Dear Atlas Blog Readers,

Have you ever done paint by numbers? I mean have you ever done one after kindergarten? I tried one recently with the hope of learning, in some small way, how to actually paint for real.

It didn’t work and I have come to the dramatic realization that I am no Picasso. Not even close. In fact, I’m not even the kid in kindergarten who can color within the lines. I’m that bad at anything in the artistic realm. Even my stick figures look like horribly disfigured abominations.

I feel much the same way when I go to an event that is spectacular. Some people really just have a talent for putting together a celebration. I have come, more and more, to the realization that this is a talent that is artistic in nature and the events that they put together are works of art.

For a little while I believed that being submerged in the presence of such individuals would rub off on me. It hasn’t. I’m constantly reminded of that fact every time I attend a party or an event that is thrown by someone who really knows what they are doing.

I recently had an “I would have never thought of that moment” at a friend’s 25th anniversary. Both my friend and his wife are architects. They design buildings and homes. Where you could even begin to do something like that I have no idea. I tried building a fort once out of pillows and a blanket; within five minutes the city declared it structurally unsound and made me destroy it.

Despite their artistic and visionary natures, my friends happen also to be somewhat simple in their personal lives. They aren’t extravagant, nor are they flamboyant in their tastes. I knew that their anniversary party would be perfect without being showy.

I was right. The gathering took place at their home (which, of course, they designed and built). There were many people there: family, friends, business associates, etc.. Food stations had been set up in different parts of the house. At first, I couldn’t figure out why they hadn’t decided on a single buffet area or something similar. When I got closer to the first station, I discovered why.

When I picked up the plate I was surprised to see that it was a triangle shape. I’d never seen a plate like that before. All of the food at this station had also been cut and shaped in the form of a triangle. The shapes were natural; it wasn’t as if they had taken a hamburger and pressed it into a triangular shape. There were pies, quiche, and the like here.

Across the room a food station was set up with oval dishes. Again, the food had been prepared to naturally match the shape of the plate it was being served in. As I stood at this station and looked back at the “triangle station”, I realized it had been placed below two magnificent wooden beams that started at the floor and met each other at the ceiling in the shape of a triangle.

Similarly, the other food stations complimented some feature in the home. Rectangles, hexagons, squares, cubes . . . you name it.

I had been to my friend’s house many times. I had always admired the beauty of their house. I had seen everything before, but this was the first time that the shapes of the house started to stand out to me. The way that they had been placed together or used as juxtapositions was remarkable.

All that time I had never seen it for the piece of art that it really was and it finally took some shaped dinner plates to open my eyes.

Art. Plain and simple.

I’ll never be able to come up with things like that. It just isn’t in my nature. I’m glad that there are people out there who see the world so differently and can make things like this for the rest of us to enjoy!

Dear Atlas Blog Readers,

So here we are: The first Wednesday of December.

Bust out the eggnog and your best stress-management techniques! It’s time to get real about the Holidays.

A long time ago, I subscribed to the belief that the best way to throw a Christmas or Holiday party was to go to someone else’s Christmas or Holiday Party.

You may agree. You may not.

I’ve seen holiday parties go down from both sides of the serving dish. I’ve watched as my own family events have degenerated into a Chevy Chase, National Lampoon-like disaster . . . only without the laughs or the cute, albeit confused, aunt who sings the Star Spangled Banner instead of saying grace.

I’ve watched my mother literally blink out of existence after my uncle asked her if she had enough sense to buy organic eggnog. Seriously. One minute she was there, the next she wasn’t. She reappeared two days later without a word, looking at us all with a jaundiced eye. We’ve never, ever talked about it.

I’ve been to some great holiday parties and some not-so-great parties. It’s almost a cliché to talk about the person, or persons as the case may be, who have a little too much to drink at the company holiday party and make some bad decisions regarding secret crushes or hatred for bosses . . . but I’ve seen it happen. I once saw two coworkers almost come to blows over the correct pronunciation of some lake in Michigan.

