The Color Invasion party is the IIDA (International Interior Design Association) annual get-together, fundraiser/ fun-raiser and is the hottest ticket in town, benefiting the IIDA NY student activities and Design Awards Programs. This year’s theme: VINTAGE CIRCUS. The planning process for this event was an event itself, consisting of menu tastings, design and costume meetings, and of course numerous hours spent on finding the perfect staff to work who would enhance the guest experience from the start to finish of the event. The IIDA NY planning committee and our very own in-house design/prop team took Center 548, an empty, 4-floor, raw space and turned it into an old school Big Top Circus; using each floor of the space as a different circus vantage point. Twelve hundred plus guests were greeted with a “dress-up” station at registration, allowing them to dress the part using animal masks, clown make-up, wigs and don’t forget the stilted actors, who were by far the best photo ops of the night.
Once guests made their way to the 3rd floor they were greeted to a full blown Midway eating area consisting of circus games, picnic tables, hay bales, popcorn machines and wonderfully playful food stations manned by Neuman’s Kitchen most daring wait staff dressed the part as strong men, bearded ladies and tutu showgirls. From giant pretzels, chili hot dogs with every kind of hot sauce imaginable, Juggler’s Balls- a trio of bite-sized meatballs and “adult” tater-tots there was no shortage of fun foods to satisfy the most demanding guest wishes.
On the fourth floor of the wicked Big Top, seven bars greeted the guests, under the mask of the red and white velvet canopy. Red hot vixen Cigarette girls passed hors d’oeuvres to guests on custom made circus designed passing trays and served up “Adult” Sno Cones. Of course, no Big Top Circus would be complete without its Ring Master, a fabulously dressed MC in head-to-toe glitz, whose voice enchanted the crowd over the roar of fist-pumping dance music.
For more on IIDA’s 2013 Circus Themed event, check out the link for the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgPFqQlUTFw&feature=player_embedded
