Have you ever planned a themed event & thought about an effortless way to instantly transform your space? Maybe you thought that it didn’t exist? Once you see these images from the Under the Sea themed Awards Gala at NACE Experience in Ft. Lauderdale it may change your mind. This was such a stunning event and we are overjoyed that we could be a part of it!
As the night progressed, the lights dimmed and the laser show began in conjunction with the incredible music. It is truly amazing to see how lighting can not only completely alter the mood of the function, but how it can also transform the look of our hand-painted backdrops. We loved witnessing the before and after of how the mood and lighting enhanced this event to the next level.
The Under the Sea theme was perfect as the NACE Experience Gala was held at the Diplomat Resort and Spa in Hollywood, Florida. This resort is on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean with many of the rooms overlooking the expansive, beautiful ocean. It’s an oasis that instantly makes you feel like you’re on vacation. With the ocean so close, the Under the Sea theme couldn’t be more appropriate. This was such a fabulous night and such an incredible event. It was wonderful to be a part of the Awards Gala and to see so many wonderful people in the industry be honored for their talents! We are so excited to see what NACE has in store for next year at NACE Experience in Houston.
Last week we were in Las Vegas for the Catersource / Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow! We had such an amazing time meeting so many new catering professionals, continuing our relationships with awesome exhibitors, and being involved in many of the exciting events.
We decided to create a different look this year with the set up of our backdrops. We’re always innovating, thinking of different ways to present our product to best fit your future events. We created two corners of our booth, both adorned with backdrops on each side. On one side we had a vibrant, energetic Moroccan Street Market, which you can see above. The goal of this set up was to educate the attendees on how backdrops can effortlessly bring the type of food you’re serving to life.
In the other corner, we showcased our Italian Street Scene backdrop that could easily enhance any Italian-inspired serving station. We love that caterers have serious input in the way their food is featured to ensure the best presentation possible. We all know that we first eat with our eyes and this is an easy way to leave a lasting impression.
We were so excited to be a part of so many events during the Catersource Conference and Expo in Vegas. Our Havana Streets backdrops enhanced the CORT Welcome Reception at The Mirage Resort & Casino. The lounge was impeccably decorated. We were so happy to see how the amazing event designers utilized our backdrops. There were so many fabulous partners and sponsors that made this lounge a success. We couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it.
The Monday Night Party, 5 @ TAO, was an incredible display of delicious and delectable food, awesome menu presentations, and an exciting atmosphere. We painted this Pop Art Duck backdrop specifically for the event as the geniuses from Catering by Design were looking for a fun backdrop to enhance their duck-centric menu. It was so much fun to be involved in this creation of this backdrop, from inception to the event.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s Catersource in New Orleans! Can’t wait to see what all of the talented #eventprofs come up with next year!
#TSE2016 was one for the books! The Special Event Show is ALWAYS one of our favorites & this year was no different! The Exhibit Hall was so vibrant, the events so exciting, and the people were so passionate about the events industry! We had such an amazing time connecting with other exhibitors, discussing new design trends in the events industry, and meeting fantastic people!
We were so excited to showcase our Garden Party backdrop at our booth! No matter what the event is, Alice in Wonderland is always a good idea. This backdrop makes it effortless to bring the theme to life. It makes us want to throw an Alice-inspired tea party in an enchanted forest. The stacked teapots, decadent desserts, and unique collection of chairs all add to the scenic charm. The vibrant colors of this backdrop are sure to brighten your day and your event.
Our lovely partners helped enhance our booth to the next level! Our pipe & drape was provided by Quest Drape, our furniture (I mean, look at that loveseat!) was provided by AFR, and our realistic turf was provided by American Turf & Carpet. Thank you all for helping to make our booth outstanding! We are so grateful to have such well respected and esteemed partners in this industry.
