HOT ENTERTAINMENT: MO5AIC

MO5AIC is a 5-man vocal band that merges unequivocal style with raw talent. The catch? MO5AIC uses no instruments. Every sound you hear is produced by the human voice – from the bass lines to the percussion grooves to the distortion of the “guitar.”

Singing together for the better part of five years, MO5AIC has impressed audiences throughout the world and has shared the stage with such acts as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Marc Broussard, Chris Rock, Tony Bennett, George Wallace and Jay Leno, to name a few. Mixing elements of Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop and even Opera, MO5AIC has created a sound all their own. 

For more info info@contemporaryevents.com

Mo5aic Video

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HOT PRODUCT : GEO BACKDROP

Looking for a backdrop for your stage? How about decorating an entire wall of a convention hall? The GEO Backdrop is perfectly suited for these applications and more. The lightweight gator board construction allows the 3ft squares to be hung in various configurations and heights. They are suspended by aircraft cable giving ultimate flexibility when encountering variable ceiling height. The squares attach to either truss or a standard pipe and drape hardware.

To make the elements come alive, LED par cans (or other fixtures) are used to lend texture and color to the geometric shapes. The best part… its super inexpensive (like under $2,000… um, hello people!), packs flat and can be shipped anywhere!

Email  info@contemporaryevents.com  for a quote!

SAM FOXMAN ASKS… IS YOUR EVENT TWEET-WORTHY?

 

After arriving at a glamorous gala or hip soiree, my first priority is to grab a cocktail and mingle. However, I can’t help but notice that some of my party pals immediately begin snapping pictures and logging onto their Twitter and/or Facebook accounts to share what they are experiencing. I believe people do this mainly to show their association with an important group or an exclusive event. Attendance has become a status symbol…and why shouldn’t it be? If the event is cool, aren’t the attendees cool by association?

In the midst of producing one such cool event, I decided to take a break and log onto my Facebook account. It was absolutely remarkable… pictures, Tweets and posts describing the event in real time all over my news feed. I did not even know that some of my friends and colleagues were attending until I saw their posts! I came to realize at that moment that this particular event was instantly reaching far more people than just those in attendance. I was so relieved that the design was beautiful and that people were having a fabulous time.

But what if they weren’t having a fabulous time? What if the event was boring, or the client decided to skimp on décor, entertainment or lighting? I believe that event planners and organizations are now in the business of entertaining on two levels: the invited guests on one level, and on another, the social network of each guest who posts from the event.

Let’s look at the metrics. If you host an event with 300 people age 50 or younger, at least 8% will utilize social media during the event. Those 24 people will have at least 300 friends or followers in their social media networks. So in essence, you could be reaching 7,500 individuals (300 attendees + 7,200 virtual attendees) with photos and commentary on your event.

The magic really happens when you add a social media component to the event that encourages even more attendees to post on their online networks. Imagine if 30% of the 300 attendees utilized social media during an event – that’s 27,300 people enjoying photos and commentary as the event unfolds!

The stakes just got higher for event planners and organizations. Before you finalize your budget for the next meeting or soiree, ask yourself…will it be tweet-worthy?

Let me know what you think sfoxman@contemporaryevents.com.

HOT ENTERTAINMENT: THE PASSING ZONE

When it comes to comedy entertainment in a corporate situation, Jon Wee and Owen Morse are some of the best in the business. This wacky duo will kick off a meeting and set a tone that says, “This is no ordinary event!” It’s a high-octane presentation that is full of big laughs, wild stunts, and hilarious audience participation. There is no better way to wake up an audience for that 8am General Session. Or to keep the energy going after your black-tie awards banquet. Or to send everyone home fired up, with smiles on their faces and renewed energy, and their minds on excellence, performance and cooperation.

Did I mention they juggle chainsaws?

TEXT & THE CITY

Leave it to the St. Louis Public Library Foundation to dream up a bookish bash to entertain patrons and friends of The Library. The annual gala on November 19, 2011 took place in the historic City Hall building and featured literary libations, novel-worthy noshes and plenty of fun!

The Contemporary Events Team worked closely with The Library staff and comittee on entertainment, video treatment, lighting, audio elements and décor. The key element in the design was the use of pattern via lighting fixtures placed strategically around the venue. Using the classic architecture as a palate, the space was transformed with overlapping pattern and color which created a festive vibe from the moment guests entered!

 DJ Crucial who rocked the house with his video mash ups. The entire party was on the gathered on the dance floor to finish out the evening!

HOT ENTERTAINMENT: QUIXOTIC

If you are looking for something completely unique and avant garde, look no further than Quixotic!  For the past five years, Kansas City based group Quixotic has created a full spectrum of music with sounds rich in electronic tones that soar and twist from emotive rich classical string progressions to driving tribal dance music.

