I have had a wild couple of weeks – Golden Globes and the Super Bowl!!! But I have been meaning to tell y’all about a wonderfully and SASSY! event industry conference I attended last month and look forward to EVERY year – The Special Event!!!! It is a wonderful way to start every year and learn about the next hot trends in events.
This year I was particularly excited about three great collections from CORT, LED Luna Lighting, Endless Seating and the Gamer Collection. CORT’s booth featured the modular Endless Seating collection with photos and samples illustrating the many possible configurations – this seating system is truly flexible enough to create spaces for 20 or 200 people. CORT’s Gamer Collection was on display at the conference’s Performance Stage Lounge and drew many event planners excited about a new product for the growing number of events focused on technology and video gaming. It seems nearly every event now includes video gaming sections and this product is perfect for setting up gaming stations!
Attendees at the TSE Starts Here party got to experience the Luna Lighting collection first-hand, as the entrance, dance floor and balcony area were ringed with an impressive display of Luna café and bar tables. I always say that the best way to learn and improve your own events is to attend and experience them as often as possible! The highlight of the conference was when I joined my friends Kevin Dana and Michael Cerbelli for the “What’s Hot” session, where we got to share CORT’s new Modern Glamour collection, along with the Endless Seating and Gamer Collections. Michael was right – these new collections are both timely and innovative.
We all had a blast and I couldn’t wait to share with my Sassies! Check out photos from the show below.
I am thrilled to announce a new event design trends initiative with CORT Event Furnishings! I will be serving as a spokesperson for their fabulous line of products, including the recently launched Luna Lighting Collection (I used this collection at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium Opening Gala this fall!), helping all my fellow event industry professionals stay on the cutting edge! Check out the press release below for more info!
2010 Event Design Trends from CORT and Steve Kemble
FAIRFAX, Va. (December 16, 2009) – CORT Event Furnishings, the nation’s largest event furniture and accessories rental company and Steve Kemble, “America’s Sassiest Lifestyle Guru,” share some of the top event design trends for 2010, a year that promises growth for the events industry as economic conditions improve.
“The most fabulous events of 2010 will give guests an experience reminiscent of a simpler and more elegant era, using rich textures and fabrics, metallic splashes and old world French décor and patterns to create a sense of modern glamour” said Kemble. “Orange will be a hot color trend, adding pop and a touch of whimsy, while white remains a clean, modern and hip canvas for any event. Also keep an eye out for purple, red and green in rich hues, adding a youthful note to muted grey tones and a strong accent to white and black décor.”
Flexible LED Lighting Events will be held in new and different spaces that surprise guests, giving events held outdoor or in other non-traditional spaces renewed importance. Flexible lighting allows event planners to create spectacular glowing environments without worrying about extension cords, outlets or generators. CORT’s flexible and modular Luna Lighting collection, a battery-powered line of furnishings featuring light-emitting diodes (LED), offers an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to plug-in lights and cumbersome cords.
Modular Seating It’s not your imagination: Ottomans become chairs; those chairs become sofas which, in turn, become high banquettes. Modular seating enables event planners to design seating that fits any space or theme. Curves, serpentines, and the functionality to build seating solutions for 20 or 200 people in the same style will be very important. CORT’s new Endless Seating collection, launching in early 2010, will provide the industry with the first versatile and modular seating system designed to meet the specific needs of event professionals.
Youth Culture and Video Gaming A new generation of technologically-savvy professionals wants to experience events and meetings that incorporate video games and other interactive technologies, creating demand for youthful, casual seating. CORT’s Gamer Collection launching in early 2010, will provide fun, relaxed seating options to support the growing niche of gaming and interactive events.
“Events and meetings are a vital part of doing business for many organizations. As companies reinvest in events for 2010, they will do so with a new eye to corporate responsibility,” said Kevin Dana, Director of Marketing and Product Development for CORT Trade Show and Event Furnishings. “Branding will once again take center stage as businesses want their name associated with good works and success. Branded furniture, accessories and themes will take center stage as businesses desire to have their name associated with that success, and CORT looks forward to working with each company to design events that deliver style, service and memorable experiences.”
About Steve Kemble For more information about Steve Kemble visit www.stevekemble.com.
