddlers packed the steps underneath the Arch for the 90-minute show. The members of Sonic Youth seemed as tickled to be there as the crowd did — vocalist/guitarist Thurston Moore cheekily asked if there was room in the Arch to move in — and they delivered a blistering noise-punk set of tunes that spanned the band’s entire career. Besides playing most of its 2009 album, The Eternal, the Youth threw in plenty of ’80s chestnuts — including the creepy, distortion-laced “Shadow of a Doubt” and the squalling, car-with-no-brakes “Death Valley ‘69.”

Interview With Sam Foxman-The Event Specialist

David Siteman Garland, host and creator of Rise to The Top, interviewed Contemporary Productions Senior Partner Sam Foxman on his passions, business trends, event ideas and more. The interview concluded with Garland and Foxman chatting casually on the couch and taking questions via email from viewers around the region.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The Garden Comes Alive!

 By Sam Foxman, Senior Partner

On May 30^th, 2009 the Missouri Botanical Garden Came Alive to celebrate their 150^th Anniversary. Contemporary Productions was hired to design a gala event for donors and supporters that embodied the historical elements of the garden, but also its mission of conservation.

The Garden Comes Alive! Gala was a huge success. Over 500 patrons strolled the “green carpet” at the entry gate. Wrapped around pillars and walls were the Living Vine characters that suddenly came to life and surprised and amazed guests. Human Butterflies greeted guests in the garden. Their glowing wings spanned 12 feet as they mingled with guests and posed for pictures.

The Living Orchid character moved through the crowd posing for pictures to guests delight. As patrons moved toward the tent for the dinner program, the centerpiece of the rose garden was the Living Fountain.  This statue of a beautiful woman transforms herself with magical elegance into a living fountain. Delicate jets of water appeared from her fingertips as a shimmering halo cascaded from the crown of her head in a beautifully choreographed display.

 

After the amazing fountain performance, guests enjoyed a fine dining experience from Catering  St. Louis in a custom designed tent. The massive tent was constructed over the existing fountain pools. Video screens relayed special messages and captivated guests during the program. After dinner, patrons danced the night away to the Charles Glenn Band.

The Missouri Botanical Gardens is a truly enchanting place.

Event planning gurus focus on helping St. Louis Non-Profits increase revenue in tough times

On July 21, 2009, Nationally recognized event planners Sam Foxman and Susan Werremeyer hosted a free workshop for non-profit organizations aimed to deliver a “wow” event for lower budgets.

It is no secret that corporate giving has all but halted and individual gifts are half of what they were 16 months ago. Tough economic times impact all of us, and the non-profit sector is no exception.

The idea came about when Foxman was working with several clients on creating fundraising events. “I was noticing in January that many of my clients were asking the same question… How do I have this event look like it did last year for less money?” As he started to experience the same questions more and more, Foxman began to keep a log of his tips and techniques to stretch his client’s budget.  “I started to realize we are all in this together. These non-profit agencies are looking for solutions and we (Contemporary Productions) happen to be inventing them at the same time.”

Shortly after he began logging his ideas, Sam’s friend and colleague, Susan Werremeyer, called and asked him to do a presentation with her for the Community Service Public Relations Council. They started to discuss content for the workshop and Foxman brought up the idea of “Recession Busting” event techniques. Before long, the two collaborated on a program that offered non-profit event planners an inside look on how to create “Wow” events for “Now” budgets.

Susan Werremeyer has been planning events with non-profit organizations for over 5 years. In 2004, she created the Carlton|Werremeyer agency to aid non-profits in public relations, fundraising initiatives and event planning. As Senior Partner of Contemporary Productions, Foxman has been credited with entertaining over a million people in his 15-year career of producing parties, galas, concerts and fashion events. The two met five years ago when Werremeyer worked at The Contemporary Art Museum. Foxman was retained to produce the grand opening events for the museum. “Susan was my client… and we put on one hell of a party!”, boasts Foxman.

 “When Sam came to me with the idea of doing the workshop, I thought it would be popular, but I had no idea it would be this well received”, states Werremeyer. The session was sold out 48 hours after invitations were emailed. “We only sent the invites to half of our list!”, adds Foxman.

The session covered tips and techniques to lower the cost of events while maintaining high impact for guests. Some of these techniques included the use of lighting, clever ceiling cover, creating large focal points in each room and using inexpensive activities to entertain and bring guests together. Werremeyer and Foxman revealed new products as well as inexpensive services will minimize staff hours for non-profits.

In attendance were representatives from the St. Louis Public Library, Barnes-Jewish Hospital,          St. Louis Science Center, The Holocaust Museum, Ranken Jordan Pediatric Hospital, American Heart Association, Habitat for Humanity, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Opera Theater of St. Louis.

Foxman and Werremeyer plan on a fall session for non-profits as well as a workshop for corporate event and meeting planners.

Contemporary’s Senior Partner Makes “Best Dressed” List

 

On August 26, 2009, Saint Louis Magazine featured Contemporary Productions’ Senior Partner as one of St. Louis’s Best Dressed. When asked about the article, Foxman proclaimed, “I never considered myself super-fashionable or well dressed… I just try and wear clothes that compliment my personality”. Foxman continues, “It was an honor to be featured in the magazine and with other St. Louis greats like St. Louis Cardinal Ozzie Smith!”

Check out excerpts from Sam’s interview questions:

Q: Describe your style in one sentence.

SF: Relaxed and modern.

