Global Event Brief
When our client came to us with a global event brief for stylish, immersive holiday parties with that WOW factor we proposed some of New York’s finest event venues for one of the East Coast functions. The McKittrick Hotel, New York, home of immersive theatre show ‘Sleep No More’ was our wild card and our secret favourite.
Long having admired the work of Punch Drunk we were delighted to produce one of these events, in a venue touched by the magic of Felix Barrat’s team. As it was we didn’t book a private night of Sleep No More, as we knew that getting to enjoy their colleague’s company again in person, after a long hiatus was the focus of the event. Instead, we opted to take full advantage of the stunning theming across three floors, for our 800 strong corporate event last December.
This event was delicately orchestrated, and it built like a wave in respect to the flow of guests, the entertainment and the types of food and beverage available at given times. We were mindful that people were not as used to socialising in large scale events in the way they once were, so we structured it so people were able to ease back into the swing of partying and swing it did!
New York Event Venue
The McKittrick Hotel has a wonderful speakeasy vibe throughout, but for the festive season this was topped off with a cosy winter terrace on the roof. This outdoor space, was replete with fur rugs and heaters, allowing people to get into the party at their own speed and to take in the cool night air. From the moment you arrived it immerses you in this vibrant and evocative world, as you weave your way through a maze-like entrance that delivers guests into a vintage cabaret bar. Here there were signature bespoke cocktails selected specifically for this event and handpicked canapes on offer. As guests were decompressing and reintroducing themselves to each other, they were also treated to the suave stylings of our performance Trio, setting the tone with atmospheric Jazz classics.
As the evening continued, guests were invited to dive in a little deeper in “The Library”, which was the setting of a bit of light-hearted competition with tournaments played on the shuffleboard and other partygoers getting their dazzling smiles at the ready to strike a pose in the vintage photobooth, creating lasting memories and mementos.
The Main Event
The event then bloomed into the Ballroom for the main event, a gloriously sumptuous space that was made even more magical with atmospheric haze, blue and white lights giving us our wonderfully wintery vibes and a gaggle of gobos creating snowflake shapes across the floor completing the wonderland within. This dynamic dance floor is where the toast was given to celebrate the company’s considerable achievements and to thank the continued efforts of a tireless team. With such high praise in the air, it was time to celebrate with “The Big Woozy” who turned up the heat and got the partygoers on the feet. This bouncy blues and swing band hit all the right notes and by the end of the night the whole room was filled with people full of mirth, cocktails and rhythm.
For more on our recent global event management experience take a look here. Global Event Management
A New Global Event Challenge
With this venture, we had a new challenge on our hands as we were working to tighter timescales, as the pandemic had changed the lead time for many different kinds of events. So, we utilised our years of experience to streamline processes, created even clearer channels of communication, whilst also continuing to build rapport with our client and vendors simultaneously. It certainly was a feat for all parties, but it was an exciting and rewarding project and to see so many smiling faces back together was a great part of the reward and to be doing so internationally once more.