We couldn’t just bring one backdrop to #TSE2016! As a premier sponsor, we provided the backdrop for the TSE Live Performance Stage. We featured our newly painted Umbrellas backdrop. It is full of colorful umbrellas in a perfectly cloudy sky. It’s such a perfect scene to liven up any venue. The contrast between the different colors of the umbrellas and the beautiful blue sky creates a perfect scenic background.
As we all know, the parties are one of the highlights of the Special Events Show! We were honored to feature our Twilight forest backdrop behind the amazing entertainment at the Closing Night Party! It is truly remarkable how the perception of the backdrop can change with adjusting the color and intensity of the front lighting!
TSE helped us start off this year with a bang! We are so excited for what this year will bring for us. Looking forward to all of our other trade shows, events, and dynamic affairs.
We would like to congratulate Erick Mejia of Your Next DJ and Zane Naylor of NBE Events Group who won our Free Backdrop Rental Raffles! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our booth and registered to win.
We always get asked, “What do you use to hang a backdrop? How difficult is it? How long does it take?”. This post is to solve just that! Being in the theatrical backdrop business, we are all about that pipe & base! Depending on the size of the backdrop, our needs in terms of hardware adjust slightly. Our backdrops have either grommets, ties, or a combination of both along the top and the side of the backdrop. We recommend using plastic zip ties with the grommets as they tend to provide a tighter grip on a variety of different types of hardware. At the top, the grommets are 20 inches apart and, along the sides, they are 30 inches apart. The backdrops also have a pole pocket along the bottom, which can be used this to weigh down the backdrop to create a seamless look without creases. Additionally, the grommets on the bottom corners allow for pulling the backdrop tight to further reduce creases. We recommend that you use counterweight (pipe & base) system or any smooth horizontal beam. For a 40′ x 20′ backdrop, it’s necessary to have 4 cross bars (10 ft each), 5 uprights (20 ft each), and 5 bases (as every upright needs a base). For a 20′ x 10′ backdrop, it’s necessary to have 2 cross bars, 3 uprights, and 3 bases to make sure the backdrop is well supported.
For backdrops exceeding 10’ high, we recommend to hire an installation company. If the backdrop is 10′ high, it is easier to manage and can easily be hung using the ties we provide together with the grommets on the backdrop, rubber tipped clamps, or zip ties. A 20′ x 10′ backdrop is an easy task for 1-2 people and takes around 20-30 minutes to assemble the hardware and hang the backdrop.
We provide the hardware and local installation in San Diego and Orange County, so if you live in the area this is definitely recommended! If you live elsewhere, we have a recommended list of companies in select states. If your city or state is not on the list, feel free to call us at 858-300-2100 & we’ll be able to recommend a company that can fit your needs!
We had the honor of being involved in the Love Benefit on June 2nd at the Morgan Run Resort and Club in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. It’s always a pleasure for us to give back to the community, especially when it affects someone so near and dear to the Backdrops Beautiful family. We were among 150 companies that came together to show our love and support for Aaron Feldman, CEO and Founder of True Photography. Aaron is a true visionary and has made a strong impact on our industry and our community, which was evident by the attendance and support at this amazing event.
We had such an incredible night being apart of this event, full of libations, delectable cuisine, a silent auction, opportunity drawings, games and live entertainment. It was so special for us to witness our Beatles 7 backdrop as a main element to the night’s festivities and it was so wonderful to see so many people that care so much about Aaron.
Everything really came full circle for us as our Director of Sales and Marketing, Jonathan Goldstone, used True Photography to document one of the most important days in his life – his wedding. We jumped at the chance to be apart of this event as we viewed it as an opportunity to truly thank and give back to Aaron and his company for all that they did in capturing Jonathan’s wedding. It is incredible how connected all of us are and using our community as a place to give back is essential in facilitating a loving and supportive network.
All proceeds from the event went towards Aaron Feldman’s recovery and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Follow his journey at http://howibeatmycancer.com/. Thank you Aaron for letting us be apart of this meaningful event and thank you to True Photography for these gorgeous photos.
