Our daughter, along with the other high school senior class officers were quite suprised when they were told by their principal that they would be in charge of planning their 2018 senior prom.  A number of typical and unique venues were contacted, but because of the small number of attendees, a directive to keep the cost down, and a late start in the booking season, they found the location choices to be limited. Other options were considered, one of which was to put the prom together on their own.  So our daughter approached us and we agreed to help with the project.

No restaurant.  No amusement park.  No club.  No boat.  In other words, we would need to build this prom from the ground up.  Of course we always love a blank canvas.  And this empty airport hangar was a blank canvas indeed.  

A 1920’s theme was agreed upon which made the creative part of the project lots of fun.  Numerous hours were put into the pre-planning which included coordination of entertainment, catering, rentals, props and decor, labor, security, guest activities, location, promotion, ticket sales, logistics, permits and working with the school administration.

The celebration had a variety of elements including:

-A VIP red carpet entrance

-Appetizer table for arriving guests

-Amazing pasta bar buffet

-Gourmet soda bar with custom named drinks

-Lounge and game area on the upper grass terrace

-Outside lounge and standing drink tables

-Dress up instant photo booth

-Elegant 1920’s photo scene

-World class magician

-1920’s dance review

-Delectable ice cream sundae and dessert bar

-Two vintage bi-planes and three antique cars

-Executive restrooms

-Guest take-away gifts

The day finally arrived and it was time to fly in the props.

VIP Guest Entrance

Great Tastes

Amazing 1920’s Dance Review

Another Fly-In Prop

Add The Guests

Dessert Display

World Class Magic

1920’s Theme Photo Vignette

A huge thanks to all those who assisted in making this amazing special event so successful!

It was Friday the 13th, the haunts were out in full force and our Club Pihra event was hosted by Magic Mountain.

It started out normal as always.  Professional networking and vendor displays for the HR practitioners.  

Next, a walk through the empty, pre-opened park.  It was eerily quiet without a soul to be seen.  The haunts were still asleep.  

Guests were treated with an exclusive visit to the new Justice League: Battle for Metropolis.  We walked straight up to the boarding area and stepped onto the ride for our superhero adventure.  

Our superheroes.

With ray guns ablaze, we obliterated the evil forces of the universe.  We emerged from our challenge victorious and walked back through the empty park to our  event.  There, we were provided with a scrumptious breakfast and educational HR  presentation.  Of course the finale was the infamous prize drawing at the conclusion.  With all the business wrapped up, guests were released to experience the haunts, creatures, thills, screams and enjoy the day and night at the park.As the day progressed we experienced amazing rides, a spectacular Fright Fest, and unequaled stage show with a fantastic DJ, rocking drummer and a frightfully fun dance show.

We did go west . . . almost all the way to Malibu.  Set in the heart of the historic Paramount movie ranch, we rolled up our sleeves and created a western experience for the employees and guests of a westside advertising agency.

To bring the wild west alive at Paramount, Lewis Events brought mouth watering BBQ cuisine, an exciting and bustling saloon casino, trick roping, cattle drive pony rides, foot stomping entertainment, strike it rich gold panning, atmosphere characters, virtual calf roping, unique western theme decor and a real live thundering stagecoach. 

The original Paramount studios rach provided the perfect setting for a great old west special event. Both indoor and outdoor areas were used for the variety of event activities, dining, entertainment and socializing.  This amazing location has been used for an almost endless list of movies and productions including Dr. Quinn Medicine woman and most recently Carnivale.

And yes, we did ride the stage into the sunset.

Things got a little “good crazy” at a Route 66 party we put together.  We started at Santa Monica with a little “car graffiti”, then Arizona, the heartland and as the evening progressed, moved east until we ended in the windy city, Chicago.  The DJ spun music from Ronnies garage, and food was served at a vintage roadside diner.  A great journey!

Music in Ronnies Route 66 garage.

Grilled cheese, the perfect diner food!

DJ James was one of the featured DJ’s at a spectacular event held at the Petersen Automotive museum on Wilshire Blvd. in west Los Angeles.  The Petersen features one of the most amazing collections of automoblies anywhere, incuding . . . . classic works of art, movie cars, formula one racers and on and on! James spun a variety of popular music and for this occasion threw in a few car tunes and Southern California classics.  A beautiful night of amazing cars, delicious edibles and mystifying sound.

The Petersen is as beautiful on the outside as on the inside, having recently completed a major renovation.  Located on museum row, the exterior can now be considered a work of art standing on it’s own.  It is definitely worth a long visit.

2015 went by so fast, we didn’t even have a chance to keep up on all of our party and event posts along with their cheesy commentary.  So rather than trying to catch up the traditional way, we decided to just post a few pictures from the past little while for your viewing pleasure.