Yes, there’s something about the Holidays that can bring out the crazy. The way I see it, something has to balance out the stress. That’s fine, but it’s always a good idea to make sure that your memories of this time of year are happy ones.

It’s easy to get caught up in all of it, but it’s very important to have fun. The best holiday party I ever attended was, at the beginning, the most confusing thing I’ve ever seen.

I had a girlfriend once whose family had started a tradition of having themed Christmas Parties. There was only one rule: have fun with it. They did.

That particular year’s theme was Santa’s reindeer. I had no idea what it meant. I literally thought that I was supposed to dress up as a reindeer. When I asked her about it my girlfriend would say: “Have fun with it. Be creative.”

My creativity with Santa’s reindeer amounted to some cheap reindeer antlers and a Rudolph nose. I’m good like that.

When I got to the party no one was dressed like a reindeer . . . they weren’t even close. As far as I could tell, there wasn’t a reindeer in sight.

I walked up to my girlfriend who was dressed in a red leotard, a tutu, leg warmers and ballet slippers. She saw the confused look on my face, laughed and said, “I’m Dancer. Get it?!”

I did.

Her uncle had on a football helmet with some decent sized football pads underneath his Christmas sweater. He looked at me and said one word: Blitzen.

The cousin with the bow and arrow and little angel wings was Cupid, of course. Others were dressed in similar ways. The real rage of the party was my girlfriend’s father who came down the stairs dressed head to toe in his wife’s close clothes, adorned in jewelry and complete makeup. Everyone stood there looking at him until someone finally shouted out, “VIXEN!!” He blew a kiss, winked and strutted around to thunderous applause.

It was a great deal of fun.

It wasn’t the most traditional party I’d ever been to, but it was one of the best. Don’t be afraid to stretch the limits this Holiday Season . . . and please don’t be the person who tells off their boss at the company party . . . or just shows up with a red clown nose and a cheap pair of reindeer antlers.

Dear Atlas Party Rental Blog Readers,

Sometimes we all have to do things that we don’t want to do. It is just a fact of life that we can’t get away from.

Sometimes there is nothing I want to do more than just sit on the couch and stare at the wall. Inside every man lives the soul of a hermit. You all know it’s true. Sometimes a man just needs to retreat into the depths of his house and loose himself in a cycle of naps, junk food and more naps.

It is a universal truth.

I couldn’t wait for this past weekend because that is exactly what I had planned. I had even gone as far as to plan a very intricate web of excuses and lies (I’m not proud of lying, but sometimes it’s necessary) to avoid any social interaction whatsoever: My friends thought I had some work to do. My family thought I was going out with friends. Work thought I had a big family event I had to go to.

It wasn’t complicated but it was perfect . . . except for the big family event that I had to go to!

I had completely forgotten about it, but a single phone call from my mother reminded me that it was my 7 year-old cousin’s birthday. I tried desperately to get out of it but anyone who has ever gone up against a well-executed guilt trip from their mother knows that that wasn’t happening.

I couldn’t imagine a worse place to be than in my cousin’s back yard as an army of screaming 7 year-olds who were all hopped up on candy and birthday cake looked for an infinite number of ways to cause mass destruction and end all life on the planet as we know it.

It was going to be a very, very bad scene, but there was nothing I could do. I had familial obligations to fulfill (and by that I mean my mother’s wrath would be epic).

So it came to pass that on Saturday after I picked up my mother it was with a great deal of surprise that I learned the birthday party was taking place inside a local science museum. I’d never heard of anything like this before. Growing up I was an extreme nerd (at least that’s what all the other kids used to call me) and I would have loved to have a birthday in a museum. Heck, I would have loved any party in a museum!

When we arrived, I was even more surprised. There were no screaming kids running around hell-bent on destroying life as we know it. In fact it was the exact opposite.

The museum staff was on hand and they were doing cool experiments and mini-shows that educated and mystified the mind. Kids sat in rapture in neat rows as someone dropped Mentos into a 2 liter bottle of soda and watched the ensuing explosion. In other areas the staff was showing off the museum’s animals like snakes, lizards and even a falcon. A FALCON!

