DesignSPARKS & Highlights: Baltimore

The AFR National Networking Tour made its stop in Baltimore for some Hot Summer Nights fun! Over 230 guests attended the DesignSPARKS evening at Power Plant Live! in Club Mosaic where they could cool off, chill out, network and have a great time.

Welcome to Hot Summer Nights!

There is nothing better than to thwart the boiling heat of a hot summer day and escape into the coolness of great design, entertainment and previewing some of the hottest furnishings in the nation. With summer coming to a close, our concept for the Baltimore networker was about spending time with great clients and putting on an event for the Summer 2014 memory bank.

To provide guests a preview of new arrivals we featured the Essentials Charging Station, Aria End Tables, the Butterfly Table, the Gold Leaf Tables and one of our favorites, the Regale Chaise interspersed and used throughout the event.

For the design challenge this year, we had two competitors – My Flower Box Events and Flowers and Fancies. Using our furnishings, they had to design an area that made the space seem distinctly different in spite of existing fixtures and furnishings in the space. With creative design genius on their side the results were amazing and beautiful. Take a peek at what they did. We think you’re going to love it. We did!

My Flower Box Events had a tough challenge with not much space to fit furnishings into their design area. They chose Tangerine and Imperial Collections and worked in Phoebe and Gold Leaf Tables to bring it all to life. With the use of hot color and beautiful floral they made it sizzle!

Flowers and Fancies chose the Crystal Collection for their design vignette. Using the crisp coolness of white and royal blue accented with beautiful floral they created a setting that lowered the temperatures by 10 cool degrees just looking at it.

Congratulations to My Flower Box Events on their Design Challenge win! We’d recommend either designer for anyone looking for creativity and innovation. Well done, Design Challengers, well done!

In addition to the design vignettes inside the club, we created a design lounge out on the Patio for arriving guests. Walking through Powerplant Live!, guests entered the space through swagged fabric drapes and walked down the red carpet to registration created from VIP Glow Bars with custom sponsor acrylics. After registering, it was on to the red carpet with a quick stop to donate to the raffle for a chance to win the TSE Full Package giveaway with proceeds going to SEARCH. With a quick stop on the step and repeat for a photo op and pose for the cameras it was into the event where everything was hot, hot, hot but cool, cool, cool.

On the patio, some catering stations intertwined design and food using Hayden Tables with Marteen and Regale Chairs suspended overhead. The menu outside featured a beautiful Chicken Souvlaki - Chicken on stick with Mediterranean Spices and served with a Yogurt Mint Sauce, Italian Style Meatballs Beef and Ground Veal Meatballs cooked with Homemade Marinara, Seafood Crostini - Shrimp and crabmeat tossed with Old Bay and Balsamic Dijonnaise and Spanakopita Phyllo Dough Wedges filled with Spinach, Ricotta and Feta cheese.

Inside Club Mosaic buffets offered an Antipasto Display with Assorted Meats, Artisanal Cheeses, Marinated Seasonal Vegetables with Bread Sticks and Pita Chips, Crostini Bar with Ripe Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella with Basil and Balsamic, Curried Madras Chicken with Mango Chutney, Artichoke Tapenade with Parmesan Crisps and White Fish Ceviche w/ Mango, Red Chili and Cilantro.

Directly in the middle of the space we used our Provence Bar and Bar Backs to create an easy access double sided bar from which guests could get a cool drink. Scattered around the area, our Butterfly Tables provided places for guests to place a drink or food or gather around and network

A focal point of the room was the large stage, where our brown leather Parma Collection was on display. In front of it, the new Regale Chaise and Essentials Charge station drew all eyes toward the front of the room. Running the length of one side of the club on the outer edges of the space, two lounges were designed by intermixing collections for unique looks. The first included the Regale Ottoman mixed with Sophistication Sofa and Regale Chairs, Civic, Aria and Zanzibar Tables created a stunning setting. Next to it another setting featured Sophistication Armless Chairs mixed with a Regale Sofa, Whisper Ottomans and was finished with Civic and Hex Tables. With a final touch of dramatic lighting the space came to life with all the sizzling hot colors of summer. Stunning!

An Aerial performer in the middle of the two Design Challengers created interest and provided visual eye candy for the evening.

Outside on the Patio, a band played while inside a DJ kept the main room pumped with energy.

A photo booth where guests could snap a fun picture and then immediately upload it to social media and hashtag it so that it looped on a live Instagram stream shown from two flat screens and a large screen on stage. It created a wonderful mosaic of guests having fun and provided the perfect backdrop for the evening.

The winner of the TSE Full Package for the 2015 The Special Event Conference & Trade Show at the end of the night was Mark Mehler, Business Development Director for Synergetic Sound and Lighting out of Philadelphia. Congratulations! We’ll see you in sunny Anaheim in January, Mark!

This year’s Baltimore Networker was a blast. The evening allowed Baltimore to beat the heat and really enjoy a hot summer night. It was truly a team effort thanks to our partners and sponsors!

We’re off and running for our next tour dates in Miami on September 15th and Washington D.C. on September 17th. If you haven’t registered yet, you can click right here and take care of that.

Please check back often for more exciting updates and please join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by using the official tour hash tag #afrTOUR.

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