Keller Williams Hearts Gala 2011

Keller Williams approached us to do their annual fundraising gala in which they wanted a Cirque du Soleil type of feel in the massive 10,000 sq/ft Crowne Plaza Expo Center. We worked with Stewart Sound in order to come up with the stage for a 36 piece orchestra and a 7 piece party band [at one point both on stage doing a Stevie Wonder medley] along with the Libravado Sisters descending from the ceiling hidden from the guests. There was also a juggling troupe as part of the nights entertainment.

Here is a video of the setup for the space:

We found a 50′ parachute and 4x 30′ parachutes to create the “big top” look along with hanging 190 paper lanterns to break up the massive tiled ceiling. As you can see from the video, that first days setup ran from 9am to 4am for a whopping 19 hour day! That was just to get the tables and chairs able to be set up. The stage was 50′ x 32′ and strung with nylon rolls. Stewart Sound bround out a massive lighting system with 4 intelligent lights on towers in the rooms corners, 2 towers in the back of the room for front lighting and the whole stage lighting package, all DMX controlled to provide the room with its lights by passing the in house lighting.

Ove 750 people were in attendance with over $34,000 raised for local charities.

Caring for Children Gala 2011

This years Caring for Children Gala, we went Bollywood on Asheville at the Crowne Plaza Expo Center. Last years successful event focused on the Parisian Caberet, this years we decided to go Bollywood with indian/world styled music from the River Guerguerian Project as special guest Sara Fields opened the show with “Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend”, bellydancing performances from Lisa Zahiya & Bala! and then Kat Williams took the stage and rocked it out to a crowded dance floor.

This year we fully built a custom stage with a backlit Taj Mahal along with three VIP “Huts” made of bamboo with fabric “roof” and rose petal “walls”. the Expo Center was completely transformed!

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

ACTIONFEST 2010

In early February we met with Bill Banowsky of Carolina Cinemas who had an idea of putting together a film festival for action films, less than 4 months later we had organized the festival, created all the marketing materials such as the trailer above, logo, program guide, passes, poster, TV spots, beer label and just about every piece of swag that went along with the festival.  

We coordinated with city officials regarding the Rocketman flying his jetpack at Memorial Stadium for a Tourists game to stuntmen jumping out of planes, lighting themselves on fire, jumping from cherry pickers in the Carolina Cinemas Parking lot. There was seriously nothing we couldnt accomplish and make happen that weekend. The festival rolled through town like napalm consuming everything in its wake dazzling hundreds of people with the stuntshow, entertaining even more with action packed movies and filled the Orange Peel with stargawkers.

This multiday weekend festival culminated into an awards ceremony held at the Orange Peel honoring stuntmen for their acheivements with special guest of the night Chuck Norris to be honored with the first Lifetime Acheivement award. The award was short lived as Chuck re-awarded it to his brother and long time stuntman extraordinairre Aaron Norris.

Caring for Children Gala 2010

From girls on stilts to high flying silk and trapeze artists to burlesque or music, Asheville Event Planning pulled out all the stops for the Caring for Children fundraiser on Februsary 13th, 2010. Featuring the Paris streets in the Haywood Park Atrium and the Moulin Rouge in the ballroom, everything was customized. Lights suspended above the people dining like twinkling stars, fishnet wrapped columns, Parisian silhouettes, full backdrop stage with hand painted logo and heart shaped entrance. This was absolutely a night to remember in Asheville with the biggest transformation the ballroom had ever seen.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]