Braised rabbit, a la Fatal Attraction, ain't gonna cut it.

September 7, 2007 10:40 AM

Need creative ideas for a high-end gala event with a decidedly low-end theme: the 1980s.

I didn't choose the 80s theme, but I am signed on to plan one of my clients' gala event and am hoping for some creative inspiration. This event is for 600+ people and will be held at a really ritzy building in Washington, D.C. I need to pull off an elegant menu of dinner and hors d'oeuvres, decor, and some fun entertainment (i.e. interactive things people can do during the cocktail reception).

I am a child of the 80s and can rattle off pop culture references with the best of them, but I'm having trouble pulling ideas that will work well on such a large scale. I need ways to really incorporate the decade into this event and have it be very obvious (to a diverse crowd of just about every age group and nationality out there). Subtlety won't work in such a giant venue with such a big crowd. In addition, the food and decor don't have to be black-tie appropriate, but the event is high-dollar and so the kinds of things you'd serve and decorate with at a small home party wouldn't be sufficient. We're putting big money into this event to ensure that the theme really comes through.

Any ideas would really be appreciated!

posted by justonegirl to society & culture (26 comments total)

I'm guessing giant piles of faux-cocaine on top of mirrors as centerpieces probably wouldn't be appropriate.

Can you do big blow-up pictures or projections of famous 80s icons on the wall? Tom Cruise in Risky Business, Magnum P.I., Miami Vice, etc.?
posted by mckenney at 10:46 AM on September 7, 2007 [1 favorite]

Foodwise: sushi first became popular in the US in the 1980s.

Maybe take a look at some '80s movies that depict high-end parties of the time for decorating ideas?

Will your guests be people who were adults in the '80s, or children?
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:51 AM on September 7, 2007

The guests are all employees of the client's firm, ranging from top executives to custodians. Age range is probably 19-65, with most skewing in the 25-40 range. Probably 80% of them were born American, and the other 20% are from a range of about 50 different countries, with mixed English skills.
posted by justonegirl at 11:06 AM on September 7, 2007

Yeah, having just watched the Top Chef in which Hung gets excoriated for sashimi with cucumber, which was apparently "totally '80s." It's also when fusion cuisine took off, and when Doritos were launched.
posted by klangklangston at 11:07 AM on September 7, 2007

Formal photo area, with themed backdrop. Are your attendees going to be in fancy-dress or regular current-day party attire?

Tribute band to do 80's covers and dress appropriately.

What's your budget? Can you hire an actual 80's movie star (preferably now washed up, for affordability) to come work the room and serve as an honorary chair? Molly Ringwald comes to mind. Or one of the original MTV VJ's.

Can you find look-a-likes of 80's celebrities to hire? Or model-slash-actors from a local agency, in over-the-top 80's attire, for atmosphere? Just having these people moving around the ballroom and posing for photos will be huge.

Can you get the venue to specify the attire for their staff? Having all the servers in skinny ties, or white blazers with pastel tees, would be fab. You might have to reimburse for the rental but it would definitely add to the mood.

Rent plasma displays and sprinkle them around the room, i.e. near the bars, food, etc. Hire a video company to make montages of classic 80's movie scenes, interspersed with top MTV videos from the decade.
posted by pineapple at 11:08 AM on September 7, 2007 [2 favorites]

(And, to reach out to your international audience, incorporate popular 80's TV commercials and videos from other countries into the montages as well)
posted by pineapple at 11:10 AM on September 7, 2007

Oh, and to make it formal yet '80s cheesy— go with the '80s Prom theme. Or appropriate the '50s prom from Back to the Future (I went to an engagement party that was entirely based on the Under The Sea theme and played only '50s music, though we were all in '80s-ish clothes).
posted by klangklangston at 11:19 AM on September 7, 2007

There was a post here awhile back about a booking agency for bands that had a lot of info on various bands and their fees; if you could find an old 80's band that is still touring that might be fun.
posted by TedW at 11:25 AM on September 7, 2007

serve Rubik cube cakes, let them play arcade games for free, play the VH-1 show "I love the 80's" on lcd screens, hire breakdancers, dress up waiters as madonnas and top gun's tom cruises... and I'm sure there's some 80's tv personality - whose career has gone down the drain if you want to be thrifty - you can hire as an mc
posted by lucia__is__dada at 11:25 AM on September 7, 2007

Serve quiche. As a bonus, you'll discover who the real men are.
posted by padraigin at 11:29 AM on September 7, 2007

Thinking about the food here... it's going to be a challenge, because you want things still palatable, you know? Doritos became very popular in the 80's, but, no. Sushi, brie en croute, quiche, caviar, haute cuisine... all foods that became popular or resurged in the 80's... but most of those have stayed popular, and so it's not necessarily executing your theme to serve those things.

What if you go out of your way to theme the bar instead? Riff on classic cocktails by giving them "signature" presentations.

Bartles and Jaymes wine coolers

Bourbon and TaB

The Cambridge Diet Martini

"If You Like Pina" Coladas

The Savings and Loan Crisis Sidecar

(etc.)

This lets people be delighted by the theme without having to actually eat and drink 80's recipes.

Other thoughts -- you could hire dancers to recreate the final scene in Dirty Dancing or some of the bits from Footloose... or to perform the lambada.

