Solerno Event in New York City

On April 23rd, I designed an event for Solerno, a new Blood Orange Liqueur.  The event was on the 25th floor terrace of 20 Pine in Manhattan (www.20pine.com), a gorgeous outdoor space with amazing views!  Capturing a quintessentially Tuscan feel with a modern Italian twist was the inspiration.  And blood oranges, lots of blood oranges!  Beautiful orange/red french tulips in large glass urns, and playful paper lanterns adorned the already hip terrace.  With modern rattan furniture and an illuminated 18' long bar by Taylor Creative (www.taylorcreativeinc.com) along with the hot sounds of DJ Sky Nellor, the event was an Italian retreat just 25 floors up from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

Laugh OUT Loud! An Evening of Comedy

On February 24th, 2009 I planned a fund raising event for Big Apple Performing Arts, along with another member of the organization, Chris Manna.  The event was typically an event with musical guests, both well known, and up and coming.  This year, Chris and I wanted to take it in another direction, and try to attract a different audience. 

We chose a theme of comedy, asking well known comedians to participate in the event by donating a 10 minute set of their performance.  We titled the event LOL, An Evening of Comedy Benefitting the New York City Gay Men's Chorus.

We worked with many corporate sponsors to help underwrite the costs of this event.  They include Piper Heidsieck, Coca-Cola, Miller Coors, 2xist, Van Wagner, Sweet Riot Chocolate, Anthony for Men, HX, Svedka, Fuel Outdoor, The New York Blade, and Taylor Creative.

With a theme of pink, we pulled out all of the stops.  We were lucky that our venue, Loft Eleven in NYC (www.lofteleven.com) consisted of two large spaces.  We used one for the food and entertainment area, including the stage, and we used the other for the silent auction, with more than 75 items for guests to bid on.  There was an additional small room that we used for the VIP reception area, and talent waiting room.

With a record number of guests for this event, we raised over $40,000 in just a couple of hours.  For more information on Big Apple Performing Arts and The New York City Gay Men's Chorus, visit www.nycgmc.org

Patrick Clayton and Chris Manna with our Outdoor Advertising

Performance Area

Performance Area

Comedians of the Night with Patrick

Outdoor Advertising

The Piper Heidsieck Champagne Bar

      

Setting the room up!  Fantastic furniture donated by Taylor Creative, Inc

Altar Boyz!

Neil Haskell (Luke), Mauricio Perez (Juan), Michael Kadin Craig (Matthew), Travis Nesbit (Mark), and Ravi Roth (Abraham)

I have been working with the Off-Broadway hit show Altar Boyz since last fall, (www.altarboyz.com) in the role of wardrobe maintenance.

While I can't take credit for the costume design, it has been a really great experience to work on an ongoing project like this.  Each week, I work at the theater laundering, ironing, and mending the costumes for the show.  There is a new and different challenge every week.  Sometimes cast members go on vacation, sometimes they leave and a new cast member comes in, and sometimes they're just ill for one show.  This means that whomever replaces them for that show, that week, or on a more permanent level needs properly fitting costumes.  We have many sets of the costumes, and it's my job to make sure they're all ready to go for each show, no matter who is in the cast.

The cast consists of five "altar boyz" and two swings.  The swings are able to go on into any of the five main roles, so each swing has a entire set of costumes (one for each character).  

Here is a fantastic description of the show from their website:

Altar Boyz, the acclaimed musical comedy now in its fourth year at New World Stages and winner of the coveted Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical Off-Broadway, is the longest running new musical comedy to open in New York in years!

 

Full of sharp parody, sinfully spectacular dancing, and irreverent humor, this spoof about a heavenly guy-group is adored by audiences and critics alike. With an extraordinary mix of side-splitting songs convincing enough to be played on MTV, uncontrollable laughs and lighthearted fun, this award-winning and totally original new musical is 90 minutes of pure delight that's suitable for all ages and will have the whole family laughing and singing along.

 

Hailed as "high-octane entertainment" (Talkin' Broadway), Altar Boyz tells the holy inspiring story of 5 small-town boys - Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham - trying to save the world one screaming fan at a time. Their pious pop act, including lyrics like "Girl You Make Me Wanna Wait" and "Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone," worked wonders on the Ohio bingo-hall-and-pancake-breakfast circuit. But when fate brings them to New York, will the boyz take a bite out of the forbidden apple? With angelic voices, sinfully spectacular dancing and a touching story, Altar Boyz is destined to rock the masses of all denominations!

