A Closer Look: Sheraton Grand London
With all the decadence of a Great Gatsby Soiree. It is no wonder why are desperate to show you the behind the scenes to this extraordinary event. As always, the Sheraton Grand London oozed opulence. The Manhattan Lamps illuminated the event with all the old-world charm that the client had hoped for.
An Event Case study
Venue: Sheraton Grand London
Client: UK Finance
Date: November 2019
The Venue:
Since the grand opening in 1920, the Sheraton Grand London is a rue monument to twenties splendour. Located on London’s prestigious Park Lane, it has unrivalled views of lush green parkland and is a stone’s throw away from the capital’s historic landmarks. For an event planner looking to put together an event fit for the Great Gatsby himself, this is a venue must see. From the moment you arrive, you will be swept away into timeless charm and elegance. From the luxury setting of the Club Lounge to the uncompromising indulgence of the Ballroom, this venue is steeped in history.
It is the historic Ballroom that we had the pleasure of illuminating. A Grade II listed ballroom, it is one of the countries finest examples of Art-Deco Architecture. Unique amongst its rivals, this room is spread over three levels. With a fabulously decadent private entrance, the Silver Gallery leads you to the Balcony, overlooks the ballroom. In short, to have such a dynamic space to dress is a gift for any events company.
The Sheraton Grand London boasts and inhouse AV Production team. Consequently, their expertise in lighting the venue is invaluable. For anyone who has had the pleasure of visiting, even on a quiet day with no events- the ballroom is imbued with the richest hues of light. Certainly, a perfect highlight to the architectural features that make this ballroom so sought after amongst event planners.
The Agency:
Here at Table Art we primarily work with our agency partners, bringing our centrepieces to a spectrum of events across the UK. However, on occasion, we work direct with a client to bring their event to life. With a growing need to produce events in house, companies often have a dedicated events team to run their annuals. Certainly the case in this instance for this event.
UK Finance is a firm that represents the banking and finance industry. Representing 250 firms across the industry, they offer customer support and facilitate innovation. Their annual awards show, on a hunt for table centres. Therefore they came to Table Art to see how we could help.
Georgia Blood, Events Manager of Finance UK got in touch looking for a centrepiece to perfectly compliment her choice of venue. Having called the office, she spoke with our MD Gary Martin in detail about the aesthetic she wanted looking to achieve. Likewise, this was all music to Gary’s ears. Why? Because he had recently commissioned a new Tiffany Lamp.
The Design:
The Manhattan Lamp embodies everything about the Art Deco Movement. With its tiffany style stained glass shade, and distinctive angular shapes. In short, so in short, it was truly emblematic of the period. Something first conceptualised by the MD when the popularity of the Rouge Cabaret Lamp became undeniable. As a result ofevery call into the office enquiring about the Cabaret Lamps, the Design Studio wanted to expand the range.
Last year became a fantastically busy period for the studio as they tackled the Cabaret, Ice and Travel themes. But it was the Tiffany/ Cabaret Range that took up the most time. No wonder, with intricate stained-glass detailing and logistical elements to consider.
We do many large-scale events so it became important to have at least one of the designs held in a quantity of 100 plus. The Design Studio put together a proposal and presented it to the rest of the team. Illustrating the various designs they wanted to put forward, they wanted a clear consensus of the best design to opt for when looking at a stock quantity of 100. As a collective, we all chose the Manhattan Lamp. With its subtle colour pallet, it is a design that lends itself well to most event spaces. It is also instantly recognisable in it’s art deco styling. A vital feature being that the Art Deco Theme is one of the most popular in the industry.
The Warehouse
With the Manhattan Lamp settled upon as our go-to Art Deco choice of Cabaret Lamp. Subequently, the production team set to task getting these beauties made.
Importantly, Hand-crafted in the highest quality glass. Each lampshade is an intricate construction of coloured glass and lead. Cetainly, investing in world crafts is a great passion of ours and these centrepieces are a continuation of that. We worked closely with an international supplier to get our concept realised. Using our sketches for reference and with the support of the occasional Skype call, we completed the Manhattan Lamp.
The Event
As a debut for the Manhattan Lamps, we sent our most experienced crew on the event. MD Gary Martin wanted also keen to attend. A highlight for him is to see his sketches brought to life so when the opportunity came up to work on this event, he took it. Alongside Connor Jeffries, the team quietly installed the lampshades as the room could be described as a lively scene of hotel staff dressing tables and production doing their final checks.
The Tiffany Lamps are not just beautiful, they are also wonderfully easy to install. With a custom designed system internally that just slots into our existing light bases, they are lightning quick for installation.
Once in place, the team spoke with Georgina of Finiance UK to just do a final check.
“I hired the Manhattan lamps for an art deco inspired dinner and they worked amazingly well, really setting the scene. We often use flowers for our dinners but will definitely come back to TableArt to use them for future dinners and lunches. The team on site were quick and professional and did a great job to make the tables look fabulous! Would highly recommend to other event managers!”
Georgina Blood
To conclude, I think it’s safe to say that with that kind of feedback, we did a good job.
The Photography
As the event took place in the early part of November, the beginning of a busy period for the team at Satureyes Photography. Having first worked with lead photographer Rick in 2015 on various Best Parties Ever Events, we went onto nurture that relationship and have him photograph our most prestigious events.
Clearly this is one of those bookings, with a new centrepiece to debut at an iconic venue – A MUST to get Rick and his team in. With the event set up being done in record quick time, it left ample time for the photographer to play around with shots. With the added bonus of having the event space fully completed an hour before guests arrived, the photographer had free reign in the venue and as a result captured some truly spectacular shots.
In Conclusion
If you are looking for a central London Venue with an Art Deco aesthetic, then the Sheraton Grand London is a superb choice. With undeniable appeal- the beauty of the ballroom is matched only by the service offered.
Most importantly, if you have your own Art Deco Event Planned, get in touch with our team now. We can happily put together a quote for our Manhattan Lamps and Styling elements.
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