Sock and Jake Say ‘I Do’ Underneath the Cherry Blossoms

In Japanese culture, the sakura (桜) or cherry blossom is a beloved symbol of hope.  The wedding of Sock and Jake this past weekend, truly embodied all that the delicate flower represents.  An event unlike any other, the joining of two cultures created one of Pierpont Place’s most beautiful ceremonies yet.  The guests were treated to the sounds of a professional harpist and a serenade by two of the couple’s dearest friends.

Soft pink and white with a hint of a lavender glow splashed across the room, creating a calming atmosphere for what can often be quite a stressful day.  Floating white orchids and pink roses adorned the tables, as guests enjoyed a buffet-style dinner, including homemade sushi by the bride’s family.  Twinkle lights cast a glow on the freshly laden snow outside, and cherry blossoms entwined in Manzanita branches acted as the décor for this Japanese-inspired winter affair.  

We here at Pierpont Place wish Sock and Jake the very best, and if you are interested in learning more about the services we offer, please visit our website at www.pierpontplace.com

'Twas the Day After Christmas

Twas the day after Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse.

The presents were opened, ribbon strewn everywhere,

With hopes that the candies, the kids would dare share.

My doggie is nestled all snug in his bed,

While visions of chicken cookies danced in his head.

And boyfriend on his iPad, and I in my sweats,

Had just settled our stomachs with appetites not whet.

When out in the street there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the still falling snow,

Gave the luster of mid-day to objects below.

What to no surprise my eye should appear,

A ten-car pileup, each one hit from the rear.

With a little old driver, oblivious and confused,

I knew in a moment he would be verbally abused.

More rapid than eagles, accident participants they came,

And they screamed, and shouted, and called him bad names!

“You’re old! You’re blind! You shouldn’t be driving!

C’mon! Let’s go! A license is something you shouldn’t be striving!

Let’s call the police down to this mess!”

The old man was sad, and embarrassed as you could guess!

And then, in a twinkling, I saw on the street

A little girl dancing and eating a treat.

She asked the old man why all the people were yelling,

He said, “They are mad,” their emotions quite telling.

The girl implored, “Why are you mean to this cute little man?

Did your Christmas spirit go down the can?

He made a mistake and it will all work itself out,

It’s a time for understanding.” She said with a pout.

As I stood in my house, looking out the window,

I was happy for these ten drivers whose commute turned so slow.

She reminded them of the true meaning of the season,

With that she had given all our mornings a reason.

She spoke not a word, but continued her walk,

And the people they looked at each other and began to talk.

Apologized and smiled, while exchanging information,

Being pleasant and smiling all through the day’s duration.

I moved back to the couch, to give my family a hug,

And we all grab a drink and began to chug.

But they heard me exclaim, as the wine disappeared out of sight,

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

By: Lana Linhart :)

 

Happy Holidays from all of us at Pierpont Place!!!!

"The invention of the teenager was a mistake. Once you identify a period of life in which people get to stay out late but don't have to pay taxes - naturally, no one wants to live any other way."

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Ah, high school. I remember like it was yesterday.  Captain of the girls varsity soccer, tennis, and water polo team; studying ridiculous hours (until I went to college and realized what studying really was) for my A.P. exams; hanging out in Lowe’s parking lot on the weekend because it was the only place without security.  High school was a blast (and a drag, don’t get me wrong) and thank goodness it’s over.  But some of the things I remember best about my four years in purgatory were the dances.  I was on the events planning committee and created my ideal evenings, for the Anime Kids, the Jocks, the Nerds and Band Geeks, the Stair Kids (more commonly known as the ones who drank Nyquil for lunch), the Theater Folk, and the Mean Girls.  It was the one time a semester when we put our differences aside, got gussied up, spent a bunch of money, and two-stepped to The Pussycat Dolls.

This past weekend, I flashbacked to these golden moments as Pierpont Place hosted The Waterford School’s Winter Formal.  Excited to not be wearing the school uniform, students poured in wearing their most sparkly dresses and crooked bow ties.  On one side of the room stood the girls; the other, the boys.  It was that awkward moment when it’s only a matter of time before the DJ plays the right song, and inhibitions are tossed to the side, along with the four-inch heels. Cue “Gangnam Style.”