I highly recommend seeing this show if you are in the New York City area---it's great for all ages, it's hilarious, and it just makes you smile.  I was a big fan even before I started working for the show.  I often watch it, not only to make sure the costumes are still "performing," but because it's just so entertaining!

Zelen's Skin Science

This past week, I had the pleasure of styling an editor event for Zelen's Skin Science (www.zelens.com).  Co-founded by Anouska Hempel (www.anouskahempeldesign.com), the event took place at the Morgans Hotel on Madison Avenue (www.morganshotel.com) in New York City.  

With sleek, modern furniture and accessories, and classic arrangements of green foliage, it was the perfect setting for the event.  I juxtaposed the various containers for the greens using some lab beakers and some modern stainless flower pots.  Accent pillows that coordinated with the color scheme of the product worked well on the chairs and sofas.

A Big Thanks to Sarah and Jon Rapaport!

On August 16th, I produced a wedding in Lincoln, MA for Sarah and Jon.  After many months of planning, it was a huge success!  While planning an event hours away from where it takes place can present it's challenges, I couldn't have asked for a better outcome.  When Sarah asked me to coordinate and plan her wedding in January, I was thrilled.  She has such great taste, and was open to many ideas.  

The theme for the wedding was classy, simple, and clean.  Nothing was overly fussy, and even the formal aspects of the day had whimsy surrounding them.  Shades of purples, violets and greens were the colors for everything.  

Starting with a ceremony under a tent, followed by an adjacent cocktail hour in a historic home, and finishing with dinner and dancing in a second tent, the evening had great flow.  With pre-ceremony lemonades and teas, cocktails and passed hor doeuvres prior to dinner, and amazing food stations for the main event, Sue at Swartz Catering and her team did an outstanding job!  (www.swartzcatering.com).  The flowers by Carol Silverston had the architectural elegance and sophistication that any bride could appreciate.  Only a photographer like Carl Bower could capture the magic on film to feel the movement, excitement, and emotion of a celebration such as this.  (www.carlbower.com)

Simple table runners made of purple linen, with same-flower arrangements and green leather napkin rings adorned each table.  The ceiling of the tents were filled with more than 200 lanterns and over 10,000 small white lights.  The dance floor, in the center of the tent, was the focal point of the dance with music by Scott Arrington from Murray Hill Talent.  (www.murrayhilltalent.com)  

From the rehearsal dinner to the brunch on Sunday, the entire weekend went off as planned.

A big thanks to Sarah and Jon for this wonderful opportunity!

Plan your event around the space, don't plan your space around the event!

I believe that using the physical space of your event location and it's features is key in making your event look truly amazing.  Using architectural details, color schemes, and existing furniture and accessories to your advantage will ultimately let you use more of your budget on other aspects of the event like food or entertainment.  

I recently did an event for Stirrings, the wonderful drink mix company (www.stirrings.com).  The space that was chosen was a roof-top patio with a crisp, modern feel.  There was furniture there that had clean lines, and the floor was gorgeous teak.  We were able to add steel grass arranged in glass vases, navy blue pillows, and white candle holders to help complete the look that was already started.  The space felt like summer near the beach.

When choosing a venue for a particular event, it is important to have in mind the theme of the event, or simply the colors you are thinking of using.  This will not only help you find a space that will work, but will enhance your decor.

Trying to make a colonial garden feel modern, or trying to pull off asian cuisine in a barn aren't impossible, but take much more effort, and usually more money.  

Remember, use the space to your advantage!

Introducing Patrick J Clayton Productions!

Introducing Patrick J Clayton Productions, my full-service event planning and project management firm, and how I can help plan and execute your next event.

I founded PJCP in 2007 with an eye toward creating a truly unique concept -  an affordable solution to event production, design and execution.  your event could be a small dinner party for four, a baby or bridal shower for 25 or a wedding or fashion show for hundreds.  I specialize in working with your budget to produce a spectacular event.

PJCP is an event design and production company that brings a sophisticated touch and flawless execution to special events, parties, product launches, and trade shows.  With experience in retail and interior design, visual merchandising and product marketing, I blend art with commerce by incorporating luxury and design trends into my event production services.

I look forward to using this blog as a means to keep you up-to-date on my latest events, photos, and tricks of the trade!  

Be sure to check out my website!

www.patrickjclaytonproductions.com