Michael Jackson had huge international appeal, back before he became a white pedophile. I'm sure you could get an impersonator to do this look and some routines. Or a Tiffany or Debbie Gibson impersonator.

On preview: love the arcade game idea. Rubik's Cube and Pacman are two excellent icons that you could use liberally throughout the event and collateral.
posted by pineapple at 11:35 AM on September 7, 2007

have your servers in Miami Vice Getups(complete with wayfarers), and Massive haired cindi lauperesqque getups, respectively. I also like the idea of having some hired for the night actors/models working the room in costume.
Get an 80's covers band.
Room Decor should be a lot of lights, big TV screens playing music videos, Day-Glo, pastels, fog machines, and neon.
Watch The Last Dragon (it's hilarious, to boot). Model the decor like the club 7th Heaven in the movie.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 11:41 AM on September 7, 2007

Definitely banks of TV screens as decor, preferably playing 80s videos.
Can you import pacman machines? Or laser tag?
posted by chickaboo at 11:48 AM on September 7, 2007

Any chance of having the waitstaff and other personnel dress up in 80s attire? Some of them in pastel Don Johnson suits, some with Flashdance torn sweat tops, some with oversized lace hair ribbons and bracelets galore a la early Madonna? Nolan Miller gowns with huge shoulder pads were very "in" at the time (think Dynasty), so since this is a dressy event, maybe there's a way to incorporate that into the mix?

As far as "mixers" during the cocktail hour, I've had success with this game: Write or type half of a phrase on one slip of paper, and the other half on another slip. Since this is an 80s party, you can use things like "Gag me" and "with a spoon," or even longish band names like "A Flock" and "of Seagulls." Fold all the strips into little squares and put them into a bowl. As guests arrive, or as they begin cocktail hour, each person pulls a paper from the bowl. Their job is to mix and mingle and chat with the other folks until they can find the "match" to their phrase. That is, the person who drew "Frankie Goes" has to find the person holding "To Hollywood." It may sound a bit lame, but it does make a good "ice breaker" and gets strangers talking to one another.
posted by Oriole Adams at 11:52 AM on September 7, 2007 [1 favorite]

Consider finding a way to put Jelly Bellies on the table, and a way to work astrological themes into the decorations-- perhaps a subtle image of Reagan with a healthy Rock Hudson to remind people of the emergence of AIDS and the disastrous tardiness of the response to it.

Don't forget the nuclear fears early in the decade, the emergence of Gorbachev, and the Fall of the Wall in '89.
posted by jamjam at 11:58 AM on September 7, 2007

california cuisine became big during the 80's. lots of sun-dried tomatoes. get a hold of the "silver palate" cookbook for ideas.

i agree--the waitstaff dressed in miami-vice white blazers, tapered pleated pants, and mullets will do the trick. ladies with frizzy hair, poet shirts, and tight high-waisted black pants or black prairie skirts with a belt. ankle boots in both cases.

for the table settings, black tablecloths with large mirrors.
posted by thinkingwoman at 12:04 PM on September 7, 2007

Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary were popular in the 80's. I wonder if you could set up some little tournaments like they had in the bars back then? Whoever wants to, can play or just watch. They're good ice breakers and great for people who aren't good at the mingle thing. You could give out prizes.
Don't forget cabbage patch dolls and Jane Fonda exersize videos, they were pretty ubiquitous back then.
posted by BoscosMom at 1:00 PM on September 7, 2007

Nothing to add, except that there are some great suggestions here, and now I want to throw a high-dollar 80s party. Or at least make a Rubik's Cube cake.
posted by davejay at 1:00 PM on September 7, 2007

high-end gala and the 80s? dynasty and dallas theme!
posted by meijusa at 1:13 PM on September 7, 2007

Fast Rewind is a site devoted to 80's culture. Lots of good ideas buried here.
posted by pammo at 1:47 PM on September 7, 2007

Actually, for drinks, remember that Cocktail came out in '88.
posted by klangklangston at 2:14 PM on September 7, 2007

Seconding Dynasty and Dallas. You might also look to American Psycho (book or film) for references, since it's set in the 80's and deals with executive-types (there's a lot of sushi, for example). Just ignore the satire and murder elements and you'll be fine. ;)

I also think Madonna and Michael Jackson impersonators would be amazing.

If you're looking for a band and are willing to ship one in, these guys are really good: http://www.thespazmatics.net/ . I saw them performing once when I was walking around downtown Ft. Worth and they were really engaging.
posted by lhall at 4:48 PM on September 7, 2007

I read this thread awhile ago and didn't think I had anything to contribute. Now I do. Check out this Rubik Cube table. It could work... If you have that kind of budget.
posted by meindee at 5:27 PM on September 7, 2007

Thanks so much everyone -- so many amazing ideas! I'll try to remember to post a followup sometime if anyone's interested, the event is in February. (pineapple, if you're ever in DC and want a gig in the event planning field, let me know!!) Thanks again!
posted by justonegirl at 7:36 PM on September 7, 2007

I love the arcade games idea. Playing PacMan takes me back to my youth...
posted by la petite marie at 9:21 PM on September 7, 2007

The dancing should definitely involve the African Anteater Ritual from Can't Buy Me Love.
posted by salvia at 9:51 PM on September 7, 2007