As the birthday continued, guided tours of the museum exhibits were offered, or you could wander off on your own and go through the museum at your leisure. This particular place had a great deal of hands-on exhibits and it was educational and fun playing with them.

Again, I was completely surprised; I had never been to a party inside a science museum before. Aware of my Mr. Event duties, I approached the attractive staff member who was holding a pretty cool looking lizard and asked her if they limited the facilities to birthday parties.

“Why do you want to know? Are you Mr. Event or something?” She asked.

I rolled my eyes and started to giggle nervously, “N-n-nooooo,” I stammered and rolled my eyes at the obnoxious suggestion. She looked at me suspiciously but didn’t press the issue further. I’m just smooth like that, you know?

I was amazed to learn that they hosted all kinds of events. In the evenings, after the museum closed, they hosted corporate events, fundraisers, movie screenings and even weddings (which I thought was a little weird, until I realized that I would get married there in a heartbeat)!

For adult events they set up facilities and food stations inside the actual halls and exhibits of the museum. I imagined how cool it would be to be there after hours in a social setting. I certainly had never experienced that before and I thought it could be a great twist in the event realm.

As far as I could tell, the parents and adults were having just as much fun as the children. That is not something that I have experienced at birthday parties in the past! So, the time my mother was done with the whole thing and said we could leave, I pleasantly opted to stay a while longer so I could learn about the mysteries of “Gak”!

It was really a great time. Take a look at some interesting venues like a museum when you’re planning your next event whether it is a birthday, anniversary or networking event. It certainly adds flavor to the standard meeting/ballroom affair!

Until next Wednesday!

Dear Atlas Blog Readers and loyal customers (all of whom I hope are becoming huge Mr. Event fans),

It’s the time of week again to learn what your favorite mystery man (that’s me, Mr. Event) thought about something he experienced! I’m excited about it, and I know that you are too.

In my first blog I told you that I was going to tell you about a disappointing dessert that I had at an event. Then, in my last blog, I completely forgot to write about it! I know that our relationship is new, so I don’t want you to think that I’m building it on lies . . . I’m not. I just forget things from time to time.

I first realized that I broke my promise when I was walking down the street and two people were talking in an outside café about the Mr. Event Blog and how they were kind of bummed out that I didn’t talk about the dessert.

The conversation went a little like this:

Person 1: I just read Mr. Event’s second blog and I’m kind of disappointed that he didn’t write about the dessert he said he was going to in his first column.

Person 2: Yeah, me too.

Person 1: In fact, I think I’m kind of angry about it.

Person 2: Yeah, me too.

True story. I swear.

All I can do is apologize. I’m sorry I made everyone disappointed and angry. But I can correct it by talking about desserts now.

This particular event I attended was a number of years ago. Long before I became the fabled blogger known as Mr. Event, so I really wasn’t looking for anything to write about. However, the crushing disappointment about this dessert has stayed with me for a number of years.

So there I was at this event. It was a nice event and I mean NICE. Two companies had just merged in a deal that I’m sure made a number of people a serious amount of money and they were in the mood for some celebrating.

We’re talking about the standard show-off kind of stuff: white gloved waiters, hor d’oeuvres made from expensive animals, fine suits, an open bar with top-shelf liquors, etc. They really rolled out the red carpet . . . literally.

After the obligatory cocktail hour, we sat down for dinner. The dinner itself was amazing. It lived up to the hype and buzz that the cocktail hour had promised.

I remember being upset that the dinner was over, but I was so excited for dessert I hadn’t noticed the subtle warning signs that we were in trouble, like the lack of dessert silverware on the table.

Some of my tablemates had even started to speculate on what could be coming. Bananas Foster, Baked Alaska and profiteroles were quietly being whispered from ear to ear. I thought individual chocolate fountains would be nice at the very least and I found myself wondering if it would be a faux pas to bury my face in the liquid chocolate and just start gulping it down.

