Creative Meeting... with myself.

Hi! It is Writing Wednesday!

This week I have been a creative fountain. This is what the wall above my desk looks like -


I have been doing creative sessions (with myself, since I don't have an assistant yet) and coming up with ideas for all of next season's Starry Nights. Yesterday I spent four hours researching Bonnie & Clyde (our opening musical for the 10-11 season) and I learned so much about 1930's Midwest jails and bank robberies it's not even funny. My opinion on Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow is that they were just plain young and stupid. Had to admire their love and infatuation with each other though.

Today I am reading La Bete which is our second production of the 10-11 season. Actually let me restate that. I am PAINFULLY TRYING to stay awake while reading La Bete. This is a comedy that was introduced on Broadway in the early 90's and it failed, but they are reviving it again this fall. It just so happens we are doing it too. I am having difficulty reading this because the play is written completely in iambic pentameter. If I concentrate I can sort of understand what is going on, but most of the time it doesn't make any sense. So far, the only thing I got out of it that will be beneficial to the theme at the Starry Night dinner is that it is set in 17th century France, and well I didn't need to read the script to know that. Perhaps I will save my time and just research 17th century France.

Other news - It looks like yet again, I will not be getting my own office. UGH, why me.

At least I get my own assistant.

xo
elle w.

PHOTO UPDATE. Starry Night Dinners 4 and 5

The Life of Galileo Starry Night Dinner 01.02.10

The Last Five Years Starry Night Dinner 01.14.10






Photo credit: Gary Sweetman

Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, & Bianca Jagger???

Hi. It is an absolutely lovely day. Had two very successful meetings today!

1) Studio 54 creative meeting
2) Starry Night Dinner Series entertainment meeting

At my Studio 54 meeting we discussed different ideas to brand the event. Examples: re-creating authentic Studio 54 cocktail napkins & VIP passes, creating stamps & posters, and scrolling live video coverage.

OOOHH!!! Get this! Each year I create a corporate flyer to try and promote table sales. We always have three different levels - $10,000, $5,000, and $2,500. Each level has a clever little title that relates to the theme. THIS YEAR the names are so great! Check it-

Andy Warhol Level. $10,000
Grace Jones Level. $5,000
Bianca Jagger Level. $2,500

Haha I love them.

At the Starry Night meeting, we confirmed the dates of each Starry Night in the 2010-2011 season and selected the actors that should perform at each one.

Okay, I really need to get up from my desk. Sitting here everyday makes me feel lazy. MUST get to the gym.

Anyway, amazing meetings, amazing day.

xo
elle w.

PHOTO UPDATE. Starry Night Dinners 2 and 3

The Perfume Shop Starry Night Dinner 11.18.09



Photo credit: Patricia Horne

Searching For Eden Starry Night Dinner 12.12.09





Photo Credit: Gary Sweetman

Photos photos photos. oh my.

I am going to try a new thing. Since I didn't update my blog this past year (when my events were actually taking place), I will now post new pictures each week from one of last year's events. Sound good? K enjoy :)

xo
elle w.

Contact Starry Night Dinner 11.01.09

Re-birth of Studio 54....for the gazillionth time.

It has been exactly one week since I last updated. I am getting good! Well here it is boys and girls. The very first promotional piece for next year's gala, AKA - Asolo Rep's Studio 54 Disco Palace.

Nice right? Other designs were created a few weeks ago, but this is the first one the co-chairs liked. BTW - I am going to take a graphic design course this summer. I am tired of having designs and images in my head, and then not being able to execute them properly because of my lack of knowledge in graphic design and a lack of proper software. Luckily, our graphic manager at Asolo Rep does amazing work. But either way, I still would like to be able to design my own things.

Have started working on this event a bit. Called my talent agent contact in Tampa and he is working on a disco band. The committee doesn't want a DJ though. I disagree with this only because Studio 54 was like the originator of electronic disco music. They had DJs in and out of the club every single night. How can you not have a DJ? Sometimes I have to take a step back and remember that I am in Sarasota, FL and NOT New York, however, if we are going to try and portray Studio 54, we should do it correctly. Am I not right? Yes I know I know - I am rarely ever wrong.

Kiddingggg.

But for real - I do my research. Well whatev. That's all for now.

xo
elle w

Chihuahua on my lap. I love life.

Yeah I am not really driving a car right now. I am sitting on my butt with my love chihuahua, Ophelia Eden. My other love, Lucy Ava, is on the floor. No chihuahua should be on the floor.

I start out every post with "I never update this blog...I really should." Okay but for real, I am going to start making myself post once a week. Now is the time. I feel like I am on the verge of something huge. Something invigorating. Something that will change my life.

Let's wrap up the past year in a paragraph. I designed, planned, and managed over 30 events including 10 Opening Night dinners and after-parties (for each of our 09-10 productions), 10 high-end Starry Night Dinners (private and exclusive fundraising dinners held at different homes throughout Sarasota), corporate events, numerous cocktails parties, AND most importantly our huge 2010 Gala which we called - Asolo Rep's South Beach Soiree. People are saying it is the best gala in the history of Asolo Rep's galas. I seriously never brag about that because I feel awkward doing so...but this is my blog and I am going to freaking brag about it right now. Let me not forget to mention that we profited $7,000 more than we budgeted because of my insanely advanced budget managing skills. Just don't look at my personal incomes and expenses.