In between the fist pumping and imaginary horse riding (watch the video if you have no idea what I’m referring to), students lined up for group and couple photos, snacked on punch and cake pops, and stuck plastic tubes up their noses at the oxygen lounge.  This winter formal definitely gave my high school’s a run for it’s money.  

As students “dropped it like its hot” to one last song, I couldn’t help but smile and be grateful for my time at my alma mater, Kealakehe High School.  But then I remembered that I don’t have a curfew, or homework, or the pressure to fit in that all these young adults have.... and for that moment, I couldn’t be happier to say that I am an “adult.”

“Nothing says Holidays like a cheese log….”

As 2013 approaches (and the end of the world, if the Mayans are correct), we here at Pierpont Place are on full speed.  With multiple events daily, onsite and off, our event planners and crew have been making corporate, school, and private holiday party dreams come to life at an amazing rate. 

Early last week, Premier was asked by the Utah chapter of the Entrepreneur Organization to decorate their holiday party in Downtown Salt Lake.  Being a sponsor member and bidding to join in the new year, Janice Boes took hold of the event, creating classy and festive décor at a private venue high above the skyscrapers of the city.  As the garland hung and the poinsettias sparkled in the evening sunset, guests were entertained by a pianist and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the valley.

But that wasn’t the only event we had that evening!  A few blocks away at Pierpont Place, our friendly neighborhood PR firm, The Summit Group, shared their holidays with us.  Decorated to the nines with festive icicles, candy canes, and Christmas trees, this casino party was the place to be.  Guests enjoyed a delicious sit down meal of stuffed chicken, green bean almondine, garlic mashed potatoes, salad, peach cobbler, and a full beer and wine bar.  

We here at Pierpont Place, love working with our business neighbors and will continue to put together holiday parties for them throughout the month.  Be on the lookout for an update about what is sure to be a spectacular event, as we are putting together Joe Salsburrry’s and Nate Shipp’s of Candlelight Homes holiday soiree this week.

Ringing in the Holidays with Diamond Wireless

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Tis the season when companies like to thank their employees for a year of excellent work and dedication.  When the co-worker in the cubicle next to yours, straps on those four-inch heels and cocktail dress, looking like she came out of a holiday calendar.  When inhibitions are lowered by the presence of spiced eggnog, allowing that guy who sits in the corner of the room to suddenly jump on a table and “Gangnam Style.”  It’s the corporate holiday party, and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Earlier this week, Pierpont Place hosted quite the holiday party for Utah’s very own, Diamond Wireless.  Las Vegas (or Wendevor on a really good day) themed, we turned our venue into the floor of a casino with craps, blackjack, roulette tables galore!  Since gambling for money is illegal in Utah (I’m still bitter about not being able to win the PowerBall), Diamond Wireless offered great prizes to the top winners throughout the company.  Despite there not being any actual money on the line, the room was still filled with disappointment teeth clenching and celebratory high-fiving.

Keeping it casual, Main Event Catering whipped up some tasty mini pizzas to accompany hundreds of festive cupcakes.  Up to company party standards, the drinks were flowing with a fully stocked bar including three Utah draft beers, wine, and a plentiful assortment of liquor.  

Guests rolled the dice, spun the wheel, and went home at the end of the night with a bit more dignity intact than on their last drive back from Vegas.  It was a fun night for the employees of Diamond Wireless and the staff here at Pierpont Place. 

In It For The Long Run: Trisha and Eric

We’ve all heard of the stereotypical “Vegas Wedding.”  A blitzed couple (or sometimes complete strangers) who on a whim, decide they are meant for each other for the remainder of their lives and tie the knot in a drive-thru chapel in the City of Sin. Britney Spears’ 55-hour marriage; need we say more?

So when we heard that our friends, Trisha and Eric, got hitched last week in Las Vegas, we couldn’t help but groan a little bit.  But when we found out they said “I do” after completing the Las Vegas Marathon together, it all made perfect sense.  Donning a veil and sweaty running clothes, Trisha made Eric the happiest man around.