Then a hush went through the room as the waiters appeared carrying trays towards the tables. When they reached us, they paused and lifted the trays high into the air. The anticipation was at a boil. A woman somewhere to my right let out a restrained squeak and passed out. In one synchronized, arching motion, the waiters placed the trays down on the table and there it was . . . our desert:

Chocolate chip cookies.

Seriously. That was it. Chocolate chip cookies.

The disappointment was evident and immediate. I could see people looking around at each other with confused looks on their faces. The woman who had passed out in anticipation had been revived and, upon seeing what awaited her, passed out again. (Ok, maybe I’m embellishing a little bit, but it was a serious disappointment.)

It was a tray of chocolate chip cookies. A dessert that, in any other setting, would have probably been enough to make everyone in the room happy. Heck, I’ve been to family parties where fights have broken out over the last chocolate chip cookie. They’re a classic. But here, it wasn’t enough.

I went to a wedding once of two recent college graduates. They didn’t have two pennies to scratch together but they were truly in love. You could see it every time they looked at each other. The wedding was small with only the closest family and friends on the guest list. In place of a cake they had cupcakes that the bride had made that very morning before she got ready to walk down the aisle.

They were nothing special, but they were the best cupcakes I ever had.

The tray of chocolate chip cookies was grossly out of place. Apparently the wife of one of the owners loved them and had made a big stink about serving them. She thought it would be fun. It could have been, but in this setting it wasn’t.

Years later, whenever I see people who were there, they don’t talk about the waiters, or the open bar, or the great location . . . they talk about the tray of cookies.

I suppose what I’m saying is that anything can work anywhere, but you have to consider things as a whole event with little working parts. If one of those parts doesn’t fit right, it could put the whole event out of sync.

Until next time everyone. Remember, I’ll be seeing you, but you won’t be seeing me.

Dear Atlas Blog Readers and loyal customers,

I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Mr. Event and the brilliant minds at Atlas Party Rental and I got together and decided that I was going to write for their website for a while.

I’m sure you’re asking who could possibly be named, “Mr. Event”.  You’re right to be suspicious. I exist in the real world. I’m one person, but we’ll never meet; you’ll never know who I am . . . but trust me, I’m out there.

My new purpose and goal is to visit various events, shows, restaurants, parties . . . anything fun really, and write about what I see: the good, the bad and the ugly. Hence the name Mr. Event which, said quickly, sounds like “Mystery Event”. Clever right?!

You will learn things about me in a general, anonymous way of course, and the way I view these things through a single man’s perspective.

Why should you care? There are several reasons really, but one of the most important reasons is because I’m the guy who is going to be attending these events on the arm of a beautiful woman (hopefully) or with friends and family. If I, a fairly oblivious guy who has traditionally only paid attention to the bar and menu, notice the other important aspects of the events I attend you’re going to know that they are either very good or very bad.

The hope is that you, through reading of my experiences, will get some ideas about what to try as you throw your own social gatherings.

Last week, for example, I attended a local non-profit’s annual dinner. Like many non-profits they wisely use their money for their stated purposes and goals. When they throw a non-fundraising event to honor those who have supported them over the years, it isn't out of the question that they try to provide the greatest possible time while spending the least amount of money.

I happened to arrive at the venue a little early to lend a hand with the set up (Yes I happen to be a NICE single guy . . . did I mention that I am also ridiculously good looking?). Four hundred people were attending the dinner with a dance afterwards. It was a formal event (men wore suits and women had on what I was told were their versions of the little black dress) and the organizers wanted things to look very nice.

The brilliant idea that I noticed was the centerpieces on the tables: bowls of water. 

Yes, I said bowls of water! Stay with me for a moment.

The organizers took these simple bowls of water and floated candles and white rose petals inside the bowls. Left like this, the centerpieces would have looked fine, but one of the organizers brought a small bottle of blue food coloring (the organizations colors are white and blue). Before guests arrived, she went through the tables and placed a few drops in each bowl and stirred the color into the water. The affect was really surprising and the now blue water cast a brilliant contrast against the white table cloth. The overall affect in the room also was dramatic as the blue, glowing (because of the candles) centerpieces spread over the 40 tables in the ballroom really stood out. In the words of one of my tablemates it, “Looked simply fabulous!”