Now let's sum up what I have been feeling lately-

MUST MOVE TO NYC SOON!!

I have so many feelings on this issue, but I feel like I am so young and I need to experience life away from here. Could it be possible that this place is making me old? I constantly debate every single day about whether I should just pick up and leave, or if I should play it safe and stay.

Pros to living here:

1. I have a reputable job that looks amazing on my resume
2. It is giving me experience that I wouldn't get in NY until my 5th or 6th year into a job
3. I am seriously one of the youngest people at my company, in my department, and in my position. I have a serious advantage with this.
4. ONE WORD: Flexibility. I set my own schedule, I wear what I want, I run things the way I want. Where else can you find that????

How am I supposed to make these life-altering decisions? Well whatever.

If I stay, I am sort of being promoted this year. I will be in charge of every event that takes place within the development office PLUS I will get an assistant. Never had an assistant before. I need someone who has a passion for events the way I do. I also need someone who is not afraid of my crazy and perfectionist ways. Never mistake this: Image is everything. If all chaos is happening during an event, the guests will never suspect a thing if you handle yourself with poise and grace.

Another tidbit - reading Wuthering Heights right now. IN LOVE. It is a known fact that I think we should all live in the 1860's like Scarlett O'Hara, but I am now not opposed to taking it back a century or so.

Lastly, let's sum up what I am working on now. Next year's 2011 gala, called - Asolo Rep's Studio 54 Disco Palace. Yes that's right. Studio 54. As in the 1970's world famous and exclusive disco nightclub - hold the sex and cocaine please.

More deets soon. Next week at the latest.

xo
elle w.

I don't really like Miami all that much...

I don't update this nearly as much as I should. Something I will start making myself do.

Let's catch up. This fall will mark the beginning of my 3rd year at Asolo Rep. And I have been given more responsibility this season! I am now the only person completely in charge of the huge Gala event next March. This is our yearly fundraiser (or friend-raiser) event that we put on with over 300 top donors in Sarasota. The chair of the event chose a South Beach theme. Ehhh, at first I wasn't excited, because this theme is so passe. But now that I have started planning, and we've held several committee meetings, I am getting kinda excited. It's like, no matter how many times a theme has been used, there is always a new way that it can be presented. And well... I am definitely up for this challenge.

At first it was going to be held at Hyatt Regency Sarasota...BUT then we walked down the street and found this piece of land on the water right next to the Hyatt.

Even though it looks like this plain boring piece of land, our plans will make it look so amazing.

We aren't going to have a tent. Instead we are going to sell 10 private VIP cabanas that will line 3 sides of the perimeter & surround the whole event. In the middle will be the rest of the regular priced tables and the dance floor. The stage will back up against the water. The view is absolutely gorgeous.

Here's my nice little MS paint drawing of the layout...wow I really suck at drawing lines. And there are wayyy more than 10 cabanas there, but whatever, you get the picture.

So right now I am putting together sponsorship packages to sell to corporations and individuals. Each cabana will offer a private server, lounge furniture, etc... And they are only $10,000 each!!!

But it is for a good cause! We decided that everyone who buys a cabana will get to pick what part of the theatre they want their money to go to. Example, education department, FSU/Asolo Graduate School, or the actual artistic product itself (props, sets, costumes, etc.)

Well anyway, I have so many more plans. The event date has been set for March 19, 2010 and though it seems far away, it's going to come soon and there is still so much to do. The best part about this event is going to be the after-party. But I will save that for next post. That should give me an incentive to stop slacking in updating this!

Perhaps tomorrow...!?

xo

-L

PHOTOS from Dinner #1 of the Starry Night Dinner Series!! ....5 months later...

I have had these for awhile now, they are the photos from the October 25 Dinner 1 at Bay Preserve in Osprey.

This was really my first event that I did by myself for the Asolo. It is the first dinner where I got to use my own creative ideas to correctly theme the event with the current play we were doing, which was Barnum.

You like!???

Check out the photo!!

...of me on Sarasota Magazine's website!! Exciting huh!? Okay..well not really, it's just a website....butttt it's the next step. After all, this business is all about connections.

http://www.sarasotamagazine.com/Limelight/12-04-08-Asolo-Starry-Nite-Dinner/Laura-Wood-Natalie-Thorburn.asp

Which brings me to the next dinner. The upcoming dinner #4 is by far the best, most elegant and exclusive dinner out of all of them. It is at another private home of of one of our donors, a couple of streets away from the theatre. The house is absolutely GORGEOUS! It looks like it is straight out of the OC.

So our limit for these dinners is 50 people, but since this dinner is the most popular, we already have 78 people attending! Everyone wants to come. It is like THE dinner of the new year. I am excited.

-L