Transformations and Dramatic Statements 
Celebrating Our 20th Anniversary with a Holiday Party in Our New Production Facility!
January 05, 2012
2011 was an awesome year for us here at Eventions! We couldn’t be more grateful for the incredible relationships we have in the event industry as well as in the Philadelphia community. On December 15th we welcomed 200 of our friends, clients, and colleagues to our new production facility to celebrate our 20th anniversary with a Winter Soiree! We decked out our new executive offices with plenty of shimmer and shine, but it was our new warehouse that brought the house down with some sexy holiday cheer!
As it's not uncommon for the Eventions Team to approach a party design with the question “wouldn’t it be cool if…?”, we decided to let our creative flags fly with our own holiday party! As guests walked through they saw a funky Christmas tree decorated with hundreds of “ornaments” made with gobos we’d used on parties throughout the year. We also built an entire wall of retro-fitted light bulbs wired under large plexiglass panels. We’re constantly looking for that “wow factor” that takes just a little bit of creativity! Which means, as lighting designers, audio/visual technicians and staging experts, we just had to build a floating DJ booth too! (You can see lots of photos of the DJ Booth in our last post here)
But let’s not forget about the basics for every successful party: the food and drink! Tray after tray of festive cocktails, seasonal hors d’oeuvres and tasty sweets were provided by the awesome Starr Events. They hit it out of the ballpark and we couldn’t thank them enough for their gracious staff and delicious food.
But despite how fab the food and drink was (and it was, truly), the real show-stopping highlight of the party was the live ice carving performance from Fear No Ice! Think Blue Man Group with blocks of ice, chainsaws and techno tunes. Creeping into the warehouse in their white snow suits and blue goggles, the Fear No Ice artists put their micro chainsaws to work on the double-quick and carved a drum set, martini glasses and the Eventions logo!
Brian and Jen Toner, the owners of Eventions, enjoy some tasty beverages from their new GIANT martini glasses!
And, of course, a big thanks to our friends DJ Jon Gill for spinning the tunes all night and Cliff Mautner for photographing the celebration! {Cliff is seen here with the always dapper Phil Kramer.}
Eventions from CinemaCake Filmmakers on Vimeo.
CATEGORY: Business Partners, Corporate, For Fun, Innovations
peter h slavin: (01.09.12 - 2:08 pm) we had a blast performing at your 20 th party .. great head quarters ... we are moving in !!!!!!ice cool thank you .. from the boys at fear no ice.com.
Event Lighting: Working with Photographers to Capture the Event in the Best Light
October 13, 2011
While lighting at an event is clearly the fairy dust that takes a party from ordinary to extraordinary, it can also significantly impact the quality of imagery that the event photographer is able to capture. From no lighting at all to neon-blasted and fluorescent-filled rooms; we’ve heard photographers’ recount story after story of their lighting challenges. As a result, Eventions has made it our mission to make sure the photographer’s needs are understood and absorbed into every event lighting design.
Over the years, we have found that photographers are truly artists that walk to the beat of their own drums. As a result, they all have different approaches and preferences when it comes to ambient or production lighting techniques. However, some of the most common lighting requests we hear from photographers usually include: installing all lighting with dimmers to allow adjustments throughout the night; providing some form of perimeter lighting; taking the monogrammed gobo off the center of the dance floor; not using sharp breakup patterns on the dance floor; and balancing the intensity of the foreground and background lighting.
Below we share some thoughts on lighting from three of the Philadelphia area’s best-known photographers:
“Whenever my future clients marvel about some of the amazing room shots that I’ve had the opportunity to photograph over the years, I always point out how great professional lighting helped to create the image. Photographers can light a room with flash, but it is always flat looking. Professional lighting provides depth to the room and highlights all the décor. When a room is properly lit with appropriate balance, all I need to do is photograph it. Candlelight is beautiful and warm to the eye but to a camera it is NEVER enough. The warm glow must be enhanced with professional lighting to make it glow deeper in the camera. Photography is capturing light either on film or a digital sensor. If there is no light, there is nothing to photograph.” Marie Labbancz www.artoflove.com
“I take a kind of street photography approach. I use the light given to me and sometimes I’ll add a bit just to help. If there’s a little soft perimeter wash around the room, great. Perhaps a soft glow on everyone’s faces. For me it would be really boring to overly light a room and have every shoot a major multi-hued production. I want to have something more organic, real. I want the challenge to find the light, use the atmosphere and create something spectacular from nothing. I want the opportunity to be the observer who shows someone something that touches the heart and soul. Most of all I want my work to be fun and my art beautiful and real. ” Kevin York www.kevinyorkphotography.com
“Professional lighting in a space should be layered, with soft perimeter lighting for depth and soft warm lighting on faces. Patterns on the dance floor or across the room is not a favorite because it causes blotches and shadows that may add decorative drama but aren’t flattering to people. Instead I suggest a mix of soft colored washes across the dance floor, like soft pinks and lavenders blended together. And even though most people like amber or flesh colored lighting, it generally turns everyone an unflattering orange.” Sarah Dicicco www.sarahdicicco.com
On most of our productions, we are collaborating on the lighting design with an event designer or/or wedding planner. Once we have those specifications in hand and the lighting plot in place, our lighting designers strive to find the balance between ambiance and clarity to allow the designer and the photographer to achieve their respective goals for the end client.
