NAME: Christie’s 20th Anniversary Gala Cocktail
TYPE: Cocktail party event
CLIENT: Christie’s
BY: EventClicks
NO. ON ORGANISING TEAM: Seven (7)
WHERE: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
PAX: 750 including a wide cross-section of individuals – from serious art collectors to art students, corporate executives and socialites.
BUDGET: Top Secret
WHAT YOU DID: The annual exhibition for Christie’s was held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2006. The territory’s premier auction house was delighted to celebrate its 20th Hong Kong Anniversary – an event which coincided with Christie’s annual exhibition, providing the perfect opportunity to host a ‘thank you’ event for their patrons and clients. The objective of Christie’s 20th Anniversary Gala Cocktail was to recognise those who have supported them throughout the last two decades – a time of tremendous growth in the territory, when Christie’s were establishing a foothold in the region and proving instrumental in the evolution of the auction market in Asia. One of Christie’s objectives was to provide a setting that complimented the exhibition and exhibits and EventClicks therefore recommended avoiding an overt, over-the-top theme, and instead create an ambience that conveyed a harmonious ‘marriage’ of eastern and western cultures though a fusion of entertainment.
The exhibition was held on the second floor of one of the wings of the convention centre and the welcome area for the cocktail was planned for the first floor. Guests arrived at the reception area on the ground floor, and were directed up the escalators to the main atrium adorned with a mix of western and Oriental flowers in contemporary arrangement. Guests were welcomed with a selection of cocktails and canapés while being entertained by a three-piece jazz band led by a saxophonist, playing upbeat, toe-tapping numbers.
At 7.25pm, the evening officially commenced (and guests’ attention was certainly captured) with a stunning Chinese drumming display featuring five highly skilled, not to mention energetic, drummers performing in perfect harmony to a rousing crescendo and much applause. After a welcome speech by a senior Christie’s executive from Europe, guests were invited to take the escalator up to the second floor to the exhibition. The exhibition area was divided into different areas including Impressionist, 20th Century Contemporary Art, Classical, Watches and Jewellery, Southeast Asian Art and Ceramics. In the Ceramics and Works of Art section featuring primarily Oriental pieces, two female performers played delicate traditional Chinese music on a guzhen (keyboard), and pipa (string instrument), complimenting the classical ambience of this area.
At 8pm and once again at 8.45pm, two ballerinas appeared and delighted onlookers with a seemingly impromptu, elegant performance, which was impressive, yet entirely in harmony with the surroundings.
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