CHROME-"Industrial Luxe"

By Timot McGonacle

Partnering with Total Event Resources out of Chicago, we created a celebration for the grand opening of a 250,000 square foot truck center outside of Nashville.   We were given a pristine industrial space upon which to create.

We began the evening with a  shuttle property tour for the guests that ended at the entrance to the truck repair center.  Beyond a custom detailed gunmetal tractor, the opening was framed in richly draped voile accented with color changing LEDs.

Guests entered what should have been a 28 bay repair center.  Instead, they discovered an “industrial Luxe” cocktail and dining area.

The Manifestation of a Theme

Early in our process, we were struck by the scale and scope of the facility coupled with visual impact of the trucks and many of the parts and accessories.

Following an extensive site tour, we researched accessory catalogues and inventories.  We visited the old dealership and hand picked tractors in the corporate logo colors to have detailed and delivered to the new location.

Our clients were pleasantly surprised by our focus, and it reinforced their own pride in their work.  They became emotionally invested in the theme and gave us total access to their inventory.

Chrome hood ornaments decorated the cocktail tables. Branded with the manufacturer’s logo, an ice sculpture of a big rig and trailer anchored the seafood buffet.  The caterer filled the truck bed with chilled shrimp.  Even appetizer trays were decorated with chrome accessories.

Wheel and bolt covers became the dinner table centerpieces and were surrounded with a ring of white orchids and votives.   Rentals and tabletops were all in silver.  The walls and ceiling were texture-mapped in projected cogs and gears.  Pin spots on the tables highlighted the reflective quality of the silver.  The room literally glistened

We chose over a dozen big rig trucks in colors that matched the corporate logo. They framed the cocktail and dinner space. We projected dealership logo onto the entrance floor and custom printed it onto white chocolate dessert picks.  The  150 VIP guests enjoyed cocktails, a ribbon cutting ceremony, a four-course meal, live jazz and a motivational speaker.

The evening would inspire the client and the guests to rediscover the intrinsic beauty in their everyday products by reinterpreting them through the requirements of an event.

(For Photo Examples: www.timotart.com/portfolio/rush)