But of course, the two didn’t want to leave the rest of us out of the fun! Guests arrived to their reception this past weekend at Pierpont Place wearing cocktail dresses, suits, and running shoes.  This bride certainly cared about the comfort of herself and her guests, our favorite type of bride.  Mint green and white crème décor turned Pierpont into a beautiful space for the relaxed couple and their friends and family to celebrate the occasion. 

The DJ played both classic and popular dance hits throughout the night, and guests worked up quite an appetite hitting the floor and snapping pictures in the photobooth.  Enjoyed were two different gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, the first stuffed with asiago, fontina, and Parmesan cheese, and the second with Gouda, cheddar, tomato, and apple wood smoked bacon.  To accompany these mouthwatering bites, were organic mixed greens with pomegranate balsamic dressing.  But no wedding is complete without the sweets!  A spread of red velvet, German chocolate, and key lime cupcakes with cream cheese frosting were savored alongside a delectable carrot cake.  To wash down these treats, Pierpont created the ultimate hot chocolate station with all the tasty toppings and Premier provided full bar service. 

As the snow quietly fell outside, Trisha and Eric sneaked a few smootches while the guests bundled up for the car ride home.  This couple truly is beautiful inside and out and we here at Pierpont Place, congratulate them for the long run.

Pierpont Place

Brad & Morgan's Roaring Twenties Wedding

To say that Morgan and Brad’s wedding celebration was 20’s themed would be simplifying it in a way that we at Pierpont Place, just won’t do.  December 6^th, 2012, Pierpont Place time traveled nearly one hundred years back to the true party decade, the 1920’s. 

Our event planners and staff pulled out all the stops for this event, creating both an elegant dining experience and a classy cabaret lounge in the venue.  Guests enjoyed a choice between a delicate salmon or a butternut squash ravioli, catered by Main Event Catering, and the bar services of Premier Events.  The three-piece band played stripped down jazz versions popular and classic hits, creating the perfect soundtrack for this beautiful evening.  The numerous toasts were paired with champagne and cupcakes as guests congratulated both Morgan and Brad on their joyous occasion. 

But the guests came to this wedding fully prepared to embrace the “roaring” part of the 1920’s.  Dressed in red sparkles, feathers, and headbands galore, the women each snagged a suspender and fedora clad man and hit the dance floor.  Customized wine bottles were enjoyed along with personalized disposable cameras as guests “flapped” and “shimmied” their way through the night.  It was the perfect evening to ring in the new life that Morgan and Brad will share.

From all of us at Pierpont Place, we would like to congratulate Morgan and Brad on their matrimony and hope that they and everyone who attended this event loved it as much as we did.  

Pierpont Place

Bethanie & Tyler's Winter Wedding

As the guests were arriving to Bethanie and Tyler’s wedding this past weekend, I couldn’t help but overhear their exclamations of how “magical” Pierpont Place looked.  With a color scheme of soft pink, peach, and cream, wedding planner extraordinaire, Ashley Francis and crew turned our blank canvas into Bethanie’s dream wedding.  From the crystal chandeliers to the burlap and lace chair ribbons, no detail was overlooked.  Most beautiful of all, was Bethanie herself, a picture perfect bride.

After the ceremony, guests were treated with a gourmet spread of treats from Main Event Catering.  The mouthwatering old world Italian-style chicken salad sandwiches on focaccia were paired with “to die for” white chocolate brownies, raspberry éclairs, and pumpkin cheesecake.  In place of a typical drink bar, Pierpont created a make-your-own hot cocoa bar.  With mini marshmallows, shredded coconut, assorted candies, and powdered sugar to top off a cup of sweet warmth, no one went home that evening feeling chilly.

The festivities continued throughout the evening and marked yet another successful event for the dedicated Pierpont Place team.  If you are interested in having Pierpont Place create your fantasy wedding, birthday, or corporate event, please contact owner and event planning specialist,
Janice Boes at (801) 598-4444.

 

Lana Linhart

Marketing Coordinator

Pierpont Place & Premier Corporate Events

IBM Employees Check Their Laptops at the Door

As we mentioned earlier, November was a very busy month for us at Pierpont Place and Premier.  With the SC12 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis in town, we put together amazing events for a few the participating companies throughout the week.  Without much of a chance to breathe, we started work on transforming our blank canvas event center into a classy international party for one of the world leaders in computing, IBM. 

