Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Glamorama 2009

Associate Editor Ellie Bayrd and I attended Glamorama on Friday night. A fashion show event to raise money for Children's Cancer Research Fund, Glamorama is put on by Macy's every August. The evening begins (unless you attend a pre-party) with an hour-long fashion show, featuring top-name designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs and high-profile entertainment, this year R&B superstar Ne-Yo, pop newcomer Kristinia DeBarge and jazz trio The New Standards. After the fashion show, guests who paid for the opportunity head up to Macy's Eighth Floor for the after party.

For me, the fashion show was the highlight. And I'm not even a fashionista in any sense of the word. But, the show was well choreographed and the music was awesome. Ne-Yo was fantastic and The New Standard's version of Britney Spears' "Toxic" was superb. The models strutted around differently for each designer, and while many didn't smile, I think you could tell they were having fun up there. (For more on the fashions found at Glamorama, see Allison Kaplan's column in Saturday's Pioneer Press.) It takes a lot to orchestrate and plan a fashion show, and I thought it was very well done. (For more on the year-long planning, check out this article from Vita.mn.)

The after party was also a good time, with lots of food stations - from mini burgers and nachos to mini ice cream cones - and overflowing beverages. While the food wasn't quite as amazing as years past, I did think the way they arranged the food around the eighth floor and the mammoth patio worked well. A DJ spun tunes over the dance floor, I heard Ne-Yo partied in the VIP lounge most of the evening, Dance Dance Revolution and Wiis were set up off to the side of another dance floor and the who's who of the Twin Cities interspersed with long-legged models.

I took some photos of the evening, but please forgive the awful lighting in some of the shots - I'm an amateur! We weren't allowed to take photos during the show, but if you're interested in the fashions, you can find slideshows at City Pages and the Star Tribune.

Were you at Glamorama this year? What did you think of the evening?

--Amanda Fretheim Gates
Managing Editor

Entertaining Events

I just got back from a fun event hosted by Martin Bastian at the Dakota. Martin Bastian used the time to talk about the importance of entertainment at events and showcased local and national acts.

• Jazz Impact: An interesting local group that combines jazz and team building. Dr. Michael Gold (on bass) compared the improvisation required of jazz to the freedom needed for innovative thinking in business.
• Jearlyn Steele (pictured) & Patty Peterson: Talented and energetic (and very funny!) singing duo, who also emcee. Both are local gals from musical families. [photo courtesy The Steeles]
• Keb' Mo': Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist. While he may be known for his music, he's also quite funny and charming. Highlight of the evening was his impromptu duet with Jearlyn Steele.

So, my question to you is: what kind of entertainment do you think works best at events and who would you recommend?

--Ellie M. Bayrd, Associate Editor