Thank you so much for the amazing feedback you gave me about the best planners and best florists in your area.

I am now on the lookout for the best Band or DJ in your area. As you all know, these folks can make or break a party.

So, please send me info about any Band or DJ that kept a full dance floor jumping (and yes please nominate yourself if you think you are “it”).

Photo (via)

And here’s a picture of what I decided to wear. After all that consideration (thank you all so much for your suggestions by the way) I decided to wear a suit, but put my own twist on it by pairing it with a Prada fishnet shirt.

Also, this past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Grammys for the first time and walk down the red carpet with my partner Theo Bleckmann. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. As we entered, I looked all around, checking out what everyone was wearing and being inspired by the colors, styles, etc…


What were Theo and I wearing? Well, Biyan designed Theo’s red jacket, incorporating unique texture and subtle but intricate detail, while I decided to dress in basic black.


I wonder…what would you have worn to my Celebrations party? Tell me about your hottest outfit.

Moment Factory is based in Montreal, Canada but we regularly do events with them here in New York and around the world. The most recent event we did was, of course, the Celebrations Book Launch Party, where Moment Factory helped me transform a regular runway into an over-sized old fashioned printing press that mimicked how the book was printed.

I sat down with Moment Factory’s Creative Director, Sakchin Bessette, (also known as Saky) to talk about the possibilities of multi-media design, how to create new and unexpected moments and where Moment Factory draws their inspiration from.

Before you read the interview, watch this quick clip from video tour of their office space in Montreal, lead by Joy Marsal.

PB: Can you tell us a little bit about Moment Factory? What do you specialize in and how did you get started?

Saky: Moment Factory specializes in designing multi-media environments. We design spaces with video, lighting, theatrical effects, and performance. We do a lot of events, permanent installations, building facades, museums, theaters, rock shows, and of course we work a lot with you and your crew and it’s been a very nice experience.

Basically, Moment Factory’s approach is integrating light, sound and video together to create this seamless flow, this seamless piece of art. That’s really our specialty. Sometimes we tell stories, sometimes we create a wow factor, sometimes we create backgrounds for shows…but it’s always with video and it’s always integrated within the rest of the environment.

PB: I know you like telling stories through your visuals. What was your inspiration for telling a story at the Celebrations party?

Saky: Moment Factory loves telling stories in different ways. Our way of working is really by re-inventing stories and creating new storytelling languages. We think about how we can tell a story by twisting the traditional tools of narration and a clear storyline to something that may be a bit more abstract and figurative. It lets a person understand that there’s a story behind the concept, but you don’t necessarily see the exact beginning, middle and end. It keeps you involved but each person is left to interpret it in their own way.

For your book launch, we decided to create something that started conceptually with the bookmaking process and the book printing process. We explored different options and the idea was really inspired by the process of creating a book.

PB: What was one of your most challenging jobs? And why was it so challenging?

Saky: I think all of our jobs are challenging on one level or another. At Moment Factory our culture is based on innovation and creativity. Every time we have a project, we look at ways we can create something new and different. Innovation equals challenges. You don’t have easy innovation, it doesn’t really exist. Or if it does, it’s very rare. So basically, a lot of our jobs are challenging and that’s part of the way we work.

There are some that are more challenging than others, because we rely on technology or rely on the equipment or other suppliers. A lot of the challenge comes from coordinating the different entities from far away or working with teams we’ve never worked with before.  But in the end the show must go on, so we always make it happen.

PB: How do you stay innovative in your field?

Saky: We stay creative by staying inspired and working with innovative and creative people.  A lot of people will come up to us and say, “Oh, we want some of that.” They don’t know exactly what they want or how they can do it. Our work is really mysterious for some people, so there has to be trust that we’ll come up with something fun and fine. There’s a lot of space in the creativity of what we do.

The inspiration comes from many different places–from resources, books, the Internet–but it also comes from daily life, art installations, the light in the window, our clients, our relationships and everyone we work with. It’s very dynamic and very people related. It’s a lot about creating environments that are made to gather so that people are coming together and sharing.