Attendees included researchers, directors, and engineers from the over 170 countries in which IBM operates.  With such cosmopolitan guests, it was easy for Pierpont Place to host a posh event for one of the most widely known computing companies on the planet.  Premier provided it’s excellent bar service throughout the evening in addition to the tasty cuisine created by Salt Lake’s Main Event Catering. Dinner, dancing, and conversation about computers! What more could IBM ask?

All of us here at Pierpont Place and Premier really loved working with the visiting companies from SC12 and hope that Salt Lake City is once again considered to host this international event. 

As we bid adieu to November (Happy Belated Thanksgiving to everyone), we welcome our favorite time of year, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, and the beginning of 2013. If you are considering having a holiday party, please contact our lovely team at Pierpont Place and Premier.  We look forward to seeing you soon and send our warmest regards for these chilly winter nights.

Lana Linhart
Marketing Coordinator
Pierpont Place & Premier Event Services 

High Performing Computers + Premier Event Services = Salt Lake City for a Good Time

 What an absolutely crazy month of November we had here at Pierpont Place and Premier Event Services!  With over half a dozen events in one of the weeks alone, the staff was chugging countless mugs of coffee and operating with high efficiency to make each and every event one to remember.

Speaking of high efficiency, the SC12 Conference was in town a few weeks ago for the 24^th annual International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis.  With thousands of world-renowned speakers, researchers, and company exhibitors from nearly every country on Earth, Downtown Salt Lake City became quite the tech-savvy place. 

But don’t let the suits toting laptops around the city fool you.  These men and women definitely knew how to let loose and have a good time.  Intelligent cloud management and Provo-based company, Adaptive Computing, asked us at Premier to give their hardworking employees a well deserved opportunity to let their hair down and take their ties off for a night.  Hosted at Salt Lake’s beautiful Clark Planetarium, Premier created a one-of-a-kind company party for nearly 1,000 attendees with complimentary beer and wine service until eleven and an endless spread of delicious food all night. 

With the party spread over three floors, the live band echoed throughout the building and kept the guests dancing and frequenting the Provo Girl Pilsner on tap.  With a wide array of employees originating from the University of Bucharest to student interns from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, this was truly a diverse event with the international theme of having a good time.  We at Premier Event Services had an excellent time hosting Adaptive Computing’s event and look forward to working with our Utah neighbors again soon.

Lana Linhart
Marketing Coordinator
Pierpont Place & Premier Event Services

Shout Out to Volunteers of America

We here at Pierpont Place are proud to say that our owner, Janice Boes, has always been a great community advocate. She supports various important causes and volunteers on several boards and committees in Utah.


Here's the exciting news: As chair of the Salt Lake Chamber President's Ambassadors to Lane Beattie, one of Janice's roles is to select a non-profit partner to support. After a lot of consideration (there are some really GREAT organizations out there!), and with the support of her fellow ambassadors, she chose Volunteers of America. This non-profit contributes hugely to many of the most vulnerable groups in America, including homeless teens, veterans, and women with substance and abuse issues. Volunteers of America empowers those who are down on their luck to rebuild their lives. Please visit their website and learn more about this inspiring and essential organization!

So, now that you know about Volunteers of America, it's time to dust off your cowboy boots and join us in supporting them at the Silver Spurs Gala 2012!! The Gala is a benefit to support the Utah chapter of VOA and its 26 years of service, and will include dinner, a live & silent auction, and live music! The Silver Spurs Gala will be held at the Gathering Place at Gardner Village this Friday, September 28th, from 6:00-9:00 pm. Buy your tickets today at www.voaut.org or call 801-875-4586...and whatever you do, don't forget your western attire!!!

Salt Lake City Weekly 2012 Artys Awards

Get ready Salt Lake City... It's time to get our CULTURE on!! Salt Lake City Weekly is hosting the 7th Annual Artys Awards Party at Pierpont Place tomorrow night, Wednesday September 19th!  This is the biggest arts event of the year, highlighting theater, visual arts, literature, dance and comedy!