About CORT Event Furnishings CORT Event Furnishings is a nationwide provider of furnishings for the exhibit and events industry. From high-profile events to corporate events and wedding receptions, CORT provides the rental furnishings that make events possible. CORT also provides rental furniture to the majority of trade shows and conferences in the nation, including shows and events in Canada. With distribution centers located across the nation, CORT Event Furnishings guarantees “Style & Service Delivered.” Earlier this year, CORT Trade Show and Event Furnishings introduced the industry’s leading easy space planning tool, accessible for free through CORT’s Web site, allowing clients to design accurate 2D floor plans in minutes. All of CORT’s products are available in 2D and 3D CAD files free to all clients. For more information, visit www.CORTevents.com
About CORT For the past 40 years, CORT has been a leading provider in rental furniture and has provided services to more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. CORT is a Berkshire Hathaway company and has offices in every major U.S. market and a global furniture rental network of affiliates in more than 50 countries. For more information about CORT, visit www.cort.com.
When the Dallas Cowboys celebrate the opening of the new $1.15 billion stadium in Arlington with a VIP invitation-only, black-tie gala tomorrow, guests will be served at bars featuring LED lighting and mingling among LED lighted columns and tables from CORT Event Furnishing’s new Luna Lighting collection.
CORT is introducing the versatile, flexible and modular lighted furnishings for the Dallas Cowboy’s opening party. The Luna Lighting collection features light-emitting diodes (LED), the next-generation of lighted furnishings, with a functional lighted bar with curved or rectangular top; bold architectural lighted columns; round and rectangular bar, café and cocktail tables; and illuminated cubes and pedestals.
“It’s only fitting that CORT Event Furnishings launch the Luna Lighting collection on this global and elegant stage, said Steve Kemble, the event planning industry’s style guru. “I was honored that the official launch for the new CORT LED furniture line happened at the event I am producing for the new Dallas Cowboys stadium opening.” Kemble is renowned for his events, and he has appeared on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover Wedding Edition,” Style Network’s “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway,” and has orchestrated Hollywood-style parties for E!’s Countdown to the Academy Awards, CBS’s The Early Show and Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.
“This cutting edge furniture line will have the entire special events industry buzzing with excitement and is the hottest event rental product to hit the special events industry in years,” Kemble said. “CORT’s lighting collection is a stylish touch with the option to mix and match colors and sizes to express a unique style and create a vibe that will make any event shine. This is the future of lighted event furnishings, providing versatile, flexible and modular lighted furniture that is brilliant and functional. CORT has developed a new product line that surpasses any event rental product currently in the marketplace.”
Beginning today, the Luna Lighting collection is available from CORT nationwide. In addition to the many design options, LED lighting is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to plug-in lights and cumbersome cords, eliminating the need for electrical outlets.
The rechargeable, battery-operated LED lighting lasts up to 8 hours on one charge, is cool to the touch, and the columns, tables and bars have sturdy, steel-frames with brushed steel and acrylic tops. The fully functional lighted bar has an ice bin, bottle holder and soda shelf, with a rectangular or curved top. It can be configured in large circular, serpentine or perpendicular shapes to fit any event plan.
The industry leading LED battery-operated lights can be set to glow in one of eight colors on the front, and programmed for a different color on the sides. The collection can also be customized with a corporate logo or graphic. Lighted furnishings are fully assembled upon delivery.
“Dallas Cowboys officials boast that the iconic design and architectural flair of the new stadium represents innovation and progressiveness, a reflection of the team’s worldwide brand. We have the same pride in introducing our new Luna Lighting collection with dramatic, stylish solutions for event planners alongside Steve Kemble and the Dallas Cowboys,” said Kevin Dana, Director of Marketing and Product Development for CORT Trade Show and Event Furnishings. “CORT is the first company to offer a complete collection of LED lighted furniture available on a nationwide scale.”
About CORT Event Furnishings CORT Event Furnishings is a nationwide provider of furnishings for the exhibit and events industry. From high-profile events to corporate events and wedding receptions, CORT provides the rental furnishings that make events possible. CORT also provides rental furniture to the majority of trade shows and conferences in the nation, including shows and events in Canada. With distribution centers located across the nation, CORT Event Furnishings guarantees “Style & Service Delivered.” Earlier this year, CORT Trade Show and Event Furnishings introduced the industry’s leading easy space planning tool, accessible for free through CORT’s Web site, allowing clients to design accurate 2D floor plans in minutes. All of CORT’s products are available in 2D and 3D CAD files free to all clients. For more information, visit www.CORTevents.com
About CORT For the past 40 years, CORT has been a leading provider in rental furniture and has provided services to more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. CORT is a Berkshire Hathaway company and has offices in every major U.S. market and a global furniture rental network of affiliates in more than 50 countries. For more information about CORT, visit www.cort.com.
