CREATIVE WAYS TO GENERATE TRAFFIC: Miami Design District Private Tours

The Miami Design District is growing as a local, national and international destination for interior design, art, fashion and dining, and their businesses are focused as a group to increase the traffic of potential clients. The Miami Design District Merchants Council (MDDMC) was created to implement marketing strategies to benefit the District as a business community and a sample of those efforts are the “Miami Design District Private Tours” for residents of luxury condominiums, co-hosted by Design District Magazine.


Star Services Events & Public Relations designed such tours for the MDDMC to cater to residents of targeted residential communities, where the profile of the average home owner is the same as the profile of the average client of any of the District’s businesses. After the success of 3 tours for residents of luxury condos in South Beach, the MDDMC decided to invite their neighbors from Brickell and Downtown, more precisely from Icon Brickell, Ten Museum Park, Four Seasons Residences and The Santa Maria condominiums.

On Saturday November 6 2010 a group of 27 residents arrived in a limo-bus courtesy of Wolrdwide Transportation, and started the tour through the showrooms, galleries and stores where they were graciously greeted (in many cases by the owners) and pampered with wines, refreshments and hors d’oeuvres. The almost 3 hour tour through over 13 businesses  ended up at Mai Tardi restaurant where guests had complimentary prosecos and tapas before getting on the limo-bus  to head back to their respective buildings with gift bags and all.

SUNSET SOIREE: Bringing together luxury brands and their consumers

On Thursday October 28, 2010 an exclusive cocktail party hosted by the Continental Concierge Group and Mondrian South Beach gathered residents from some of the most prestigious addresses in South Beach. This was the first of a series of monthly private events which take place every year between December and March.

“These events are a unique opportunity to mingle with a selected group of high net worth individuals who enjoy luxury lifestyles” says Dr. Julio Gallo, principal at the Miami Institute for Age Management and Rejuvenation, who participated as a gift bag sponsor along with Robovault, Tui Lifestyle, One Sotheby’s, Casa Mia, Cognac Louis XIII, Jetcard Plus and Adrienne Arsht Center.


Thanks to a good understanding of the luxury condominium residential communities and a strong network of luxury brands, Star Services Events and Public Relations combines  the right ingredients at these targeted events. Participating companies have direct visibility to potential consumers, while guests are pampered with gift bags, raffled gifts, complimentary cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and entertainment.

The Continental Concierge Group is a division of The Continental Group, one of the largest property management companies in the country; created to improve the level of service to their high end clients by networking, sharing experiences, training and putting together their signature events.

CLICK HERE

to view the photo gallery courtesy of
Alisa Rauner Photography

SWELL SUITS MIAMI 2011

This year Star Services was able to experience first hand the success of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week SWIM -the Miami event that showcases the latest collections in swimwear. Along with Ainsley Connell Management, we co-produced Swell Suits Miami 2011, the first All Male Swimwear Group Show to hit the runway presenting the collections of 3 designers: Naila, Olasul and parke & ronen.

Three designers one show! Everything had to be perfect and thanks to the countless hours of planning and the flawless execution of our staff, the show went off without a hitch! Our clients had the opportunity to showcase their latest designs in front of national and international buyers as well as media representatives.

The models were accessorized exclusively by our sponsor Randolph Engineering, a high end line of sunglasses famed for their extreme durability and classic American styles. At the end of it all, it was a great success. It was covered by over 70 different media outlets ranging from NBC’s Today Show to DNA Magazine in Australia. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE SHOW

MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK

There are few fashion events with the international reach as that of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (MBFW). It is produced in New York, Miami, and Berlin by IMG- a sports, entertainment, and media company- which by partnering with “the world's leading marketers and media networks” it has revolutionized the fashion world and has transformed MBFW into a dominating force within the industry.

In 2007, Mercedes Benz joined in as the title sponsor and in 2009, they renewed the contract: “Our commitment to the event’s success will continue as we officially renew our three year agreement with IMG to remain title sponsor,” said Stephen Cannon, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz USA. Renewing the agreement is a sure sign that Mercedes Benz feels its investment is paying off.

An event of this magnitude translates into hundreds of hotel rooms, restaurant reservations as well as transportation and production dollars for the hosting city. "The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week has grown to become the most significant fashion industry event in Miami Beach and South Florida.  As such, it represents a significant source of income for Miami Beach businesses and brings tourists from all over the world every year” says Max Sklar, Director of Tourism and Cultural Development from the City of Miami Beach.

