With the 92nd ADC Awards Gala now in the books (winners list here), we bring our our final entry from the event courtesy of the Art Directors Club’s director of content + communications, Brianna Graves. As she boards the plane back home, she managed fill us in with this brief, somewhat gushing on-the-scene recap.
One would have been hard pressed last night to forcibly wipe the grins off the faces of the attendees of the ADC 92nd Annual Awards Gala.
The majesty of the Frank Gehry-designed New World Center, home of the New World Symphony, cast a magic spell from the moment that guests approached the red carpet outside (albeit, in a drenching downpour and tornado warning), then had their photo taken inside before enjoying cocktails, light hors d’oeuvres and a little mixing and mingling prior to the Gala. The mood was lit around the New World Center Atrium by ADC partner Float4 Interactive, who covered the screens above with light and color.
Inside the main performance hall was no less stunning. The venue itself, with incredible sound, performance and lighting capabilities, set the tone of the evening. But when ADC Executive Director Ignacio Oreamuno took the stage to welcome his guests not only to the 92nd Annual Awards, but also to a new era, a new standard and a new future of the Art Directors Club and its Annual Awards, the tone of the evening was solidified. ADC was presenting nothing but the best.
Ariel Adkins, ADC membership associate and author of Artfully Awear, dazzled the stage as the Pantone trophy girl. She accomplished a record number of costume changes designed with a distinct Pantone color in mind, and synced with a complete relighting of the stage and performance hall designed by Float4.
Emcee Cindy Gallop, in her Alexander McQueen leather jumpsuit, hosted with class and style, as she always does. Each advertising, interactive and motion Gold and Silver Cube winner was surprised to take the stage as their name was called, as no winners were announced prior to last night (and in case you missed it, all design, illustration, photography and print advertising winners were announced the night prior at the ADC Design Night Celebration on Wednesday night).
The conclusion of the Gala itself proved that the night was still young. All guests and Festival attendees moved over to the Gala Night After-Party (intended to be held in the Rooftop Garden of the New World Center, but instead held inside given the aforementioned tornado warning) for a taste of Miami Beach and a toast to a week of career and life-changing inspiration. Icy cocktails cooled people down, though Miami’s Best Latin Band, Suénalo heated things up on the dance floor. iStockphoto set up a photo booth to capture the post-Gala excitement, Float4 provided iPads that allowed anyone to virtually draw on the ceiling above, and paella, Cuban sandwiches and sushi filled bellies all around. There was no shortage of sources of enjoyment or excitement.
It was only the flicker of fluorescent lights from a tired New World Center staff that sent guests toward the exit after 1 AM, and even then, the party carried on (until 6 in the morning, I am told) at W South Beach.
And with that, the ADC 92nd Annual Awards + Festival of Art and Craft in Advertising and Design is a wrap. The question is, who is ready for next year?