Whenever we entertain we roll out the Red Carpet for our guests in one way or another. The goal of hospitality is to make your guests feel special and valued and there are many ways to achieve that with food, beverage, décor, or staff. However the Academy Awards allows us to literally “Roll Out the Red Carpet” and host an Oscar Viewing or Appreciation party. There are many ways we can incorporate the Academy Awards into our winter entertainment. The announcement of the nominees just came out on January 13th and the actual Academy Awards Televised event is not until February 9, 2020, so there is still time to brainstorm and make plans to either host a themed event on Oscar Night or do some fun ‘teaser’ type activities leading up to the Oscars. I know of someone that takes the list of Best Picture nominees, and makes sure to see ALL of them before the Awards. You could also choose to see the movies of the categories of Best Actor or Best Actress, or Supporting Actor and Actress, too. That’s a lot of popcorn, though! Lol! There are also a number of trivia games you can create and incorporate an Oscar Theme if you host a game night. Or you can choose to host your own Red Carpet event and you can include a contest, trivia, themed food and beverages, as well as Black Tie if you choose!
I attended an Oscar Themed event one year, and as I don’t usually have time to go to many movies, I was a bad guest because I knew very little about any of the movies and my hostess featured a contest with ballots and prizes for the most correct; the other guests were genuinely interested in the show and did not appreciate my chatter.😊 So I recommend if you are doing something like this, screen your guest list carefully or provide an area for guests to chat and not disturb those intently watching the show! I do want to share that this hostess really impressed me with her menu. She went above and beyond and created a menu that was inspired by the different movies of that year; food was specific to the movie either by geographic location, period of time, title, etc. For this year’s nominations, in looking for inspiration I found great ideas here from Chow Hound. The ideas suggested in that article make me want to watch the movies as the suggestions are both delicious and interesting with a little history, culture, and geography all wrapped up together!
Inspiration for this newsletter was suggested by a member of our team, Victoria. I know in previous years she has attended the Red Carpet event at the Avon Theatre in Stamford, which features photos on the Red Carpet, movie themed snacks and beverages, and viewing party live on the Big Screen! (Just in case you don’t feel like hosting but want to get in the spirit!) Knowing Victoria’s fondness for the Oscars, I asked her to contribute to this newsletter:
“The 2020 Awards Season is underway with the Oscars just around the corner on February 9th! While living in LA, I developed an absolute love of films as well as an incredible admiration and respect for the actors who dedicate their lives to entertain us, show us humanity and bring deep meaning to serious life situations. I've attended several Oscar parties over the years and hosted my own gala event. Guests were invited to dress for the Red Carpet and we conducted a contest for the winners. A fabulous evening was had by all and everyone left with fond memories, lots of fun pics, and of course a Swag Bag! Let us assist you with your Oscar party!”
I saved the best for last, Thank you Victoria for the reminder: “Don’t forget the SWAG BAG!!!”
Cheers!
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