Composers Anthony Magliano & Noel Selders, along with an award winning band including violinist Shane Borth, keyboardist/vocalist Laura Scarborough, drummer Brandon Draper and Rick Willoughby on Bass, create music with instrumental foundations and diversity that is meant to inspire movement within the group’s other half; dancers, multi media designers, and aerialists. The collaboration between musicians and performers is amazing, visually stimulating and quite memorable.

Perfect for museum events, festivals, performing arts centers and private events. Email us for more info at info@contemporaryevents.com

A MAJOR LEAGUE PARTY!

On Tuesday, October 18th, Contemporary Events co-produced the World Series Gala with the event team from the St. Louis Cardinals. Over 2000 people – including Cardinals and Rangers staff, former players, key media personnel and MLB dignitaries attended the event. The Charles Glenn Group was the featured entertainment for the evening, along with a live painter, a flash mob, a drum troop, photo opportunity with the legendary Anheuser – Busch Clydesdales, and more. DNC Sports Service provided a lavish display of tasty fare for guests to graze as they explored the Redbird Club at Busch Stadium.

Our biggest challenge was timing. From the minute we were hired to the time the trucks were loaded full of equipment was roughly 72 hours! Another challenge was the venue itself. Obviously designed for sporting events, the facility is not exactly the ideal setting for a glamorous gala for VIP guests. With a fabulous lighting design, fabric, and texture, we were able to transform the space into a gala-worthy venue.

The biggest achievement in our design was definitely the lighting. From the ground floor entrance (where the facade of the stadium was glowing red), to the 3rd floor Redbird club (filled with gobos of various textures and colors), the lighting dramatically set the tone for a great party on the eve of the big game… which we won (in case you didn’t hear!). GO CARDS!

Check out more photos from this fantastic event!

MODELS + ESCALATORS = FEVER

Last month our team was honored to produce one of the staple fashion events in St. Louis. The event took place in the atrium at Neiman-Marcus  at the upscale Plaza Frontenac. Since the event was hosted by St. Louis Magazine, our first meeting with the publisher went something like this… “We need to do something that has never been done before!” Well… music to our ears!

The challenge in the store was that the space is oddly configured for a fashion show. The atrium is a round space flanked by retail stations and displays. The atrium is cut in half by two massice escalators.

To re-imagine how the show would work, we had to look up… literally! Contemporary’s creative guru Sam Foxman came up with the idea to use the escalators as part of the show! We staged the models on the mezzanine level instead of the ground level and sent them down on cue. By doing this, each seating area and guests who were standing could see the fashion as it cascaded down to the beginning of the runway… and then back up.

The show was a huge success and people loved our whimsical surprise. The best part… all the proceeds from the fashion show went to one of our favorite non-profits, Ranken-Jordan Pediatric Hospital!

Check out the video from the show. Don’t be afraid to try something unexpected (or totally functional!) as part of your next event.

DESIGN TIP : USE PATTERN ON THE CEILING TO EXPAND SPACE

Last week, our team was privileged to work on an amazing dinner event for world renowned Saint Louis Zoo. The event was held in one of our favorite landmark venues, The Chase Park Plaza.

The Zoo’s event team did an excellent job creating wild tabletop designs with leopard and cheetah print linens and gorgeous centerpieces. To expand the look further, we decided to mimic the leopard pattern on the ceiling. By doing this, it draws ones eye upward and creates the illusion of a higher ceiling and larger space.

In this particular case, moving lights with internal gobos were used to create the pattern. We chose these lights because of their ability to “iris out” and give a larger diameter pattern. Conventional lights with steel gobos can be used as well.

For more information on how to achieve this look, email me at sfoxman@contemporaryevents.com

INCREASE AUCTION RESULTS WITH BIDPAL!

About 6 months ago, my friend told me about a handheld device that changed her organization’s auction results dramatically. BidPal is just one of several new systems that encourage event guests to bid more frequently, thus increasing the amount raised during a silent or live auction.

No more paper bid sheets, costly item catalogs, and the checkout scramble as BidPal totally automates auction bidding, donations, and payment processing! Say hello to increased bidding, higher profits, express checkouts – and lots of fun and excitement! The BidPal system revolutionizes charitable giving by wirelessly automating your event and streamlining the process from start to finish!

Here’s how it works… During registration, guests receive a handheld device pre-loaded with every auction item – item description, value, bid increments, photo, and donor information.  Guests can browse the silent auction area, view items on their own phone or personal BidPal and bid from anywhere at any time during the event. BidPal drives competition for items, keeps the auction top of mind, and increases your overall fundraising activity. Guests know immediately items won at auction end, and can instantaneously checkout  on their personal device!

My clients that have used BidPal, and other similar services, report an increase of 15% to 30% gross revenue from the auction. The service is not cheap, but the increased return makes it very attractive for many organizations.

Feel free to email me to learn more about my experience with this product. Or, check them out at www.bidpalnetwork.com.