Decor, Lighting, & Entertainment . . . LA Museum of Science and Industry

Surf’s Up LA County Fair

Wild West High School Homecoming

Dreamy Wedding Decorating

Fiesta of the Spanish Horse

Sports Theme Newport Hyatt

Beach Theme Picnic Bonelli Park

Depatures to the Haunted Island

Happy Chinese New Year USC Pacific Asia Museum

Lighting Up the Night Sky

After living two exciting years in Mexico, James is back to making magic happen at the DJ table. Calling Mexico home gave him the opportunity to experience first hand our neighbor’s culture, as well as to fine tune his Spanish language skills.  Beginning in May ’16, DJ James will be making musical magic happen in Utah Valley and the greater Salt Lake City area.  Between now and then, he will be spinning music in LA for a variety of special events.  Occasionally he will travel to LA and other locations for larger parties and events.Whether its EDM, top 40, an eclectic mix of genres, or when a down home country/western flavor is needed, DJ James can bring the party to it’s feet in English or in Spanish.  He has years of experience in the many facets of event production and will bring his talents to the land northward.  So if you need a DJ or even a little more  for your party or special event (entertainment, decorating or coordinating) . . . . . be sure to give Lewis Events a call at 626-536-8091 or visit our website at LewisEvents.com.

One of the more exhilarating challenges we face is when a client asks us to bring together a party based on a theme that we have not created in the past.  Recently a client asked us to do a “Technology” based theme party on a relatively modest budget.  Great, we’ll serve everyone lunch on a laptop.

So here is what we did.  Guests entered through the lobby where a collage of old and new technologies were represented.  In the main dining room, multiple vignettes were created, each representing technologies from different periods in time.  It began with the technology of philosophers and the dark ages, then the old west, next  the early days of the computer and finally to where we now stand.  Guests were able to participate in a whimsical survey where they texted their answers and results appeared on a display screen projected within the room.  It was quite a bit different than your typical company luncheon . . .  and fun too!

So challenge us with a new theme . . . . . and see how we shine.

What do you do with a group of company executives that have been tied up in meetings all morning?  On a beautiful southern California day?  At the beach? . . . . You take them down to the shore, divide them up into groups and encourage some competitive team building excitement.

On a recent beautiful west coast afternoon Lewis Events hosted a group of approximately 100 company executives for an enthusiastic, loud, sand flying and lightning fast round of games and competion.  It all started with Minute-to-Win-It style games designed specifically for the occasion.  Based on how well each team competed during the games, winners were awarded bags of tools, materials and props that could be used in the next event.  I knew you would ask.  What was the next event?

Each of the ten teams were presented with a bucket of tools and a section of beach front real estate to create their sand-sculpting masterpiece.  The clock started ticking and the sand begin to fly.  It was a blur of activity as the teams magically transformed buckets and shovel fulls of sand into their creation.  Everyone had their specific duties.  It was amazing to see the wide range of sand-sculpting designs when the teams finished.

Each of the sculptures were judged in a variety of categories, and awards were presented at a banquet later in the evening.  A fun group of people and a great location were the ideal combination for a memorable teambuilding activity.

A gorgeous Southern California evening + great people + amazing food + a fantastic location = A spectacular special occasion! Universal City Walk was the perfect destination for Club PIHRA to gather for an unsurpassed evening of food and fun with a bit of flying thrown in.  The adventure began, as office weary guests gathered at the Hard Rock Cafe for ice cold beverages and a selection of delectable appetizers.  An outside balcony overlooking City Walk and an inside balcony with a view of the dining room’s colorful collection of memorabilia, provided the ideal atmosphere for visiting and launching the evening off to a rocking start. You could spend hours at the Hard Rock Cafe, just looking at all the facinating history adorning the walls.

Next stop was iFly, Hard Rock Cafe’s neighbor. Brave adventurers in the group disappeared behind closed doors for an orientation and to suit up for their flight. Others gathered outside for more conversation and to watch the action in the vertical wind tunnel. All at once, wind roared inside the tube and one by one, the brave souls floated in mid- air, right before the eyes of the curious crowd.

Once the skydivers and the observers caught their breath, it was time to hit the road and move to the next stop on the journey. Camacho’s Cantina had prepared a scrumptious and colorful display of Latin flavors, accompanied by more mouth watering beverages for the parched lips from the skydiving excursion. A comfortable south-of-the-border cantina atmosphere was the ideal place to relax before moving onward.

Camacho’s cozy setting made it difficlt to depart for the group’s next destination. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company was anxiously waiting for the crowd of guests when they arrived. Also waiting and welcoming, was an amazing selection of their latest catch. Shrimp, seafood and other delacacies were were quickly consumed by the trail-weary guests, who once more took time to relax, laugh and visit, this time in the creatively casual southern ambiance.

Once again, the group took a leisurely stroll, soaking in eclectic visions along the way.  From Bubba Gumps they passed through the main square and near the main stage.  The sky and surroundings were ablaze with color from the endless lights of City Walk.   The next stop and final destination was at  Jillian’s.  A delicious assortment of desserts was provided by Bucca di Beppo and Jillian’s.  More drinks, bowling and an inviting game parlor filled with endless choices for fun.  What an adventure!  What an amazing way to spend an evening in Southern California.  Thanks to all the amazing destinations that hosted this memorable evening . . . . Hard Rock Cafe, iFly, Camacho’s Cantina, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Bucca di Beppo and Jillian’s.