On Wednesday, May 10, PartySlate brought together hundreds of Los Angeles tastemakers and top event professionals at Andaz West Hollywood. The open modern space and sundeck provided the perfect setting for the realization of this innovative gathering. The team at jesGORDON | properFUN conceived of the “Let’s Get Social in SoCal” theme that included multiple Instagram-worthy experiences for guests.
Jes Gordon of jesGORDON | properFUN shares insight into the theme, “We really wanted to highlight the role that social media plays in the world of events — and the whole world for that matter — these days. Everyone involved seemed to really get it from the start.”
A Great Party Starts With Great Branding
Guests were invited to PartySlate’s unique LA celebration via luxe digital invitation, custom-designed for the gathering by A Good Day. The design team evoked the sunny aesthetic of spring in SoCal. The color-drenched invitation nodded to some of the surprises in store for guests with its background imagery.
Bombshell Graphics created chic signage to direct guests and honor event partners with custom, on-theme visuals.
An Evening of Festivities & Photo Ops
Gordon shares, “Because social media is such a hot topic in the industry, it was easy for us to weave the story through all five senses with the help of our vendors. When you hit upon taste, touch, smell, hearing and sight, guests have not only a visual experience, but a lasting emotional one as well. We want people to remember an event long after they have gone home from it.”
An Instagram-Worthy Moment at Every Turn
Upon arrival, guests entered a decked-out elevator that set the scene for inventive fun from the very start. The vendors worked together to create a sprawling celebration that transported guests through four themed scenarios drawn from different inspirations.
“For the visuals, it was important to have vignettes that folks could get lost in and want to explore. The wonderful floral accents from NPD Events made it cohesive, allowing it to still feel like an actual event beyond the social media appeal,” says Gordon.
Nayra Toledo, with floral and décor partner NPD Events, says, “Our approach to the floral design for this event was to take inspiration from each set — not always in floral form. We wanted the sets and backdrops to stand out and be the main attraction, so we kept our floral design minimalistic but impactful to allow them to shine. We wanted our florals to add, not distract.”
The team’s desert music festival-inspired stage backdrop was one of the most popular of the evening. “When PartySlate and jesGORDON | properFUN asked for a succulent wall, we delivered!” says Toledo. She adds, “Seeing it up close would allow you to see all of the different elements that we incorporated — the variety of textures, floral products, and scale of the items. The base design was built of succulents and dried palms to help create our canvas. Next, we added layers of dried florals and draped it with hanging amaranthus. It truly was a beauty and we were overjoyed with the positive feedback.”
Party Poses
At this celebration, snapping pics was part of the experience. Guests posed in the various sets for a fun experience they will have tangible reminders from.
Three photobooths from LA Photo Party provided ample opportunities for partygoers to get silly and capture their fun in creative ways. In the Victorian activation, the team provided a unique AI experience that created immersive, era themed images. The space themed set offered a burst .gif, perfect for social sharing, while another whimsical scene allowed partygoers to print and share still images.
Monochrome Makes for a Memorable Dress Code
When you have a party that’s as colorful and rich with décor as PartySlate’s LA soirée, guests can easily clash with the vivid scene. Gordon and her team encouraged attendees to dress in their best monochromatic style which made for striking images and engaging connections.
Gordon notes that, “The spectacular view at Andaz was a great conversation starter, too.”
Immersive Elements
When we talk about an event that appeals to all of the senses, we are talking about this party. It was a visual delight. Not just within each vignette, but VOX Productions ensured that the lighting was amped up as the sun went down over the Los Angeles cityscape.
Found Rental Co. brought tactile elements. Gordon says, “The rentals and textiles we chose from Found Rental Co. helped people feel comfortable and made them want to explore several different areas rather than sitting in one place all night. A mixture of textures like velvet, linen, plush, and hard surfaces offers something intriguing to everyone.”
Event the sense that most often gets overlooked at events — smell — was tended to. “The smell was delicious! A custom scent created by Scentex specifically for the event made people want to stay in the space as long as they could,” shares Gordon.
Top-Notch Entertainment Elevates the Energy
Music for Moving
Nothing conjures a party mood like music. “For the music, which was provided by Let’s Party LA Entertainment, we wanted something upbeat that made people want to dance, get silly, and, of course, be social. Maintaining a consistent positive vibe is key to creating successful events easily,” says Gordon.
Encore Global ensured that the sound and production were on-point so that guests throughout the event had a consistently engaging experience.
Live Party Favor Creation
Party favors are nice; But custom party favors are even better. Hit + Run overdelivered with live screen-printing onto custom tote bags with various PartySlate designs. The team’s innovative approach to silkscreening has garnered new respect for the vintage art form as attendees were able to watch their totes created live on-site — then take it home.
Enticing Eats & Delectable Drinks Keep Guests Satiated
“For the food,” Gordon says, “we decided that having grazing areas would be ideal. Thanks to Andaz West Hollywood’s catering, guests could still continue their conversations while eating.” The hotel’s expert chefs whipped up the perfect spring menu starting with crisp vegetable crudités served with a variety of homemade dips from avocado Green Goddess to roasted garlic hummus — which guests enjoyed while sipping Prosecco.
Partygoers enjoyed an impressive charcuterie spread featuring imported and domestic cheeses, Jamón Ibérico, dried salami, sopressata and chorizo, accompanied by house-made marmalades, rosemary honey, nuts, fruit, assorted breads, and more.
The menu continued to offered a little something for everyone with ahi tuna ceviche spoons, vegetable spring rolls, buffalo chicken, as well as beef, veggie patty, and chicken sliders with their house sauce. Guests loved the clever taco truck station serving up marinated skirt steak, shredded chicken, and Soyrizo with side options galore.
Guests sipped drinks from a beautiful bar stocked with high-end spirits, wine, and craft beer — all served on custom eco-conscious cocktail napkins with a chic black background with white PartySlate branding from MY DRAP.
All of the Memories Made (& Captured)
It was definitely an evening worth remembering, and we are grateful Amari Productions was on hand to beautifully capture the dramatic soirée. The team shot gorgeous candid pictures of guests interacting and having fun as well as moving images that told the story of the celebration with a video. Both will remind the hundreds of guests of their good time (and will make those who weren’t there, wish they were).
Gordon shares, “The highlight of this event was what we noticed as the party was ending and the lights were coming on: the room was still full and guests were asking where the after party was.”
event planner: jesGORDON | properFUN
venue, catering, hotel, production & a/v: Andaz West Hollywood
entertainment: Let’s Party LA Entertainment
florals & décor: NPD Events
lounge furniture rentals: Found Rental Co.
photography & videography: Amari Productions
photo booth: LA Photo Party
custom signage: Bombshell Graphics
lighting: VOX Productions
production & a/v: Encore Global
custom screen printed tote bags: Hit + Run
invitations & graphic design: A Good Day
custom scent: Scentex
napkins: MY DRAP