Emmys 2019: Design and Production Highlights From the Week's Most Glamorous Parties

In a year of transition, HBO, Amazon, Disney, Netflix, the Television Academy, and other heavy-hitters continued to host design-heavy bashes surrounding the award show. Here's a peek inside.

Claire Hoffman

September 24, 2019

The Governors Ball color palette included shades of eggplant, magenta, blush, and coral—and touches of Emmy-inspired gold. This year, the ball adopted a new philanthropic mission: Through a partnership with furniture store Living Spaces, all furnishings will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation.Photo: Jerry Hayes PhotographyLOS ANGELES—It was a year of shake-ups, for better or for worse. The 71st annual Primetime Emmys, which took place Sunday at the Microsoft Theater, went without a host for the first time since 2003—and early numbers report that the Fox broadcast experienced an all-time low in ratings.

That’s not to say the show, which was co-produced by Don Mischer Productions and Done & Dusted, was without its memorable moments. Highlights included surprise wins for Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s quirky comedy Fleabag and Pose’s Billy Porter, the first gay black man to win in the best actor category. Fosse/Verdon’s Michelle Williams also won, giving a moving speech about equal pay, and HBO’s Game of Thrones marked its final season with a win for Outstanding Drama Series.

Mergers within the media and entertainment industry resulted in an altered event scene, with the high-profile Disney-Fox and AT&T-Warner-HBO deals resulting in a condensed slate of events. For Disney, that meant one massive, design-heavy party—produced by Sterling Engagements and held at Otium—for ABC, FX, National Geographic, Hulu, and Disney TV. And while HBO’s highly anticipated bash once again took place at the Pacific Design Center with a dramatic nightclub-inspired design by Billy Butchkavitz, the party was rebranded as the WarnerMedia and HBO Post Awards Reception—and included TNT and TBS, which had previously hosted their own event.

Other long-running soirees missing from the lineup came from Hollywood’s top agencies, due to recent Writers Guild disputes that resulted in 7,000 writers firing their agents. WME, ICM, UTA, CAA, Gersh, and Paradigm all canceled their annual events, which had typically been a mix of brunches or receptions held at private homes. Meanwhile, Variety and Women in Film also canceled their party in favor of a donation to Planned Parenthood.

The events that did happen, however, featured no shortage of the usual glitz, glamour, and A-list attendees. The Television Academy’s Governors Ball, typically the night’s first stop for winners and nominees, featured a dramatic ceiling installation made from 310,000 strands of silk thread and almost 77,000 individual crystals; Sequoia Productions handled design and production for the 21st consecutive year. Amazon Prime’s annual event, produced by Event Eleven, had the feel of a lush garden, with eye-catching topiary taking over the Chateau Marmont. And Netflix’s gathering, produced by Best Events, featured a stylish "geo-glam" theme at Milk Studios.

Scroll down for 31 steal-worthy design and production highlights from these and other Emmys week events.

71st Emmys Governors Ball

The Television Academy's official after-party, held at the L.A. Live Event Deck on Sunday night, drew more than 4,000 winners, nominees, and members of the entertainment industry. For the second consecutive year, the gathering was a reception-style event throughout the indoor-outdoor venue. Cheryl Cecchetto and her team at Sequoia Productions designed and produced the event for the 21st consecutive year, while longtime collaborator Patina Catering created a tasting menu of small plates and reinterpretations of classic dishes.

Photo: Jerry Hayes Photography

The ball—which had the same decor as the Creative Arts Governors Balls held on September 14 and 15—had a "Brilliance in Motion" theme, evoking swirling water through a dramatic ceiling installation that used more than 310,000 strands of silk thread and almost 77,000 individual crystals.

Photo: Jerry Hayes Photography

Contoured ballroom architecture and furnishings were arranged in a series of converging curves that aimed to get guests mingling and exploring the space. Additional vendors included LA Premier for floral design, ShowPro for audiovisual production, Bright for event rentals, and Resource One for linens.

Photo: Jerry Hayes Photography

The Governors Ball color palette included shades of eggplant, magenta, blush, and coral—and touches of Emmy-inspired gold. This year, the ball adopted a new philanthropic mission: Through a partnership with furniture store Living Spaces, all furnishings will be donated to Habitat for Humanity and the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation.