Come tomorrow night, we'll be hobnobbing with the likes of Sister Dottie S. Dixon, the Utah Opera, Laughing Stock IMprov Group, Terry Tempest Williams, and several of the other amazing artists that our wonderful city has to offer! For a full list of the winners of this year's Artys Awards, see the City Weekly website! Make sure to take notes when you see this list...these are all MUST SEES and great experiences waiting to happen!

We can't WAIT to mingle with Utah's Arts Community and celebrate with the awardees! Pierpont Place is so excited to support such a fantastic local tradition and the incredible talent that surrounds us!
We hope that the City Weekly Artys Awards will continue to show readers all of the opportunities that this state offers for a thrilling and rich arts scene!

See you tomorrow night, City Weekly!

Lounge 202 Photos!

Check out some of the fantastic pictures from the Lounge 202 party at Pierpont Place!

New Territory Entertainment and Washington D.C. native Shawn Fludd are bringing the D.C. party and club scene to Salt Lake City, and they kicked off their Utah event calendar with this great party at Pierpont Place! With U92 DJ's spinning beats all night long and our legendary bar service, this was a fantastic event!

Fludd's vision is to take the SLC club scene to a whole new level by throwing classy, fashionable, and memorable parties for young professionals! At these parties, it's all about coming together to have fun and network with friends and peers and meet new people in your area!

Thanks to Shawn Fludd, New Territory Entertainment, and U92 for bringing the East Coast party to Salt Lake City with us!

Thanks to the Utah Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for choosing Pierpont Place once again to host their monthly luncheon! Come one, come all to meet some fantastic people (AWESOME networking opportunity...hint, hint) and enjoy some great discussions and delicious food!

Highland High School Twenty-Year Reunion

Congratulations to the Highland High School Class of 1992! 

Pierpont Place was proud to host the 20 year class reunion for this wonderful group of alumni, including our very own colleague Trisha Anderson, a proud graduate of the Class of '92, who helped to plan and execute the event!

FORGET the stereotypical high school reunion held in an old gymnasium with dim lighting, deflated balloons, bowls of sickly sweet fruit punch, and groups of awkward and uncomfortable classmates...you all know that at Pierpont Place, we simply wouldn't stand for such a thing!

Instead, the Class of '92 was treated to a full-scale Pierpont Place welcome with a full cash bar, scrumptious snacks (skewers with watermelon, feta cheese, and tomatoes, caprese kabobs, sliced prime rib with chives and horseradish sauce on crostinis, and a plate of delicious cheeses and meats) and lively and spirited black, white and yellow décor to celebrate Highland's school colors!

Alumni wandered freely around the venue, eating, drinking, finding old friends and chatting about professions, families, and what's changed in the twenty years since high school! Friends recognized each other in the large yearbook photos hanging around the venue and laughed at themselves in the video of the 1991-92 school year playing at the front of the room.

The program put on by the alumni committee included a warm welcome to all who came, a recap of local and world events that have taken place since their graduation in 1992, and a sincere and sweet remembrance of those classmates that had already passed away. This was followed by a raffle with prizes donated by members of the class of '92, where each prize had to do with the professions, hobbies, or connections of one of the alumni--Such a great idea! Giveaways included books authored by classmates, photographs and paintings made by the artists in the group, teeth cleanings and whitening kits offered by alumni-turned-dentists, U of U memorabilia, and (my favorite) a "Get Out of Jail Free Card" from a law enforcement official, "to be used only if you find yourself in a West Valley City Jail"---priceless!!!

The party went on for hours, as old classmates reconnected over drinks and 80's dance music, and two well-remembered class clowns reenacted the famous botched lipsync of Milli Vanilli.

All in all, a very enjoyable event, and one to make us all stop dreading our own high school reunions! Thanks Highland High Class of '92 for choosing Pierpont Place, and congratulations on your 20 Year Reunion! Wow!

Outdoor Retailers Summer 2012...Come back, Come BACK!

AND NOW...The post you've all been waiting for...

Let's talk Outdoor Retailers Summer 2012!!!

As you all know, we here at Pierpont Place L-O-V-E the Outdoor Retailers convention that comes to our fine state twice a year in winter and summer! We're not the only ones who love the big OR Show--Salt Lake City thrives when this crew comes to town with thousands of national and international travelers, their hearty appetites, awesome outdoors gear and their thirst for FUN! Every time that these fantastic adrenaline-junkies show up at the Salt Palace, Pierpont Place kicks into gear to enjoy a week of parties with some of the coolest businesses at the convention! 