If I hadn't seen how simple it was, I would have thought that a lot more effort and cost had gone into the preparation. I realized that sometimes the simple solutions and ideas can turn out to be amongst the most memorable parts of the evening. It serves as proof that you don’t have to spend a fortune to make things look great.

Next week, I’ll tell you about some of the unbelievable service I encountered at a local restaurant, and a surprisingly disappointing dessert at an event that could have done much better! It’s the little things that add up!

I’m looking forward to writing for you all! I’ll be seeing you . . . but you won’t be seeing me!

Sincerely,

Mr. Event

 

Dani Price has worked at Atlas Party Rental for almost two years.

She is the one that maps all of the trucks to make sure that they are at your event on time!  

Dani’s favorite color is black, although she says “I know it’s not a color!”

When asked what the favorite event she assisted on was, she said, "The birth of my children."

Here are a few more fun facts about the Atlas “Logistics” lady:

Favorite Drink:

A glass of red wine after a stressful day.

The thing she loves most about working at Atlas?

She said, “Even though the work days can get crazy and hectic, and we may go after each other’s throats, at the end of the day, we are all one big family and we love each other ”  Dani also enjoys getting to know all of  the Atlas clients, even if it is just over the phone.

Oh, and, that greatest event Dani ever assisted on produced two amazing sons. One is a talented Graphic Designer and the other was picked as one of the top four managers in his Profession! Btw, that is 4 out of a thousand other managers! Can you tell Dani is a proud mom?

Stay tuned as we introduce you to more of our talented staff!

It’s time for your big party! No one doubts that it is going to be the event of the year!

Everyone wants to go . . . but there’s one problem: You don’t have enough room for everyone!

You certainly don’t want to turn people away, but you do want the guests who come to be comfortable. Nothing is worse than having a great party or event all set up with great food, drinks, dancing and fun, but not having enough room for your guests to enjoy it all.

Planning the available space and the placement of your guests is very important for the success of any event.  It is particularly crucial to pay attention to your floor plan when you have guests sitting at tables.

There are general rules to consider while planning out the space for your event that will ensure that you can fit everyone comfortably in the venue you chose. (See our blog on Venues for more information on choosing the right location.)

When people are seated make sure that they have enough room to be free in their personal space and not knock elbows with the person sitting next to them. In general, it is a good idea to have 18 inches of space per seating arrangement. That means that a standard round table can sit 8 comfortably, and no more than 10 or you’re asking for trouble!

As for the tables themselves, make sure that you have at least 54 inches between them. That will guarantee that you have enough room for people to walk between them without having the people who are seated needing to pull closer to the table! Keep at least 30 inches for those guests who will have their backs to the walls as well.

Be careful to consider the number of guests you will have before you choose a place to have your event. If you don’t, it can be the quickest way to spoil a great time!

Check out our below video for more information, Party on!

Ask anyone what makes a great party or event and you will get many different answers. Some will say the dancing, others the bar . . . but everyone will say the food if they really think about it.

An increasingly popular way to serve food, especially in these harsh economic times, is the buffet.

They are cost effective and guests like them as long as you do it right.

If you choose a buffet rather than a traditional table service breakfast, lunch or dinner, consider the following:

Don’t Sacrifice Quality for Cost

It is completely possible to choose a buffet with GREAT tasting food. Interview several different caterers and ask for references. Whether you are having a wedding or a birthday party, you’re the boss; you’re spending money and deserve a product that you know is going to satisfy your guests.

A caterer should be open, honest, quick and efficient. They should let you sample their foods. Go with the caterer with whom you feel the most comfortable and, of course, the one who makes your taste buds dance.

Be Prepared

Many guests like buffets because it gives them more control over what they are going to eat. We all know the distant cousin who would pull a chair right up to the serving table if they could, but we also know the dieter who will only eat lettuce, lettuce and more lettuce.

