EVENT BRIEF
For the fifth year, Story Events were entrusted with producing the Together for Short Lives Ball and we continue to be thrilled at the opportunity to support this amazing charity. As always, we wanted to ensure that the 2024 Ball was bigger and better than ever before. The team set to work on venue sourcing and creative theme development in order to deliver a moving night to remember with pure magic weaved throughout.
The Together for Short Lives Ball looks to create awareness of the incredible support the charity offers to seriously ill children and their families, in turn providing pivotal fundraising for the charity. With this in mind, the environment we create inspires a feeling of childlike wonder in the room.
DELIVERY
This year JW Marriott Grosvenor House was chosen as the perfect location for the Ball. Which is kindly hosted by the charity’s Patron Simon Cowell and sponsored by Morrisons, and in partnership with OK! Magazine, guests were invited to step out of reality and into a magical enchanted forest, designed by Story Events.
Guests were welcomed into one of two drinks reception spaces. OK! Magazine had a private drinks reception complete with 9.5m wide press wall, whilst the main drinks reception was filled with enchanted wonder, with trailing ivy encircling the pillars, climbing the door frames, and growing from the chandeliers. The bar and poseur tables were adorned with loose and deconstructed designs featuring wild neutral flowers. Whilst guests enjoyed English sparkling wine and canapés, they were serenaded by a fairy playing a harp, creating a mythical ambience. A smaller step and repeat board was available with a photo-pod for guests to interact with and capture those unforgettable moments.
A mythical creature then announced the call through for dinner, revealing the Forgotten Palace dinner setting. With a beautiful tree installation, trailing ivy along every pillar and handrail. Some table centres featured tall stands with disjointed, asymmetrical displays of moss, ferns, and branches. Whilst others had wreath rings featuring an abundance of textural foliage and branches set at the base of a candelabra. Our wonderful florist really understood the brief!
The room was washed with textured lighting with the main focal point being the stage. Story designed a unique asymmetrical stage set complete with a “mirror mirror” concept for the screen, plus an assortment of towering seasonal foliage, Spanish moss, vines and long trails of ivy to create an impressive scene dressing the front and back of the stage.
Story curated two fundraising activations for the Ball. Guests had the opportunity to play Higher or Lower against our friendly woodland nymphs or pick a token from the beautiful wishing tree complete with glittering butterflies to win a prize. An additional photo opportunity was set up with fresh foliage and seasonal flowers which adorned an antique frame allowing guests to gather and take memorable photos of their night.
Story Events managed the full running order of the evening which included speeches from Simon Cowell, David Scott, Corporate Affairs Director at Morrisons, and Manraj Sanghera, a parent who the charity supported through the heartbreaking loss of her son Arjun. Silent and live auctions were also conducted on the night and the Story team were on hand to help during the vital pledging moment.
The evening was hosted by comedian and TV presenter Joel Dommett and culminated in a thirty-minute set from the iconic Lulu, which had the whole room dancing.
RESULT
It was such a privilege for Story to work on this event for the fifth time; the atmosphere in the room was simply magical. Vital funds were raised for this truly wonderful charity, totalling over £320,000 and counting for children with life limiting conditions and their families living in the UK.
TESTIMONIAL
“Your entire team were outstanding on the night, so helpful, calm, and on it with absolutely everything. We love working with you, and you made sure that Monday night was so special. The initial feedback we’ve had from guests has been so positive – many of them saying it was the best one yet. There’s been a lot of love for the venue, the décor and the roaming characters too, which all came together to make it so magical. Thank you for making the vision come to life! It is the greatest pleasure and joy working with you all at Story.”
Photos taken by: twobytwo
To get in touch with the team to help plan your next charity fundraising event please email [email protected] or click the enquiry link here.