Photo: Jerry Hayes Photography

ABC, Disney Television Studios, FX Networks, Hulu, and National Geographic Emmy Award Post-Party

For the first time, Disney's networks were combined into one party, taking over the outdoor space at Otium on Sunday night. The event, which was designed and produced by Sterling Engagements, was inspired by the last day of summer and filled with lush greenery, citrus trees, and bright florals. The step-and-repeat, with floral design from Shawna Yamamoto Event Design, set the tone for the evening.

Photo: Maya Myers Photography

Overhead greenery was accented by crystal chandeliers from Amber Event Production, who also handled lighting design. Neutral linens from Luxe Linen, plus rentals with blue hues, completed the elegant, summery look.

Photo: Maya Myers Photography

V.I.P. lounge areas had fruit-inspired wallpaper and more blue and neutral tones. Edge Design & Decor handled the lounge furniture and bars, while rentals came from Bright, Premiere Party Rents, and Town & Country Event Rentals.

Photo: Maya Myers Photography

Another party space had a central bar highlighted by a row of chandeliers, plus elegant draping that showed off the adjacent Broad art museum. Fruit trees from Jackson Shrub completed the look. Additional vendors included Event Carpet Pros for carpet and flooring, Prim & Pixie for event signage, and Special Event Contractors, who built the subfloor. OM Digital provided a photo activation.

Photo: Maya Myers Photography

At the event entrance, guests could take photos in a tunnel of twinkle lights.

Photo: Maya Myers Photography

Warner Media & HBO's Post-Awards Reception

HBO celebrated its 137 nominations—and big win for Game of Thrones—with a joint event with Warner Media at the Pacific Design Center on Sunday night. HBO’s Cindy Tenner and Ashley Covarrubias worked with longtime designer and producer Billy Butchkavitz to create an “HBO Nightclub” feel. Butchakvitz drew inspiration from the works of photographer Helmut Newton and artist Bjorn Wiinblad to design the event, which was built on top of the venue’s fountain plaza and had a gray, black, taupe, and gold color scheme. More than 2,000 guests attended.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs

Guests entered through a candle-lined entrance, and the focal point of the main space was a 25-foot-tall gold head sculpture with eight faces. Agile Eye Solutions handled all large-scale decor elements; other custom elements included a 40- by 16-foot HBO logo, 600 feet of lounge screens, and three faux-gold sequin dance floors.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs

Projection designer Bart Kresa created custom animated projections for the entire 50,000-square-foot party. SoCal Tents handled custom tenting, while Images by Lighting provided lighting and Town & Country Event Rentals provided rentals. Special Event Contractors built the perimeter walls, elevated sub floors, bridges and walkways, and custom staging and bars.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs

Fire Groove Entertainment supplied mirrored dancers and percussionists; other entertainment came from DJ Questlove and DJ J. Bray; Emerging Entertainment handled audio, and Lorac provided a makeup lounge for touch-ups. Catering came from the Food Matters.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs

Butchkavitz and his team, made up of his siblings Brian and Peggy, designed the tabletop decor, perimeter decor, waitstaff uniforms, and more.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs

Netflix Emmys Party

Netflix hosted an event on Sunday night at Milk Studios. Netflix’s Kelli Hill and Catherine McTiernan worked with Best Events to create a “geo glam”-inspired event.

Photo: Melissa Kobe

Upon arrival, guests could check their shoes at a shoe valet and don a pair of comfortable Netflix slides. Entertainment came from DJ Benjamin, while Craig's handled catering. There were also “crystal” macarons in line with the theme, plus a dim sum cart, an ice cream sandwich cart, and late-night bites from the Grilled Cheese Truck.

Photo: Melissa Kobe

Sponsors included Casamigos, plus Glossier and Moët, which appeared in the “Refresh Lab” glam room. The space had its own DJ and bar; Glossier gave away "refresh" gift bags to help with morning-after recovery.

Photo: Melissa Kobe

Amazon Prime Video's Emmys Party

Amazon Prime Video celebrated its wins at Chateau Marmont on Sunday night. The event, which was designed and produced by Event Eleven, was accented by trees and greenery from Green Set and florals from Floral Crush Studio.