WEDDING IN BOLLYWOOD

Saturday, December 5th, 2009 - Mumbai - India
Many of us have heard or even used the word “Bollywood”; now, do we really know what it means? This catchy term refers to the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India (formerly known as Bombay), although it is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and one of the largest centers of film production in the world.

Just like the original Hollywood, the Indian counterpart knows about fabulous events and world class entertainment, judging from the information shared with me by the production's art director Koushal Choudhry with R-One Media & Events Private Limited, an event production company from Mumbai which produced a surreal 7 events in one for the wedding of one of their clients: Mr. Raj Mehta, film producer and founder of Shri Asht Vinayaka Cine Vision, the biggest film production company in Bollywood.

The hottest wedding of the season in India hosted over 7000 guests and included a reception party, an engagement ceremony, a ladies’ Sangeet event, a traditional Mehndi and much more; everything designed, produced and orchestrated by Mr. Yogesh Popat, founder of R-One Media & Events, and his team of over 150 architects, engineers, craftsmen, welders, painters, sculptors, carpenters and other professionals.

The main reception took place on December 5th 2009, and the theme was “Under Water”; preparations started 6 months in advance, in July 2009, when R-One Media received the approved drawings from the client; it took 10 more days and nights of work to finalize the work drawings to be used to produce a scale model and from there to build stages, props, and overall design.

The main set was a structure of 120ft wide x 72 ft deep x 45ft high, and the center piece was a gigantic shell that after being finished and transported to the site, it had to be completely re-done due to problems with the quality of the material only 2 days before the event!
This shell would be the place where the newly weds would “land” from a space ship erected 100 feet above the stage, to be greeted by dancers and performers.

This multi-production high tech series of events hosted the biggest names in the Indian film industry and other

VIP’s from around the world such as Celina Jetli (former Miss World), Katrina Kaif, Ritesh Deshmuk, Kabir Bedi and much more.

I am sure many of you (including myself) are wondering how much was spent in such a wonderful production… well the answer is still an mystery as Koushal prefers to respect his client’s privacy and keep it confidential.

                                    
CLICK HERE TO ENJOY A VIDEO OF THE EVENT

EVENINGS IN VOGUE

Saturday, December 5th, 2009 -South Beach, FL - USA

Miami's best events of the year took place during Art Basel, it was a tough decision to figure out which one was the best one, considering that I didn't attend many as I got sick with a flu by Friday.

Holiday season is over and a new decade started, is time to make a decision to keep you posted with the best events around the world and serial entrepreneurs and marketing gurus Loren & JR Ridinger made it easier for me as they hosted a fabulous fete at their waterfront home during Art Basel week and according to reliable sources it was the best by far.

Below is the press release describing the event, and it certainly matches my sources’ description, enjoy!

MIAMI, FL – Loren Ridinger, Senior Vice President of Market America, hosted the hottest and most sought after invitation only event during Art Basel Miami as she welcomed Hollywood celebrities, star athletes, leaders of industry, art enthusiasts and select VIP’s to her Miami Beach home this past Saturday for an exclusive fashion show where Versace previewed their new 2010 spring/summer collection.

Held in conjunction with Vogue and Versace, invited guests at “Evenings in Vogue” were treated to a stunning fashion show that included never before seen pieces from Versace’s newest collection while enjoying the elegance of Loren and JR Ridinger’s Miami Beach estate, Casa De Suenos. Among the invited guests who attended the event were Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Alicia and Mike Piazza, Larsa and Scottie Pippen, Vanessa Williams, Russell Simmons, Cliff Floyd, Tarek Al Fassi, Harry Morton, Prince Salman Al Saud, Michael Michele, Ana Cristina Álvarez, Inga Rubenstein, Johan Lindeberg, Robin Quivers, Ashley Gibb, Therese Gibb and Katrina Campins.

Saturday marked another successful event where Ridinger and Vogue partnered to put on Art Basel’s biggest fashion show. Previously, the two joined forces in 2007 for a poolside runway show at the Ridinger’s Miami Beach mansion where famed designer Alberta Ferretti showcased her spring/summer 2008 collection. “Art Basel is one of my favorite times of the year and I was thrilled to partner with Vogue and Versace to host this amazing event,” said Ridinger. “It was wonderful to once again welcome so many incredible and talented people to our home to view Versace’s gorgeous collection. The response from guests is always so positive when working with Vogue and we are already in discussions about what we will do next as we bring the best shows to America’s sexiest city.”