We kicked off our Outdoor Retailers excitement with Verde PR's 2012 Speak EZ; a boisterous flapper and gangster themed pre-show event for the OR--I mean, honestly, how could that NOT be fun! Verde PR is a Wyoming and Colorado based public relations and consulting firm that represents several outdoors-y brands (among many other clients). The Speak EZ was a fun and lively way for 14 of their outdoors, fitness, and natural product clients to meet, shmooze, and practice the quick business pitches that they'd be using for the next few days at the OR show, all while enjoying food, drinks galore, and great company! 

When I say "drinks galore," I really, really mean it! Verde PR didn't use the term "speakeasy" lightly...this event was reminiscent of Prohibition era alcohol establishments (except that this liquor was absolutely legal, and outdoor retailer technology has come a long, long way since then)! Scattered amongst each of the 14 retailers were tasting tables of 14 different brands of whiskey, vodka, and gin! My favorite new liquor finds were Pendleton Whiskey from Hood River in Oregon, and Anchor Distilling Junipero Gin from San Francisco, although I have to stay true to my dear Utah and say that High West's Double Rye Whiskey always knocks the competition out of the water!

As SLC local DJ Knuckles was spinning tunes, attendees were strolling from one amazing retailer's booth to the next, sipping some of the best brands of whiskey, vodka or gin and getting a head start on other OR pass holders in seeing some of the coolest new products in the field from Cocona, Ibex, Julbo, Metolius, Mountain Mama, Nikwax, Northside, Outdoor Research, Princeton Tec, SCARPA, Tern Bicycles/Biologic Cycling Products, Vapur, Zuke's Pet Performance Nutrition, and K2 Outdoors Atlas and Tubbs Snowshoes! 

No exaggeration--these companies seriously do have some of the niftiest products ever!

Cocona Inc from Boulder, Colorado will soon be the BIGGEST thing in the outdoor apparel industry--their patented technology enhances the performance of fabrics for breathability, waterproofing, UV protection, and (whew!) odor management! The Cocona booth had a display showing just how good their technology is for waterproofing and wicking away water from outdoor apparel fabrics, and I have to say, I was convinced! 

SCARPA outdoor shoe company gained my approval not only because their shoes are amaaazingly comfortable, but also because each pair that they had on display at the Speak EZ was named after a refreshing cocktail (my favorite, the Mojito!) Gotta give kudos to the SCARPA representatives as well, for being some of the only attendees who truly embraced the flapper/gangster Prohibition theme (look at the first picture on this post to see what I mean)!

My favorite booth of all, though, was that of Tern Bicycles, a young company specializing in (get this) foldable bikes! Now, you may have seen the flimsy old folding bicycles that pack up small but ride like a death wish... forget 'em! Tern bikes ride like regular bikes and even look pretty sharp, but fold into an easily packable shape in less than 10 seconds! Some of the bestselling models have other perks too, like a bicycle seat that is also a tire pump (unbelievably cool!)

 I was just about ready to hand over a few hundred dollars and ride home on this one! 

All in all, a delightful party with some seriously awesome toys, tools, and travelers! Thanks to Verde PR for bringing your Speak EZ to Pierpont Place...we had a BLAST! 

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The next night, we kept the party going with the Canoe and Kayak First Annual Awards Banquet, presented by Zeal Optics! We've hosted Canoe and Kayak Magazine at Pierpont Place before, but this event blew the others out of the water! 

The awards banquet recognized excellence in the sport of paddling after a long process of nominating and voting by C&K editors and readers. Winners were named in the categories of Male Paddler of the Year, Female Paddler of the Year, Expedition of the Year, Paddle with Purpose, Movie of the Year, Reel of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award! (See C&K's website here for more info about the awards and winners!)

