The Perks of Being an Event Coordinator - Part Two

I know, I know, it's been more than two weeks and I still have not finished telling all of you about the wonderful venue tour Aaron's Catering invited us to. I have been a bit busy finishing with Bunmi's Birthday Soirre, which I must also blog about. Right now I want to continue with the venue tour because it was truly an inspiring experience with an amazing conclusion to our day.

At the Gusman Center

  The afternoon began with a tour of the beautiful and majestic Gusman Center in Downtown Miami. The Gusman Center first open it's doors in 1926 as the Olympian Theater as a silent movie palace. At the time it was one of the very first buildings in Florida to have air conditioned. Throughout the years it has held many spectacular events, not only for movies but live performances as well, including performances from Elvis Presley, BB King, Etta James and Pavarotti. 

The Upstairs lobby

A view from the stage

Because Life is a Stage

Today, the Gusman Centert is one of South Florida's historical beacons hosting an array of motion pictures, live performances and the home to many social and cooperate events. It is a most pleasing venue for those of us who would love to hold our party in a historical theater and on a stage.

 Check out the Gusman Center for your next Lasting Impressions event.




















From the elaborate and ornate Gusman Center, we were taken to a very literally Cool venue. So Cool  Events.

The Ice Bar

Yeap, that's the name and as it suggest it is a 100%,  risking sounding redundant, cool. This venue is a  10,000 square feet warehouse, a blank canvas just waiting for you to use your wildest imagination. To make your event completely extraordinary they have acrylic tables and chairs, dance floors, casino tables, ice walls and ice columns and it's own permanent Ice Bar, reminiscent of the Ice Hotel in Sweden.

Alaska in Miami

So Cool Events

So Cool Event is the perfect place to host the most unique events from cooperate to social,  it is truly one of a kind bringing a little bit of winter to our forever summer city.

We removed our winter parkas, our ear muffs and mittens and stepped out once again unto the heated streets of Miami. Did I mentioned it was a 104 degrees on that day? Keep this in mind as we continue on to our next destination: the hangars at Opa Locka Airport.

A hangar all dressed up for an event.

I realize that most of you must be thinking hangars? Really? But yes hangars are one of the newest trends for events,. At Opa Locka airport not only can you use the hangars for your event but you can also use the airport and most of its space for large parties, or you can even be flown to the Florida Keys for a more private affair...

A DC7-B9 Eastern Airline Plane in its hangar

Greeted by Fabio Alexander the Chief Executive Officer of Miami Executive Aviation, we were given an extensive briefing of this spectacular venue. Opa Locka Airport has been the site of many video productions as well as motion pictures and television shows. It has over 120,000 square feet of hangar space and it has been used in such productions as Bad Boys, CSI Miami, and Will Smith's "Miami" video, and it is also available for us to use for your next super production event.

MEA, is also the proud owner of one of the last three DC7-B7 planes in the world. This beautiful airplane was first serviced by Eastern Airlines in 1958 and it was purchased by the Historical Flight Foundation a few years back.  At this time it began a period of restoration which is still undergoing today. About a month or so ago it once again became a flyable piece of art, and as a big surprise to all of us present we were going to be flown to the Florida Keys for the last leg of our tour. You can't imagine our excitement, we are truly privileged to be one of the first to fly in this Historical Airplane and we are all now part of this foundation.

My friend and fellow event planner Maribel Bruckner

As we boarded this historical piece of flying apparatus I must say I was excited and anxious, I don't really care to fly and although  we were given the choice to continue with the tour or be driven back to our first destination, I was not going to pass up on this rare and incredible experience. So up the ladder I went, texted my family to inform them of my journey, and boarded this very, very, hot plane.

Flying over Miami Beach

Remember I said it was 104 degrees and that this plane was still going restoration? Well, there was no air conditioning in the plane and even though we were greeted with terrific music from a DJ and cold drinks it was still scorching hot, yet we were all so excited it was sort of overlooked and we were all treated to the greatest time.

Excited to be here

He knew everything and anything about this plane

In this plane ride we were accompanied by Brian Aaron, our gracious host, his staff, a dj, our photographer Alain Martinez, the executive officer Fabio Alexander and various members of the Historical Flight Foundation.

Brian Aaron and some of his staff.

Favio Alexander, Brian Aaron and myself

Alex Nino

No they are not both mine, I was holding Maribel's.

Champagne was poured, laughter filled the plane and off we flew over our beautiful city.

The Seven Mile Bridge from my window

About 45 hot minutes later, the Seven Mile Bridge came into view as this beautiful plane soared above Marathon Key and descended into the runway.

Favio's House

The afternoon was coming to the end and dinner awaited us at Favio's beautiful private house.

He opened his beautiful home to all us and Aaron Catering greeted us with refreshing Mojitos and a delectable Barbecue, we were all made to feel welcomed by our gracious hosts and we could not ask for more, but this expectacular day still delilvered one more beautiful memory...Sunset at the old Seven Mile Bridge, and more Mojitos at the Tiki Bar.

Serene and beautiful

One of the five beaches at the Florida Keys

The view from the inside

Our great group

Mavi and I

So lovely

A perfect end to an unforgetable day. I must not forget to thank all of the vendors who participated in this venue tour, but specially to Aaron's catering who proved to be outstandingly professional  in coordinating this exceptional experience for us all,  yet maintaining a very low key atmosphere making us feel welcomed and part of their professional family. I highly recommend them and look forward to many more years of business with them.

The End.

 

You are welcome to visit my Facebook http://www.facebook.com/LastingImpressionsEvents#!/LastingImpressionsEvents page or my website www.lastingimpressionsbyluly.com to see more pictures of all of the venues.