CATEGORY: A Conversation With, Business Partners, Weddings
Eventions Lights up the NACE Gala
January 26, 2011
Back in the summer of 2010, NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) decided to bring back the long standing tradition of having industry gala after a 4 year hiatus. The committee brought together a dream team of the best industry professionals to produce an awe inspiring event. The theme decided upon was ” Bring Back The Glamour” a nod to the improving economic situation of the past few years.
Ed Knight and the team at Eventquip stepped up and offered to host the event at their facility in Lansdale, PA. A multi-level tent unlike most have ever seen was planned. Stephen Starr Events provided an amazing selection of delectable delights and Brian Kappra and the team at Evantine Design let his magic loose on the empty warehouse and tent.
The view as guests entered the tent
Eventquip’s tent washing machine. Yes, a whole tent fits inside along with a a few hundred gallons of water and a lot of soap!
Stephen Starr’s cocktail hour spread
Greeters by Creative Juice Group
The view as you ascended into the dinner tent
Eventquip’s new crystal chandeliers brighten up the cleverly hidden executive restroom trailer from Bobby’s Portable restrooms
View of the incredible floating stage - Brain child of Josh and Ed from Eventquip. The stage was a feat of engineering. It was cantilevered over a infinity edge pool of water. What you can’t see is the 30,000 pounds of weight, 24’ steel beams and the entire catering kitchen tent holding up the stage. A glass mirror front and glass back extending into the infinity edge pool enhanced the effect. We lit the pool with color changing LED fixtures. Eventions also employed its thunderous line-array sound system to hide all of the sound system equipment, allowing the stage to be clean and uncluttered.
Another view of the sleek and sexy stage
The Ice Lounge This lounge was completely made of carved ice… did you know it was actually contained in a 24’ delivery truck placed outside the tent and installed within 60 minutes of the beginning of the event?
Glass floor entrance to the dining tent with a living Marie Antoinette below
Evantine’s beautiful tablescapes lit from below with our exclusive Battery operated LED fixtures.
The View from the perspective of BVT’s Big Rick Rising, who ROCKED the gala
Our lighting designers specified a design that included a noted absence of pinspots and uplights. The combination of LED under table lights, 30 leikos and 26 moving lights lit the dining space in a dramatic way.
Lounge Furniture from AFR and light up bars from Party Rental LTD made for a sophisticated lounge area.
While this blog post highlighted some of the behind the scenes action, over 30 NACE industry partners contributed to this event. Thanks to everyone for an amazing event.
Photo Credits: John Armich
CATEGORY: Behind the Scenes, Business Partners, Community, Design Ideas, Industry News
engaged: (08.24.11 - 10:58 pm) love the blog! bookmarked for sure!
Eventions Productions Releases New LED Lighting Solution
October 07, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eventions Releases New LED Event Lighting Solution
Philadelphia, PA - October 7, 2010
Eventions Productions, a top Philadelphia event production company, announces the release of their newest lighting fixture – The LED12. It was shown for the first time at an event at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The LED12 is revolutionary in that it is the first LED fixture that has a perfectly neutral white light. In the past, LED fixtures attempted to create white light by using a combination of red, blue and green bulbs. It was impossible to create truly white light by using this method.
The LED12 features 12 three watt white LEDs in a custom designed enclosure that holds the light fixture and a battery, enabling the fixture to operate for over 10 hrs on a single charge. The LED12 also has a snap in gel frame to allow lighting designers to color it any color as well as multiple frosted and clear lenses to alter the shape of the beam.
“The LED12 has a tremendous number of advantages for the special event market,” exclaims Eventions’ President, Brian Toner. The fact that we can light an entire event using no electricity from the venue nor any cables that would need to be hidden or taped down allows us to light spaces and events that were either impossible or prohibitvely expensive before. For example, at the event we did a few nights ago at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, we uplit 28 columns, the stairs and food stations in less than 20 minutes of setup. The client loved the quick turnaround, decreased labor needed and the complete absence of cabling.”
Photographers and Videographers will also greatly apprecriate the fact that the lights are perfectly uniform in color and do not appear to strobe as most LED lights do when filmed by video cameras.
Decorators, florists and event planners in the Philadelphia region who have seen the LED12’s in action are immediately impressed with their capabilities and have been reserving them for many upcoming events. “With decreased budgets and clients being cautious of where they spend money, as well as the fact that the labor to install these fixtures is about 1/10 of a traditional uplight, we see a huge market for the LED 12’s,” says Toner.