As the party started, we began to think that Canoe and Kayak should add another category...Partier of the Year, which everyone there would have won by the end of the night! With all of the excitement of the awards ceremony and the beginning of the Outdoor Retailers Show, it's not wonder that the gathering was boisterous and rowdy all night long! In true OR fashion, we kept the drinks flowing with Utah-based Shades of Pale Brewing Company's bottles galore, and Kru Vodka, one of the event sponsors! We encouraged the fun with a Canoe and Kayak ice luge (HUGE HIT) and a shot paddle (we thought it was fitting)!

As platters of delicious hors d'oeuvres (like thai peanut chicken with chili sauce and chives, shaved prime rib with creamy horseradish sauce, and bruscetta with crumbled feta...yum!) made their way around the crowded room, the adrenaline-pumped guests danced, drank, and talked for hours about their latest adventures paddling down hundred foot waterfalls and through Class 6 whitewater rapids! Photographers were kept busy taking pictures of attendees in front of the step and repeat as the DJ filled the room with party music and our bartenders kept everyone hydrated and happy!

As if all of this excitement wasn't enough, the actual awards part of the night had everyone clapping, cheering, and toasting as the videos of the winners were shown-- check these two videos out to see the kind of adventurers we're talking about here! 

Male Paddler of the Year Award: Isaac Levison

Reel of the Year Award: "Slippery When Wet" from Shasta Boyz Productions

What a priceless night with some truly awe-inspiring people! We LOVED partying with you, Canoe & Kayak! Hope to see you next year for the Second Annual Awards Banquet!

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To wrap up our Outdoor Retailers fun, we spent the next evening hosting one of our very favorite Salt Lake companies! Pierpont Place has been lucky enough to work with eXperticity (formerly known as SwarmBuilder) and its children companies, 3point5 and Promotive, for several years, and they just keep on coming back to us (thank you, thank you)! As always, eXperticity's party was the classiest thing going on in the city that night, and the crowd that filled Pierpont Place enjoyed the very best that Utah has to offer in drinks, cheeses, meats, and chocolates (and, of course, the very best Utah event venue)! 

Park City based High West Distillery (one of our favorite vendors) supplied the party with their famous and absolutely delicious whiskey and vodka (these guys can make a Whiskey Sour like non-other)! eXperticity's usual exquisite ice sculpture sat in the middle of the bar to keep shots and drinks perfectly chilled!

For those who wanted something to snack on with their drinks, we had some local cheeses from Beehive Cheese Company (my constant go-to is their espresso cheese) and Gold Creek Farms (incredible smoked cheddar). The cheeses were accompanied by a whiskey cured salami and a scrumptious moccetta (italian cured ham) from Creminelli Fine Meats, another SLC local company. 

To satisfy even the most aching sweet tooth (like mine), there was a spread of beautifully decorated (and extremely tasty) chocolates were supplied from Chocolate Sweet Confections in Ogden and from Millcreek Coffee Roasters. 

If you've read our previous blog posts about our parties with eXperticity, you'll see that many of these treats have remained constant--that's because they're the best of the best and we LOVE to support our lovely Utah! 

Guests for the eXperticity party enjoyed an elegant blue and white décor with some gorgeous and unique floral arrangements by our in-house florist and decorator. The party went on all night as guests sat in our comfortable lounges and enjoyed the fantastic drinks and delicious food, which went beyond the aforementioned snacks to include mouthwatering entrées cooked to order!

As always, eXperticity's party offered amazing company and good conversation! For those who don't know the company, check out our post about their party at Pierpont Place place last January, where the company's mission and their recent changes are detailed from a conversation with Patrick Purcell, eXperticity's Senior Marketing Manager! What a fantastic company with dedicated, knowledgeable and excited leaders, passionate about what they do! Always such a good time hanging out and hosting parties with eXperticity, 3point5 and Promotive--can't wait to do it again this winter! 

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It should be obvious why the two times annually that the Outdoor Retailers Convention comes to Salt Lake City are our favorite weeks of the year...these folks keep us busy and they know how to live it up!    Keep on coming back, Outdoor Retailers--We LOVE you!

Verde PR, Canoe & Kayak Magazine, and eXperticity--Thanks for the stellar parties! We hope to see you again in a few short months, when the weather turns chilly and (hopefully) the snow starts to fall!

Until then, we'll keep in touch through Facebook and Twitter, and we're always reachable through our website!

With love always,

Pierpont Place