DON'T MISS LIFE WITH LOREN'S WEBISODE, GREAT VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE EVENT

CLICK HERE

MILLESIME MADRID 2009

October 20th through 22nd, 2009 - Madrid, Spain

Having celebrated its 3rd season, Millesime has become the most exclusive social affair in Madrid and Spain, where haute gastronomy and exquisite design worked hand in hand at this world class event; thanks to some of the best chefs, restaurateurs and sommeliers from Spain, and a team of talented designers who created the perfect space to host an exclusive private event for a selected number of corporate members and their guests.

Millesime took place at Pabellon de la Pipa in Casa de Campo, an 86.000 square feet space; from October 20th through the 22nd it was visited by 5000 guests who enjoyed themed areas offering gourmet cheeses, hams, delicacies and wines. Three restaurants and bars catered to 750 guests per day from 1pm to 5pm and an additional 750 from 5pm to 8:30pm. The restaurants and bars were attended by 250 professionals, including chefs, kitchen staff, waiting staff and bartenders.

The daily schedule:

Open Bar – 1pm to 3pm: For members, guests and media.
Almuerzo (Lunch) – 3pm to 5pm: For members and media.
Open Lounge – 5pm to 8:30pm: For members, guests, media, and ticket holders.

Local, national and international institutions and organizations along with 40 companies sponsored this event, such as Telefonica, Cartier, Zenith Media, Colt Telecom, Barclays, City of Madrid, and other organizations such as private banking, luxury brands, chambers of commerce, etc.

This brilliant idea was conceived by Manuel Quintanero, a former economist who dropped the numbers to focus on what would become the number one gastronomic and social event of Spain. Club Millesime launched its first international event on March 2009 at Cap Cana, Dominican Republic, with the same success achieved by its European counterpart. Plans of expansion include Miami, New York and Sao Paulo.

http://www.clubmillesime.com/

SOHO DESIGN MAGAZINE - LAUNCHING EVENT

Tuesday, October 27th 2009 - New York, USA

The Aston Group Publishing launched the first issue of SoHo Design Magazine with a private cocktail affair at Barolo Restaurant, the SoHo business community, fashionistas, empresarios and socialites mingled as they enjoyed passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails provided by Bulldog Gin; the event was co-hosted by SohoNYC.com.

Special guest philantropist Henry Buhl hosted a silent auction of luxury items to benefit Soho Partnership, an organization dedicated to provide shelter and aid to the homeless in the SoHo area.

The SoHo Design Magazine features the best of design, fashion, art and dining, focusing on this internationally known area in the heart of Manhattan, Soho, home to national and international interior design showrooms, art galleries, stores and eateries. They understand the importance of social events as part of their communications strategy to establish a more personal report with their readers and advertisers.
Other publications from The Aston Group include Design District Magazine (Miami), Avenues of Art & Design (Los Angeles) and Art New Orleans (New Orleans).

CLICK HERE to view pictures of the event coverage from ManhattanSociety.com

DESIGN DISTRICT MAGAZINE & LIGNET ROSET

Saturday, October 13th 2009 - Miami, USA

The Fall Issue of Design District Magazine was celebrated at the showroom of international furniture brand Ligne Roset. To be honest I had never visited that showroom before and I was impressed by the exquisite pieces of furniture, accents and accessories that they have throughout the 2 stories.

The event was well attended, I saw quite a few familiar faces enjoying the cocktails and wines as they mingled and lounged among the fine pieces of furniture. The DJ made sure to keep the energy up, and the flow of guests was nice and smooth, some of them were also visiting the other events and showrooms as it was the Second Saturday Gallery Walk at the Design District.

The magazine's fashion editor, Jeff Lubin, had orchestrated a simple yet tasteful fashion presentation with KRELwear, a fresh and young line of "toobular" knit designs, with 5 or 6 models posing as mannequins with their eyes covered, kinky uh? Good idea considering that the showroom didn't have the space necessary to produce a fashion show with runway, etc. The models were staged in the middle of the showroom (downstairs), and  the crowd gathered around them.

The after party was a nice dinner at Sra. Martinez with some good friends, including Ana Oz (Interior Designer), Aaron Glickman (publisher of SocialMiami.com), John White (publisher of Design District Magazine) and Liza Benkovitch among others.