Venue: International Market Square
Attendees: 1,200 Regis employees
Rental companies: Black Tie Casino, Summit Amusements
Decor: Linen Effects, Event Lab, Skyway Event Services
Entertainment: David Roos Jazz Trio, Instant Request
Audio-visual and lighting: Big Event Productions, Instant Request
Catering: D’Amico Catering, Fujiya
Transportation: MetroConnections
Photographer: Scott Streble
Event planner: Laura Hotvet and Nicolle Sellers, Luxe Productions
Laura Hotvet and Nicolle Sellers, the principals of Luxe Productions, an event-planning company based in Minnetonka, had a tough job: Create a knockout event that would inspire higher attendance numbers and impress guests at Regis Corporation’s 2006 holiday party.
Sandy Vogel of International Market Square (IMS), Regis’s corporate event planner Melissa Kell, and Sellers and Hotvet met to brainstorm a “holiday around the world” party that would eventually take place under a Brazilian carnivale–themed canopy in the atrium of IMS last December.
Big Event Productions, LLC, a Minneapolis-based lighting and audio-visual company, created lighting that changed from red, to blue, yellow, and pink throughout the evening. Spotlights highlighted the musicians, who played in front of mirrored disco balls and a black velvet LED light wall—a fabric-covered screen with tiny LED lights that twinkle—provided by Instant Request, a DJ service in Minneapolis.
Guests arrived to find a high-end cocktail party atmosphere. At the door, they received a map of the facility marked with the locations of food and entertainment. Guests came with drink tickets and nametags in hand—delivered to them via office mail at work. Hotvet and Sellers worked closely with the Regis marketing department to develop pre-event teaser postcards and the party logistics packet with drink tickets and name tags, so that guests did not have to register when they showed up.
“Flow is everything,” Sellers says. “Regis really wants people to feel like they’re getting there and the party is already in motion.” People mingled around the serpentine bar tables near the dance floor and dined on passed hors d’oeuvres, such as coconut shrimp with mango lime sauce, apple turnover with Gorgonzola cheese, and smoked salmon with dill chevre. The David Roos Jazz Trio from Minneapolis got the party swinging.
At the Asian food station, a sushi roller from Fujiya, a Minneapolis Japanese restaurant, entertained guests. D’Amico Catering provided food for the Italian, American, and Mediterranean food stations, as well as hors d’oeuvres and dessert.
The largest of the three, the American station, had classics such as beef tenderloin, sauteed halibut with stewed baby tomatoes, and the ever-popular cheese and crackers. The buffet tables boasted shiny metallic linen from Minneapolis-based Linen Effects, Inc., and pink lighting reflected off the centerpieces—metal trees that were hung with mirrored mosaic ornaments and plastic crystal “icicles.”
The Italian station had chef-carved beef Wellington with horseradish hollandaise sauce, mixed greens and Caesar salads, and sweet potato galette with roasted tomatoes and goat cheese.
The Mediterranean food station featured candles and vases in natural colors, and spankopita, hummus, tri-color olives, bread and feta cheese, and grilled seasonal vegetables with charmoula oil on saffron couscous.
Servers passed mini desserts such as chocolate-dipped fruit, dark- and white-chocolate-dipped truffles, cheesecake triangles, and raspberry torte with raspberry sauce.
After dinner, Instant Request provided the music and a dance contest ensued; guests had to dance to a variety of music and were judged by how much applause they received. A laid-back game room offered Texas hold ‘em, foos ball, pool tables, and a digital jukebox.
Bus service provided by MetroConnections, a Minneapolis-based event company, shuttled people back to their hotels as needed. Sellers says Luxe productions met its goal: Attendance had risen by about 400 people from the previous year, but the event came in within budget.
