Bolthouse Productions, the L.A. event company best known for producing high-profile happenings such as parties for Vanity Fair and Mercedes-Benz, was at a crossroads.
The company would have had to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of lighting and d & #233;cor in order to stop spending money on rentals, but it couldn’t afford to make the investment up front. So, instead, Bolthouse made a partnership deal with a competitor.
The company has formed a joint venture with El Segundo’s Vox Entertainment in a deal that gives Bolthouse access to the equipment it needs without making a major investment.
The company will now be known as Bolthouse Vox Events, said Brent Bolthouse, chief executive. He’s also a partner in Sam Nazarian’s SBE Entertainment Group, where he’s president of nightlife concepts and puts on the tycoon’s events.
The partnership will make staging parties easier on its clients’ wallets.
“Because we own everything, we can give some discounts,” Bolthouse said. “Tell us what your budget is and we’re going to make it happen for you.”
Bolthouse also signed a deal with Wolfgang Puck Catering for the famed L.A. company’s food services. Until now, Bolthouse had been subcontracting for catering service at its events.
The Wolfgang Puck partnership will also result in cost savings, Bolthouse said.
Value-Added Luxury
Everybody wants to get in on the stimulus game.
Now it’s the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, which is launching a citywide promotion called Breakfast in Beverly Hills that officials said is aimed at encouraging business.
During April, 58 restaurants, retailers and hotels will be offering discounts and deals. While the focus is on breakfast, the idea is to get people into the city early so they’ll stay and shop.
“With the economy being what it is, we’ve certainly perceived a softening in demand,” said Anita Zusman Eddy, vice president of economic development for the chamber. “Given what we saw happening, we wanted to do something to help our businesses weather the storm.”
As part of the promotion, most hotels are offering a free night to guests after they stay for two or three. The free-night promotion will extend through August.
For example, the Avalon Hotel is offering a fourth night free for guests who stay three. Its restaurant, Blue on Blue, has a special breakfast deal for $13.
Scott Mills, general manager of Avalon, said it’s important to offer something extra these days. “People are more cautious with their dollars, but they’re still looking for great service and great product, but with more value.”
If the Shoe Fits
Kim Kardashian, star of reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” and LegalZoom Inc. co-founder Brian Lee have teamed up to launch online shoe company ShoeDazzle.com.
Lee said he was inspired to start the company after witnessing the success of online shoe and apparel company Zappos.com.
But Lee wanted to create a more personal shoe-shopping experience with a boutique feel. So for a monthly membership fee of $39, the company’s stylists will choose five pairs of shoes based on a member’s style preferences. Then the member will receive an e-mail showing five styles of shoes. The member can then pick a pair and ShoeDazzle will send it for the membership fee. If the member opts out, there’s no charge for the month.
“The idea is eHarmony meets Netflix, but you don’t have to return the shoes,” Lee said. “We’re matching you with a shoe that matches your identity.”
The company can offer the shoes for $39 thanks to a partnership with a manufacturer in China that makes the footwear especially for ShoeDazzle.
Kardashian, whose late father, Robert Kardashian, worked on the O.J. Simpson murder case with LegalZoom co-founder Robert Shapiro, serves as chief fashion stylist for ShoeDazzle. She plans to design some of the shoes.
News & Notes
Brothers Michael and Marcus Kwan are opening their sixth Wokcano restaurant in Long Beach on April 2. The 14,000-square-foot location is the largest of the L.A. company’s Asian fusion mini-chain. Casual clothing brand Esprit is returning to California this week with a branded retail store on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. The store will be the European company’s first on the West Coast since it left the United States in the late 1990s.
Staff reporter Maya Meinert can be reached at [email protected] or at (323) 549-5225, ext. 228.
