IT'S A 90210 PARTY
Topping your best year after year is a tall order. Yet CVLUX Editor in Chief David Manning always finds a way. Going into the Luxury Awards party planning, there were a lot of theme options on the table—the team lingered within that space for several months until divine inspiration struck.
Consider this: if CVLUX was a place to stay instead of a magazine, it would be The Beverly Hills Hotel. Thus, the 2020 Luxury Awards theme was born! Reminiscent of the iconic resort, guests were wowed by the striking pink color scheme, black and white draperies, and live tropical foliage upon arrival to the 90210-inspired party. Valet service escorted people to arrive through two entrances at the building’s front, both of which fed into the area designated for photography.
More contemporary than retro, signage was made of clear acrylic with white laser-cut logos to allow the extraordinary greenery to be visible from behind. The foliage and emblem duos made a stunning backdrop for pictures. Positioned with appropriately coordinated sponsorship placement, their impact throughout the entire venue was ongoing.
Wide, striped carpets and a coordinating step-and-repeat was a fun, fresh take for photos. Candids and formal shots were taken by Ellie Koleen Photography, known for catching the most special of occasions with an artistic lens. A favorite from year to year, the photo booth was just as popular as ever!
Local public relations firm RPM PR got to test out their latest toy, a Glambot, on partygoers as they walked the black and white carpet. The filmed results were made available to the public with the release of CVLUX’s newest commercial video reel by Justice Films—check it out on www.cvlux.com!
Transforming TorNino’s Banquets in Fresno, California takes a full business week. Justice Films had the foresight to position a GoPro to capture the entire duration of set-up, which was then played in time-lapse for the Luxury Awards audience as they took their seats for the show to start.
Speaking of transformation, two major change-ups were implemented this year. The most obvious alteration was the dining room’s layout—instead of being centered in the width, this year’s stage was shifted to the far end, making the room feel even longer than it already is. Tables where then arranged in three tiers: Diamonds were set with premium placement near the stage, those who opted for the Dance Floor option were arranged around its edge, while the Signature tables were opposite the front and centered between the two bars.
Tables were set with three different linen options. One donned a bold leaf print (mimicking the tropical greenery accents) with pink napkins. The second was dressed in black and white tablecloths with pale green napkins. Lastly, a textured salmon pink (nearly the same shade as the giant flamingo décor) served as the base for black and white striped napkins.
Each place setting utilized the 2020 Luxury Awards Program as a personal placemat. Napkins were tied in square knots and placed upon the upper left corner, a sort of “bow on top” for each guest. Gold flatware with white dipped handles were set in their appropriate places, with cylindrical stemware (for water, wine, and champagne) taking their places up top.
Those who purchased bottle service had an additional tumbler at the forefront, with round mirrors serving as cocktail trays. Options for vodka, whiskey, and tequila had coordinating mixers and garnishes, with staff ready and awaiting any additional bar requests.
Two full bar locations offered this year’s signature drink: “The SPARK-ler,” named for the After Party sponsor, realtor Rob Sparks. Much like a “Rose Kennedy,” the cocktail was a perfectly pink concoction of vodka and club soda, attaining its deceptively unassuming hue from a splash of cranberry juice. Lime wedges garnished the tumblers, again nodding at the pink and green scheme.
Once cocktail hour wrapped, a three-course dinner was served while the 2020 Diamond and Luxury Awards were presented. Everyone started with the Fried Goat Cheese Balls (a golden-brown pair atop an arugula base, drizzled with honey, served with flatbread crackers). Then came the Chopped Romaine salad (dressed with buffalo mozzarella, avocado, crispy pancetta, tomatoes, and a creamy balsamic).
Guests pre-selected one of three entrées: Charbroiled Filet Mignon (a 9-ounce cut grilled and topped with herbed butter and micro greens, accompanied by baby rosemary potatoes and asparagus), Rigatoni with Roasted Chicken & Pine Nuts (tossed in a white wine cream sauce with cherry tomatoes and baby spinach, garnished with Parmesan cheese shavings), or Portobello Eggplant Stacks (also composed of squash grilled to perfection, topped with diced cherry tomatoes, on a bed of arugula, finished with a balsamic glaze).
Then it was time to dance! The addition of the After Party was actually the second key change at the 2020 Luxury Awards. Trucker hats and neon pink glow sticks were at the ready as people flooded the floor, dancing late into the night. Waiter-passed sliders, fried mac-and-cheese balls, and French fry munchies proved to be big hit!
On the way out, partygoers grabbed black and gold reusable tote bags containing party swag—mementos from Central California’s event of the year. A little slice of SoCal’s LUXlife right in our own backyard, it was a night filled with glitz, glamour, and great music, though fueled by the ongoing contributions of the Central Valley’s most outstanding names in business and philanthropy. We hope to see you all there next year!
Managing Editor Lauren Barisic
