Wednesday, February 29, 2012

All-Star Mass Appeal


This past weekend, the city of Orlando hosted the NBA All-Star weekend for the second time after 20 years. From February 24-26, there was a list of different events and parties to account for the thousands of people who would be attending. A guide of the different events was available at http://www.orlandoallstarweekend.com/ .This was definitely a weekend of spending and Orlando profited greatly. Considering that many of the seat tickets ranged from $25 to upwards of $500 for actual NBA All-Star events, there were parties downtown going for much more. Many prominent artists came for this big event and even hosted, for example Drake, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, R. Kelly, and many more. I actually attended two events and luckily for me, I only spent a total of $5 (that was my weekend highlight). On Thursday night I attended a party hosted by DJ Kid Cupri and DJ Biz Markie. I registered on a complimentary guest list a week before so I didn’t pay a dime since I got there right before 11pm. On Friday I attended the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge at the new Amway Center that featured the Rookie and Sophomore Classes battling it out. I saw Blake Griffin of the Clippers do what he does best, dunk. I saw Jeremy Lin of the Knicks, who became a star overnight essentially and even artist Wale as a spectator on the sidelines.

                              *My friend and I with Blake Griffin inside the Amway Center (really a cut-out of Blake)*


This past weekend is an example of something that appealed to the masses. Sports is something that brings people together and all over the world there were those anticipating this weekend. In my first post I stated that I wasn’t a sport fanatic but the collective energy brought about by an event like this made me enjoy it. With the amount of people that traveled and met in a centralized location, the crowd control provided by Orlando’s police was exceptional. For events such as these, the security and safety of the special guests and the patrons are of high importance. In this WFTV article, the project manager explained its importance in the weekend’s preparation. The structure of a huge project like this requires a huge team that can maintain control.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Changing with the Times


Many of us have most certainly heard the phrase “the only constant in life is change” or a variation by Greek philosopher Heraclitus. In the entertainment industry, providing quality services is one of the top priorities. With that there has to be a flexibility to adapt to sudden changes in event production. This may be seen as risk management: the identification, assessment, and prioritization of possible risks but there are some things that are just unforeseen.

Tonight, the 54th Grammy Awards will air on CBS. This ceremony recognizes outstanding achievement in the music industry and also features performances. Many artists see this as the highlight of their career to receive such an award. Yesterday, Whitney Houston, a recipient of 6 Grammys suddenly passed away at the age of 48. A social media network is where I learned of this tragedy. But within hours after the confirmation of her death, executive producer of the show Ken Ehrlich announced that singer Jennifer Hudson, who received her first Grammy award from Whitney Houston in 2009, would perform a small tribute to Houston at the ceremony. It has been said that it will be a simple tribute. One of the biggest productions in the music industry, the Grammy has managed to pay respect by tweaking its show in honor of Houston. The award show has shown its ability to adapt to sudden changes through this course of action. For any event, there should be room for any possible change as that can sometimes mean the difference between a successful and flawless event or an imperfect faulty event.

Now with just hours remaining before the 54th Grammy Awards, we are all awaiting the tribute to the legendary Whitney Houston. Having sold millions of millions of albums, she was truly an icon in the music industry and an inspiration to many of today’s artists.


R.I.P. Whitney Houston.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Events and Productions


Events and productions have many genres, just like music. They entice different audiences and satisfy different needs. There are different types of events, they include: celebratory, educational, promotional, and commemorative. Examples are trade shows, corporate meetings, conferences, concerts, fundraisers and etc. Regardless of the type, the purpose is usually universal: to physically put on something or showcase an occasion.

The entertainment industry is a huge driving force in today’s society. Media has risen especially due to technology and the break down of certain barriers. People want to enjoy life and be entertained. That includes being with a group of people partaking in something that they all consider fun. Events provide an outlet for those commonalities. Whether you know it or not, there is always something going on. I’ll try to let you know of a certain event for every post I make.

So what’s the biggest event going on today? Super Bowl XLVI! It’s February 5 and The New England Patriots are going against The New York Giants. So much preparation and money went into this and you can believe that a lot of money will come out of it too. If you went shopping lately, there had to be advertisements everywhere and sold out pizza and chips and beer. Whether you are a sports fanatic or not *raises hand* it will be hard to not be affected somehow. For instance I got awesome deals on frozen pizza because of the super bowl. The Super Bowl itself and its sponsors offers prizes and giveaways so it was a mini win to me. This event isn’t just a football game; it is a major production that includes a concert and philanthropy too.

Events are meant to be impactful and the different medians that contribute to it make it a lasting one.