 Q: Was there one person whose style you’ve admired and you imitated? A fashion hero?

SF: Growing up, I always liked the style of the male actors in 80s films like Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful and Less Than Zero. They were young, but wore sport coats. David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Morrissey also wore sport coats. When I was in high school, I adopted that style. I was the only tall, lanky kid walking around the halls with shoulder pads! I was drawn to the casual style of Giorgio Armani in the early 1990’s. I think his unstructured look is timeless.

Q: What was your first favorite outfit?

SF: I remember buying my first pair of Diesel jeans at the flagship store on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. At the time, they were the first premium denim brand in the states. I wore those jeans until they unraveled on my body! I would usually pair them with a t-shirt, jacket and sneakers.

Q: What was the first item of clothing you ever spent serious money on?

SF: A black quilted zip-front Prada jacket circa 1998. It reminded me of something from the movie The Matrix. I still have it in my closet and love wearing it.

Q: What is your current favorite outfit?

SF: Dark blue jeans, casual black button down shirt, grey sport coat and a black Chelsea boot. I usually throw on a chunky military-style watch.

Q: Who are your favorite designers? (for clothes? For shoes?)

SF: Clothing:  Theory, Wrath Arcane, Prada, Paul Smith, Alexander McQueen, Rock & Republic, John Varvatos, Modern Amusement

Shoes: Prada, Converse, Y-3

Q: Do you have any fashion addictions (can’t stop buying)?

SF: Sport coats and glasses… lots of glasses. Being cursed with poor eyesight has developed into the accessory people remember most. I have approximately 6 pair in rotation.

Q: What was the last piece of clothing you chucked?

SF: I just chucked some Chucks! I had a pair of suede Converse Chuck Taylors designed by John Varvatos that were ruined in a downpour during a concert. Sorry John!

Q: What is your biggest fashion regret? (the fashion you wore that makes you shudder at the thought now)

SF: The white “Miami Vice” blazer may have looked good on Don Johnson… not so good on me.

 Q: What is the one element that makes an outfit memorable?

SF: The person wearing it.

Lions and tigers and bands. Oh, my!

By Bradley Baker

Once again Contemporary Productions produced the Young Zoo Friends’ “Jammin’ at the Zoo,” a celebration of wine, beer, and music.  The 3000+ attendees at the St. Louis Zoo were able to sample 200 wines from over 50 vineyards.  As guests roamed around the zoo paths, they were treated with the sounds of some of St. Louis’s premier local musicians including Arvell & Co., Tiny Cows, DJ Greasy, Electric Soul, John Frischer, and the Urban Groove Project.

Contemporary Productions has helped produce this event for over 10 years, and it is one of my personal favorites.  Every year the event and the music line-up keep getting better and better.

For more information on the next Jammin’ at the Zoo, which takes place on Wednesday, August 26^th, click here or call (314) 646-4771.  Tickets are available online.

August 26, 2009 Jammin at the Zoo Music Lineup

-         All4Nothin
-         DJ Andrew Mullins
-         Jake’s Leg
-         Kim Massie
-         Mario Pascal & DJ Needles
-         My Own Medicine

Frankie Valli and the The Four Seasons perform “the tunes that were playing the front seat, while you were playing in the back seat”

By: Lindsey Carpenter

For a crowd of 4,000+ people at the Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas, Frankie Valli proved he can still hit the high notes, making  it hard to believe he’s 75 years young!  Hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, and “Rag Doll” brought attendees to their feet for a solid 90 minute set.  This high energy show was magnified by delay screens that caught every choreographed movement by The Four Seasons, most notably (at least for the ladies) when they lost their shirts during the encore. Contemporary designed a flawless audio and visual experience.  Tight clean lines of the stage set, 18 rigging points 6 of which were cable pics, and black screen surrounds created a polished canvas for the show.  A 45’ fiber optic backdrop accented by 8 intelligent fixtures took the performance to another level. 

The ten musicians onstage produced a “wall of sound” including a 5 piece horn section. Valli, dressed in an all-black suit, closed the show with his smash hit from the movie “GREASE”.  And if the show wasn’t enough, Frankie treated 30 special guests to a personal meet & greet and photo op! 

We look forward to our next private show with this International Organization in Toronto!

For more information about this event, email me at info@contemporaryproductions.com

Sonic Youth kick-off the 2009 Live on the Levee Concert Series

By Jeff Jarrett, Contemporary Productions

Sonic Youth played a free show on the steps of the Arch Grounds on July 17th, and it ranks as the most progressive event held in Saint Louis this decade.    Easily the most exciting – and relevant – band to play during the 4 year history of the concert series, Sonic Youth certainly did not disappoint the 10,000+ patrons that gathered to hear a set that focused mostly on their very good new album, The Eternal.  From the opening “No Way” on through to the rapturous set closer “Death Valley ‘69″, I couldn’t have been more proud of Contemporary’s involvement with this show.  And all of this happened during a 70 degree weather in the middle of a St. Louis summer?  Get on that!!!

For more on Live on the Levee Concert Series, visit http://celebratestlouis.org/.

The Setlist: No Way, Sacred Trickster, Calming the Snake, Stereo Sanctity, Walkin Blue, Poison Arrow, Malibu Gas Station, What We Know, Antenna, Leaky Lifeboat (for Gregory Corso), Hey Joni, Anti-Orgasm, Massage the History, The Sprawl, Cross the Breeze, Shadow of a Doubt, Death Valley ‘69