Health & Beauty London Experience

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The brief

With over 150 top stylists from an internationally renowned hair styling brand visiting London, Principal were thrilled to get creative with some ‘out of the box’ venue sourcing and outrageous event styling. Majority of delegates would be from North America, so we were in our element when asked to fuse a quintessentially British programme with a contemporary British Culture gala dinner finale. Our response was – CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

The solution

To hit our Client’s brief for a taste of traditional London, we enlisted Vintage Routemasters to showcase the city on arrival.  Guests were further delighted when we delivered them to Hotel Café Royal for an afternoon tea under ornate golden ceilings, serenaded by a grand piano.  Having had their fill of a Great British tradition, it was time for something different with a bespoke street art tour in the melting-pot that is east London – demonstrating some of the city’s favoured urban masterpieces.

East London was the perfect lead up to the gala dinner, which was themed to take delegates on a journey through contemporary popular culture – starting with the swinging sixties and culminating in a modern-day party with a high energy live band.  To achieve this journey through time, we took over a blank canvas venue with multiple rooms and moved guests through the space and in effect, through time!  Guests were greeted by The Beatles and a floral power backdrop and 60s vespas as props before being guided to the next room by models dressed in typical 60s fashion.  In the next room, they were ushered past 70s band posters, before arriving in the main dinner space which reflected a fusion of 80s punk and 90s grunge.  The warehouse style setting with bare bricks and concrete floor was the perfect backdrop, with deep purple and crimson floral decorations spilling from crystal skulls, surrounding by barbed wire.  As guests settled to their seats, models signified the start of dinner, having changed into their 90s grunge attire, before announcing the start of angle grinders who wowed delegates with an edgy, punk rock performance.  The final fashion performance of the evening was a homage to Alexander McQueen, before giving way to the energetic party band suitably adorned in fabulous Union Jack costumes.  By this time, the guests were on their feet and ready to dance in their own warehouse style club…!  The ultimate sign of party success.

The verdict

The group enjoyed a variety of British traditions and culture on their short stay in London, but what made the event special was the gala dinner which was fine tuned to meet their interests and their industry while bringing fashion and music to the forefront.