The caterer will help you assess how much food you will need, but if you are in charge of providing the dinnerware remember that you should have 75% more plates than you do guests. So if you have 100 guests, order 175 plates. It may seem excessive but it is better to have more than you need than not enough. You can’t have your guests putting their food in their hands!

Timing

You’ve seen it at events before . . . people are mingling and dancing. Everyone has their drinks and is laughing. Then it’s time for the meal and the party grinds to a halt as everyone stampedes towards the buffet table. Before you know it, your fun, flowing event becomes a line that wraps around the block.

The easiest way to avoid this is to have assigned tables with assigned seating. Make sure that you give each table enough time to get their food before you invite the next table up. You should allow the guests to be half way through the buffet before inviting the next table to help themselves.

If you don’t have assigned seating or tables get creative. Try handing out inexpensive party favors of different colors as your guests arrive. Make sure they hold onto them and invite them up according to color. This would be especially effective at events where people may not know each other and you want to get them mingling!

Check out the below Atlas Party Rental video for more information!

There are so many different aspects that go into throwing a successful party or event that it can be overwhelming at times. Everyone who has ever hosted the simplest of dinner parties knows that there are hundreds of things that need attention and that missing even the tiniest detail can leave a less than desirable impression.

Table linens are one detail that no one should miss. Many people may try to ignore this basic element to a party, but they do it at their peril.

Yes, it may be acceptable to go to the local grocery store and buy a paper tablecloth for your baby’s first birthday party for the picnic tables in the back yard, but for more refined parties and events you only have one choice: Linens.

Linen table covers show that you are taking your event, and your guests, seriously. You care about quality and appearance.

However, it still isn’t enough to just go out and buy and linen. Thought must be given to quality, color and most importantly size.

Matching the color of the linen to an event’s theme is crucial. When most people walk into an area, they take a quick snapshot of the venue with their eyes. Ascetically pleasing, well matched colors can subconsciously impress guests and put them at ease. How many times have you experienced walking into a reception at a wedding and being delighted at the beauty before you?

It is absolutely crucial that you also get the right size linens. There is nothing worse than having table covers that don’t reach all the way to the ground or clump up at the base of the table. You don’t want your guests looking at each other’s knees nor do you want them tripping over the linen every time they get up to go to the bar or dance floor.

Round tables are easier to get linens for than square tables. Follow these steps when picking the size of a linen for a round table:

1.       The standard height of most tables is 30 inches. Because tables (even round ones) have two sides, double the 30 inches to 60 inches.

2.       Measure the full diameter of the table. (Diameter is the distance from one side of the table, through the center, to the opposite side.)

3.       Take the diameter, and add it to the doubled height of your table.

For example, if you have a standard height table with a diameter of 30 inches you take 60 inches + 30 inches and add them together for a 90 inch diameter table linen.

It’s that easy. Check out the simple video below for more help!

No matter what people say, EVERYONE loves to dance.

It’s true. . . with the right ambiance, the right DJ, the right crowd and the right spirits, even the most prolific and statuesque of onlookers start to move their hips to the beat.

The most important part of any wedding, party, graduation or other event is giving all your friends, family and customers a place to perform the perfect waltz or the not-so-perfect chicken dance!

Picking the proper venue for your event is crucial and it should start with the dance floor in mind. You have to assume that your event or party is going to be so phenomenal that there won’t be a single empty seat left when the DJ starts rock’n and roll’n.

So how do you pick a dance floor? What’s too big? What’s too small?

You want enough room for your guests where everyone can be close enough to have fun but far enough away to be decent!

The simple rule for picking a dance floor is having at least 4 square feet for every one person you invite.

If you invite 100 people, then you will need 400 sq. ft.. For a square dance floor, that will be a 20ft.x20ft. surface.

You can go bigger to make room for your crazy uncle who likes to think he can still do the worm like he was a teenager, but 4 sq. ft. per person should be enough for everyone to have a good time!

Please see our Dance floor video below for more information!