Every year, we look forward to exhibiting at BizBash South Florida and this year topped all of our expectations! We were so excited to travel to paradise (aka Ft. Lauderdale) to share new ideas with fellow vendors and attendees, inspire and become inspired from all of the other wonderful and innovative event industry leaders, and to connect with so many new and familiar faces. It was so incredible to be a part of the latest and greatest that the event and meeting industry has to offer. One of our favorite things to do is showcase our product and help you figure out different ways to use our backdrops! As always, we love receiving pictures from your events that help showcase the power of using a backdrop to transform your meeting or event! We would love to feature you on our website!
Since Paris, France is always on the top of our destination list, we highlighted our intricate Paris Eiffel Tower backdrop and enhanced the backdrop with our mime costumes à la Marcel Marceau. Our goal was to take you on a trip to France through our costumes and our backdrop, which we were delighted to hear such great feedback regarding our dedication to our theme. Our Paris backdrops come in all different sizes (from 10′ x 10′ to 50′ x 20′) and a variety of scenes.
We had so much fun bringing Paris to Florida and practicing the ‘art of silence’ while our mimes showcased our backdrop. The Eiffel Tower illuminated the night sky and we felt as if we were across the pond enjoying a gorgeous evening in France. Our enthusiasm continues as this is only the first BizBash expo of the year! We are excited for the remaining BizBash expos in 2015 and we are looking forward to seeing you there!
Last month, we travelled to Toronto, Canada to showcase our backdrops at The Canadian Special Events Show with over 400 other vendors in the event industry. We were overjoyed to collaborate with other vendors, see new and familiar faces, share best practices, and learn from our valued partners and customers.
While Canada is thrilled that the winter weather has finally come to an end, we highlighted our gorgeous Ice Castle Interior 10 backdrop to serve as a reminder that our backdrops can transform your event (and even change your mind about long-lasting winters).
Our Ice Castle backdrops, available in many sizes, add the fantasy element to an event while accentuating the intricate hand-painted detail by our talented artists. These backdrops can enhance your event, whether your occasion is for a special event, theatrical production, dance recital, or ice king or queen birthday party! Check out our Ice Castle Interior 10 backdrop in action, which is a 10′ by 10′ backdrop ready to be a show stopper!
Whatever theme you choose, the options are endless and we would love to discuss the ways we can make your event a night to remember! There is nothing we love more than to see our customer’s vision come to life through the use of our hand-painted backdrops. As always, shipping to your door (of course, including Canada!) is made easy by Backdrops Beautiful. Give us a call at 858-300-2100 or send us an email!
I wrote a similar post almost two years ago called The Power of the Net , It’s amazing how things change. We had just started our journey incorporating social media within our studio. I am happy to say I have learned a lot in these two years. For example; what works and what doesn’t, what to keep your eyes open for (the good, bad, and the ugly), and social media etiquette. I will speak a bit more about those later, but for now lets talk about the benefits of social media for dance. I will list a few examples, but as most of you already know the opportunities with social media are endless.
A Professional Dancer:
With a few simple tools such as Facebook and Twitter, you can promote yourself as a dancer and connect with several other people in your industry. You can post your performances to get a bigger fan base and connect with those who may have information on the latest auditions in your area.
Dance Teachers:
Similar to the above, teachers can promote themselves and connect with people in their industry. They can share ideas, thoughts, and concerns with teachers from around the world. Teachers can also stay connected with their students, but make sure you check with your studios policy on contact with students online. My suggestion is create a separate Fan page or Twitter account, keep your personal life personal and your contact with your students professional.
Studio Owners:
Can do all of the above plus created networks, blogs and of course websites for their business. Please see my networking list in my previous post for examples. What I have done, and what you will do over time, is narrow down the sites you use for networking. If you have experience with social media you know that it can become a bit overwhelming and time consuming, a great example of less is more and quality not quantity.