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Celebrations book launch last night! I’ll have some more shots to share with you on Monday (after I’ve recovered) but here are some highlights from the party. And by the way, I’m heading to California today. My partner Theo Bleckmann was nominated for a Grammy, and I get to play the plus one.

It’s only one day before the big Celebration! I was very torn in choosing a space for the event–in these economical times I didn’t want to give a party that was too slick, so it was essential to find the right venue. I love the Armory because it’s a raw, empty space that sort of reminds me of a high school gym.

It’s been an interesting challenge transforming this space. For each new venue, there are specific elements I always focus on:

• The walls–how do I cover them?
• The ceiling–what am I going to hang from there?
• The floor–depending on the space, sometimes I think, “How am I going to deal with this?”
• The entrance
• The actual decor itself

For the Celebrations party, I wanted to come up with an attire request that complimented the mood of the party. January tends to be a depressing month since it’s so cold, it’s post-holidays and some people are partied out. That’s exactly why I wanted to throw the party at this time to bring back the mood of sexy, fun and hot…hence the attire requirement for this party: hot.

I’ve been so busy traveling and planning my party (along with many others…work never stops) that today it hit me: I haven’t chosen anything to wear to the party yet. What does one wear to a party where the attire requirement is “hot” and all the guests have already seen the invite?

When I grew up in Panama, I used to have to wear a uniform of white shirt, tie and slacks so I promised after high school that I would never wear another tie again. So, generally, I’m opposed to wearing suits–even though that may be someone’s definition of hot.

This is where you come in my loves. I need your help figuring out what to wear to my party. Tell me your suggestions, please!

Oh, and stay tuned for tomorrow. We’ll be talking about my favorite part of the party…the decor.

Similar to how doctors shouldn’t treat their own family, it doesn’t work for me to plan my own parties. So, I turned to the best for help with the Celebrations launch party (and many others–Marcy and I have worked together for years).

…And just because she happens to be one of my longtime friends who makes me laugh endlessly is just extra icing on the proverbial 20 foot tall cake.

Enjoy!

PB: Let’s talk about how you became an event planner and why you wanted to embark on this career.

Marcy: When they released me from the asylum (from Preston: I could not help but laugh out loud) I decided that I needed something to do. Okay, actually I was a foodie and I went to school to be a chef and worked as a cooking teacher and all sorts of things and it evolved from there over the years.

PB: How are you different from other event planners?

Marcy: (With a little smile) I’m good at it! (from Preston: More laughter from the two of us)

PB: What was one of your most challenging events?

Marcy: Every event is challenging. The interesting thing is that it’s always a different challenge. Just when you think, “Now I know how to build a tent in the middle of outer Slobovia in the pouring rain,” the next time, it’s in a desert or everything’s fine but the client’s impossible…Life is constantly different.

PB: What’s your favorite part of the event planning process?

Marcy: You know, I hear this question all the time and the truth is most of us lie and most of the time, I lie (laughs) but really it’s the joy of the process itself, rising to the challenge yourself.

I find people endlessly fascinating–both the good parts and the bad parts. I’m just fascinated by the mystery of what makes them tick; what makes someone come in and say, “I really want something simple and elegant,” and what they think of as simple and elegant is yards and yards and yards of satin wrapped around everything…

PB: What kind of advice would you give to a client looking for an event planner?

Marcy: Oh, to hire me! Of course. (Laughs)

PB: Okay, last question. Can you share some of the surprises you have planned for my Celebrations party?

Marcy: Well…we’re going to have a lot of very enthralling, sexy and interesting things planned–both in entertainment and the guests–don’t forget the invitation said the attire is “hot.” So, I’ve been looking for something hot for several weeks, I may just bring my boyfriend…

Your parties are about surprise and they’re very sensuous. I’m usually all about the food and you throw parties that are about the vibe. So, just wait for something very unexpected.

In the video below, Marcy snuck in one last thing she wanted to say after I thought the interview was officially over and I stepped out of the room. I was touched to hear what she said. Click play to watch.

For more info on Marcy Blum or to contact her, please email: lea@marcyblum.com or visit http://marcyblum.com/.

Now it’s your turn, share one event that took you months and months to plan, and tell me…was it worth it?