Images by Lighting handled lighting, while OnStage handled audio, Whale Film handled scenic design, and Primo XL handled carpet.

FX Networks and ‘Vanity Fair’ Emmy Nominees Party

FX Networks’ Alana Rosu teamed up with Vanity Fair to host an Emmys eve cocktail party at Craft on Saturday night. The event, which was designed and produced by April Luca and Gold Sky Productions, took on a stylized desert chic theme. A large fan palm and desert fauna installation led guests—including Billy Porter, Sam Rockwell, and Lin-Manuel Miranda—from the step-and-repeat to the main event space.

Photo: Courtesy of Gold Sky Productions

The desert feel continued inside, where oversize mesh backdrops displayed the logos for FX’s nominated shows. Catering, including an assortment of vegetarian and vegan items, was served in individual boxes displaying FX show quotes and logos.

Photo: Courtesy of Gold Sky Productions

'Entertainment Weekly's Pre-Emmy Celebration

Entertainment Weekly's annual event, held at the Sunset Tower hotel on Friday, was designed and produced by Event Eleven. To celebrate a partnership with L'Oréal Paris, the team designed a 20-foot, flower-filled table as a unique photo moment. A crane with a camera panned the length of the table and up to the guests, who were seated at the head.

The table, which had flowers from Floral Crush Studio, was decorated with L'Oréal Paris products, coffee-table books, and china by Kelly Wearstler.

Entertainment Weekly

The party had included rentals by FormDecor and Town & Country Event Rentals, and lighting by Felix Lighting. CBC Technical handled audio and Lab Creative handled scenic production. DJ Michelle Pesce performed for a crowd that included Billy Porter, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Billy Eichner, and Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.

BAFTA Los Angeles and BBC America Tea Party

BAFTA Los Angeles hosted its annual tea party poolside at the Beverly Hilton on Saturday. Sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover, the event drew stars including Rachel Brosnahan, Patricia Clarkson, Natasha Lyonne, and Sandra Oh. MTA Events handled production.

Photo: Courtesy of MTA Events

Decor elements included branded, black-and-white beach balls in the pool, plus custom teapots filled with florals. The menu of British bites included “Game of Scones,” a station of, you guessed it, scones.

Photo: Courtesy of MTA Events

Audi’s Pre-Emmy Event

Audi, the official automotive partner of this year’s Emmy Awards, hosted a Thursday-night event at the Sunset Tower hotel. The gathering, which was produced by Anchor Street Collective, had a greenery-filled, eco-friendly design inspired by the brand’s sustainability efforts such as the electric Audi e-tron SUV, which was on display. Decor and rentals were reused and recycled following the event.

Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Audi

The greenery-filled gathering featured a sushi station by Sushi Nozawa, the catering arm of Sugarfish, plus a portrait studio by the Collective You and DJ sets by Reggie Watts and Alexandra Richards. Celebrity attendees included Elizabeth Banks, Laura Dern, and Milo Ventimiglia, who were chauffeured to the event in 2019 Audi Q7 and A8 vehicles.

Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Audi

EcoLuxe Lounge’s Endless Summer Festival

Veteran producer Debbie Durkin's 13th annual Endless Summer Festival took place on Friday at the Beverly Hilton. The daytime gathering included live music, a celebrity brunch curated by the hotel's executive chef, floral-filled photo ops, and a gifting lounge with wellness- and CBD-focused products from Oli Cosmetics ReGen De Peau, the Spa Dr., SoCalHempCo, and more.

Photo: Tasia Wells/Getty Images for EcoLuxe Lounge

Angel wings made from flowers—curated by cannabis floral designer Leslie Monroy from Flowers On Flowerz—provided an ethereal photo op.

Photo: Tasia Wells/Getty Images for EcoLuxe Lounge

Emmy Awards’ Giving Suite

Backstage Creations produced the official Emmy Awards Giving Suite at the Microsoft Theater for the seventh time. The lounge featured decor and furnishings by Ashley HomeStore, and Emmys presenters and nominees including Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, and Michael Douglas chose from a collection of luxury gifts from Delsey Luggage, Dolby Laboratories, the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, and Kodak. Through sponsor contributions and an auction of autographed items, the lounge raised an estimated $140,000 to support the Television Academy Foundation.

Photo: Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Backstage Creations