Find Out What Works Best For You and What Doesn’t.
For me it’s convenience, that’s why I love and stick to my Facebook Fan page, YouTube and Twitter accounts for networking. What’s great about these three is you can sync your accounts, which saves time. Then of course we have the Blog and Ning Network. What I recommend doing is keeping things clean and simple all on one site. I did this on my personal site and plan on doing it for the studio soon. You will notice that I have a blog and network all in one place on one site, that way it eliminates your customers and fans from having to navigate away from your main site and eliminates you having to post in several places. With my dance studio I would no longer have to have a Ning network or a blogger account, it would be all in one place as I said before.
Narrow Down Your Network
For help and support I’ve narrowed down my list to Dancestudioowner.com and Danceadvantage.net. Now especially, there are tons of sites and blogs to lend a helping hand and give advice to the dance industry. Again, find what suites you and makes your experience convenient.
What to Keep Your Eyes Open For
It’s ironic because at the same time I was asked to be a guest blogger, my circle of online dance buds did a Social Smarts Live Chat . This very informative event was hosted by Nichelle of Dance Advantage, Suzanne of Dance Studio Owner, and Marc of Tendu TV. By visiting the Social Smarts link you can get the opinions of some great people who have experience with Social Media and Dance. Social media is open for anyone, and we are all here for different reasons. My advice would be to surround yourself with people of similar interest and common goals… not to far off from how you would conduct yourself in “real life.”
Social Media Etiquette
This is something I would like to give my opinion on for those of you just starting out. I know you are excited and see many benefits and opportunities. Just remember that you will build a reputation online just as you do out in the real world. Be polite and courteous of other peoples time and what you ask of them. A few examples…
Do not tweet to often and flood peoples stream with tweets
Do respond to relevant questions or posts
Do not beg for followers or people to participate in what you are doing
Do remain professional at all times
For those of you still hesitant to jump on the social media ban wagon, think of these questions for yourself and ask the opinions of others…
What do you hear of more often, a person reading the yellow pages or a person googling the information they need?
What do you see more often, a person reading the newspaper or someone with and ipad, personal reader, or iphone?
How are the younger generation communicating, through telephone or real life conversations or by Tweeting and Facebooking each other?
How has our lines of communication changed, do we talk on the phone at all anymore or do we just text?
How has our society evolved as far as communication and advertising?
Is Social Media right for you and your business?
I hope this information is useful for those of you just getting started and even those of you who have been here for some time. It never hurts to share ideas, it’s yet one of the other benefits of social media, right? I would also like to say that by creating this post I am by no means categorizing myself as a “social media expert”. I just think it’s nice to hear from others in your field about what works for them.
As I explained before, we will all use Social Media for different reasons. Some are trying to sell a particular product, some simply want to socialize, and some are here just to get themselves out there and known. I happen to like keeping it fun, I’m not pushing my studio or myself in anyway, I just hope people become more aware of my presence and if I happen to get a new student or client this way, then great! Social Media for me is just an addition to the advertising we do already and a fun way to share ideas and meet other great dance industry people.
I shall leave you with two perfect examples of what I’m talking about.
“Thank you for your support in my effort to create a positive, motivating, non competitive place for us to interact and share our love for dance. My goal is to be well known as a encouraging support system to our Dance community, and best of all, its Free! Help me in my effort and ask others who love dance in NJ to join too. Get yourself a badge or send them and invite. Questions, comments, suggestions are always welcome. I look forward to hearing from you all. Peace, Love, Dance!”
Second example, Why Dance Matters … a virtual event that rallies the dance community online created by my friend Nichelle of Dance Advantange. This was an amazing event to participate in and witness…the love and appreciation for dance was overwhelming! Below are my contributions to the event…
I hope you find this post and information useful. For me this was just another effort to spread my love and passion for dance. I thank you all for reading and as always…
Peace, Love, Dance!
~ Leslea
(image by Blethery via Flickr Creative Commons License)
