IN addition to enjoying some spectacular special events and learning new skills at education sessions, attendees at The Special Event in Los Angeles can explore exciting new products and services. From Jan. 10-12, The Special Event's show floor will be packed with the tools event planners need now. Here is a sampling of what exhibitors will show off.
PROPS APLENTY
Bubble LLC (Booth 1141) will show off its Qar-Couch, a modular seating arrangement consisting of separate pieces — in eight bright colors — that are snapped together to form a couch or armchairs. An equally funky product from Holo-Walls (Booth 1341) is the colorful Holo-Floor 2, a holographic dance floor film that attaches to floors with a light-tack, removable adhesive.
Swedish Accents (Booth 755) will show off its tabletop accessories and accents — especially a new line of artificial flowers that do not try to replicate the look of real flowers but are instead whimsical caricatures of blooms that accent decor or promote products. And while everyone enjoys flowers, accessories from Decorative Novelty (Booth 1655) capitalize on a girl's best friend — their new solid-glass diamonds come in six sizes starting at 1½ inches and the colors clear, pink, blue and purple. Bill Whidden Designs (Booth 1127) will introduce a new battery-operated centerpiece light at The Special Event. The versatile LED-powered light requires no wiring or additional power and can be operated by wireless remote control.
The newest prop from 20th Century Props (Booth 853) is an 11-foot-high dinosaur. This Jurassic-era creature is made of hard-coated Styrofoam “bones” and weighs in at only 250 pounds.
FINE FURNITURE
For a table that measures up to its decadent decorations, A-1 Tablecloth Co. (Booth 708) will debut a unique fitted cover for rental — the Spandex Serpentine table cover claims to provide a sleeker look to curvy tables. Tablecloth Co. (Booth 531) will debut its newest table covering, Ribbons. The sheer fabric will be available in four colors: silver, white, gold and bronze.
The latest table design from Girari Contemporary Furniture Rental (Booth 1333) is the Tri-Table, which is crafted from glass and metal and features seating for six. Girari's furniture is “green,” meaning pieces are handcrafted in Los Angeles from 98 percent recycled aluminum.
To sit in style at fancy tables such as these, Chameleon Chair (Booth 1451) is debuting the Simply “X” chair at The Special Event, a sleek chair in chrome that can be enhanced with jewels, glow lights and flowers. Another seating option is the new chiavari bar stool from Excel Furniture (Booth 608), featuring unique bamboo-style cross bars and a sturdier seat thanks to a bigger back and legs. Lounge 22 (Booth 1107) offers its new Glo chair, featuring customized graphics and flexible fabrics. The chair combines elegant design with visual impact.
DRAMATIC DIVERSIONS
Feet First Eventertainment (Booth 553) offers clients a taste of fame with its new service allowing corporate groups to film their own movie at Universal Studios' soundstages. The team-building event allows everyone a turn in front of the camera while filming on famous movie sets.
For entertainment guests can sit back and enjoy, Imagination Entertainment (Booth 1410) introduces the new show “Songs of the Cinema,” a tribute to 100 years of films with memorable songs from classic movies accentuated with choreography and costumes.
Cirque Fantastic Concept's (Booth 140) cool new show, “Fantastic on Ice,” entertains with circus artists and figure skaters from Canada.
AT YOUR SERVICE
BestPartyEver.com (Booth 1605) will introduce its personalized special event search engine and online party planning center. The search engine matches vendors to potential clients using the location and type of party while the party planning center helps clients with tasks such as formulating a guest list and maintaining a budget.
The new division from Mayesh Wholesale Florist (Booth 652), Destination Events, will be announced at The Special Event. With a four-person transportation department, refrigerated trucks and floral supplies, the new service mobilizes Mayesh's resources to provide floral accents to destination weddings in far-flung locales.
TENTS, INSIDE AND OUT
Space-maker Regal Tent Productions (Booth 421) will debut a 197-foot clear-span structure. The Regal 60 Series has a 12,000-person capacity with theater-style seating. The Grand Pavilion tent, the latest addition to Raj Tents' (Booth 1445) product line, will debut at The Special Event. The octagonal tent has a diameter of 20 feet and a 13-foot-high apex, with arches decorated with a gold star woodblock print.
For easy displays, Banana Displays (Booth 354) offers the new Fuzzy Banner, a 34-inch-wide retractable Velcro banner that comes in four colors and pulls out of a base like a projection screen, requiring only one pole for support. The ST-1 is a new stand for press walls from Fandango Special Events (Booth 1227); the zinc-plated stand holds items up to 2 inches thick for use as scenery, signs, lattice and room dividers.
With the ability to display 360-degree images, Ring Screens from South Bay Productions (Booth 852) are versatile circular screens that are available in two sizes and can display up to six images at once.
And for adding pop to events, Flutter Fetti Fun Factory (Booth 114) offers a nine-barreled Pod that provides an effect similar to fireworks. The Pod shoots confetti or streamers 65 feet into the air; the device comes with a programmable wireless transmitter for synchronized programs.
For more information on The Special Event 2007, call 708/486-0731 or 866/486-0731, or visit www.thespecialeventshow.com.
Class Is In Session
It's not a product, exactly, but it's definitely a novel idea. ISES will debut the revamped CSEP program at The Special Event. Two new classes — CSEP Program Overview for New Candidates and CSEP Program for CSEPs — will be offered this year. For more information, call Lauren Rini at 800/688-4737 or 312/321-6853.