The fixture was created by the team at Eventions over a six month period. The LED12’s utilize cutting edge battery technology and charging systems. The fixtures feature LED Bulbs utilizing state of the art optical collimators, which allow the light to be focused into a tight beam much like a light house lens does.
Eventions has completed the first run of 48 fixtures and expects to eventually replace all of its uplighting with the new technology within a few months. Shown below are the fixtures in their custom designed travel cases with built-in charging systems.
About the event: On Wednesday, September 29th, The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Office of Special Events and Stephen STARR Events, hosted an open house for the area’s top event professionals. Event decor was provided by Table Art and photography was provided by Marie Labbancz.
About Eventions Productions: Eventions Productions is special event production company serving the greater Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington D.C. markets. Eventions provides special event and corporate lighting design, sound and audio support, video and media projection, scenic design, power generation and staging. Eventions provides these services for the wedding, bar and bat mitzvah, special event, college, social and society events as well as the general public.
Contact:
Brian Toner
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
http://www.eventionsproductions.com
610.485.5900
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CATEGORY: Behind the Scenes, Business Partners, Community, Corporate, Design Ideas, Industry News, Innovations, What We Love
Muscle Cars and a Hot Rod Sound System!
September 16, 2010
On Saturday, September 11th, Eventions helped local DJ and entertainment company Silver Sound With a monsterous sound system for the American Muscle Car Show at the Phoenixville Fire House and grounds. The event was to raise money for the troops serving in our armed forces. Over 400 American muscle cars were in attendance, mostly Mustangs of all ages and types. There were also many manufacturers, distributors and after market parts companies in attendance.
Silver Sound Director of Special Events, Paul Evans, who actually DJ’d and Emcee’d the event, wanted to ensure he could be heard clearly over the entire show which covered the area of approximately 8 football fields. Our audio designers, using satellite imagery of the space, specified a JBL line array sound system utilizing over 24 speaker cabinets and over 25,000 watts of power.
Satellite imagery and computer modeling of the sound system are used by our engineers to guarantee flawless audio!
Here is the feedback from our satisfied Client:
“Everything went very well! Your techs are always a pleasure, they know what they are doing, they are supportive and they take care of the clients even when they throw curve balls. The President of the company really appreciated Andrew taking care of his needing a microphone to plug into a remote system they had over by the dyna. No one told us about that.
I Thank you for providing me with a great end to end solution, for helping me to design the system for the proper coverage, the result of our work impressed the people attending. As Director of Special Events, I really enjoy learning how to configure, deliver and set these things up. The Genie’s were very cool the line arrays and subs sounded great the near field speakers were very strong and smooth”.
The Line array’s being set up on the ground.
DJ Paul Evan’s State of the art Laptop base DJ rig.
Photo Credits: www.silversound.com
CATEGORY: Business Partners, Community, Our Stage This Weekend
Craig Sumsky: (09.16.10 - 2:36 pm) Wow, that sure is one state of the art system. Who is Paul Evans?
Fun with Cinema Cake.
April 02, 2010
When our good friend, Dave Williams from Cinema Cake started planning his daughter’s Bat Mitzvah, one of his first calls was to Eventions to help him produce an amazing party. Dave assembled an all-star team of some of the area’s best event professionals including Melissa Brannon from Uncommon Events, Sarah DiCicco, Jelly Roll, and some craziness from Creative Juice Group.
For Danielle’s concept video Dave and his creative staff recreated the SNL video “I’m on a Boat” to “I’m on a Bus”. Dave’s staff rewrote the lyrics and music to fit the new concept. Next up was a new one for us… “can you fit a 52 foot bus into your warehouse?” Our answer was “of course… and I’m afraid to ask, but why? One cold day in January, at 8 AM the bus arrived at our facility and the transformation began to make it “cool”
Check out the video that was shown the night of the party. - Keep an eye out for a cameo from dave and his wife Sheryl as the bus drivers.
Also, take a look at the “Out Take” video that shows some of the “behind the scenes action”
For the actual party, We supplied a huge truss design with 12 intelligent lights, LED lights and diffusion fog. We also debuted our Chroma Blast LED dance floor and custom fabricated some floating lucite tables utilizing our Chroma Towers as bases. The great thing about our Chroma series of dance floor and Chroma Towers is that they all coordinate with the intelligent lighting used on the dance floor.
And here is the “sneak preview” of the party. Congratulations to Dave, Danielle and the entire Williams Family.
CATEGORY: Behind the Scenes, Business Partners, For Fun, Mitzvahs
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Alicia Nathanson: (01.09.12 - 11:16 am) So many reasons to celebrate! Congratulations! And what a terrific party-we had a blast!