Laying Out A Hospitality Suite

Time is just flying by! The Bowl games of year end will be here soon, so I thought now was a good time to visit that most interesting hybrid of an event -- the hospitality suite (i.e. tented) areas at big games. I call it a hybrid because even though the overall feeling of the day conjures up a festival, the elements of the hospitality event (usually attended by VIPs) is itself usually high end. Take for example the CONCACAF Gold Cup (the Soccer Championship for North America).

When it was announced that this year's event was to be held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the entire city of Los Angeles was energized. Not just because it was a high-profile sporting event, but that the favorites to make the final were the USA and Mexico. This always makes for a festive time in our city! Sure enough, the finals came through as we had hoped and on June 25, the Rose Bowl was sold out.

Although they all had seats (good ones!) to the game, the CONCACAF executives and VIPs would be wining and dining 150 of their guests at the adjacent Brookside Country Club -- a beautiful site within a 100-yard walk from the Rose Bowl just across a bridge.



To give the bridge a sense of being part of the event, we lined it with bright yellow and white 20-foot-tall banners.

The entrance to the tent that was provided by Town & Country Event Rentals.

Inside the tent we draped the ceiling for a touch of elegance then designed with a "golden" palette of white and brown with a green accent.

The structure was designed in four sections. In the center area we placed a four-sided bar with white tufted bar fronts and really cool "zebrawood" tops. The bars were placed underneath a crystal chandelier and around plasma screens. Stylish communal tables with matching zebrawood tops and cool bar stools displayed succulents and floral.


We added two side structures and left the back of the tent open for an outdoor patio.

The side structure held buffets and white suede furniture and more zebrawood tables, pillows and floral accents. All the lounges had plasma screens as many VIPS would forego the stadium for a comfortable seat and a cocktail! The back patio was created with 8-foot green hedges for privacy and more lounges artfully scattered throughout.

And the game? It was an exciting afternoon as the US took a two goal lead early on. Then Mexico powered back with four goals to secure the win! The crowd was ecstatic. Team USA had beaten Mexico their last four games so this was a milestone win for team Mexico who went home as Gold Cup champions of North America.

We all went home winners having produced an event that was both fun and festive yet high-end and comfortable. Got to love a hybrid!