The Conrad Event Industry Launch Party
It is the start of a new era for La Jolla Music Society
Snake Oil Cocktail Company was awarded the coveted role of managing the beverage program at The Conrad, La Jolla’s brand new, $82M performing arts center, music hall and event venue. As leaders in the event business, we orchestrated an Event Industry Launch Party, welcoming over 250 event planners, vendors, local media, and social influencers to celebrate the first viewing and tour of the space. The space itself has many different rooms, lounges and places to explore. Guests were encouraged to walk and engage with docents of the La Jolla Music Society, and enjoy light bites and cocktails provided by some of the venue’s preferred partners. The La Jolla Music Society put on a short presentation explaining the new property and welcomed industry partners to the new venue.
The Wu-Tsai QRT.yrd
Upon arrival, guests were greeted by the Snake Oil team and offered complimentary Cocktail Graffiti. With designs and slogans playing into the music hall, “toot your own horn” and “march to the beat of your own drum” were showcased on top of a delicious cocktail made with vodka, smashed pineapple, pressed lemon, black-pepper-spiced brown sugar, pasteurized egg white, and aromatic bitters.
The QRT.yrd is a colorful, 4,000 square foot open air courtyard bordered with live olive trees and beautiful raised garden with glass sculptures tucked between flowers. The courtyard is the central meeting space and has easy access to the Baker-Baum Concert Hall and The JAI.
Bright Rentals constructed a wooden canopy to showcase a mock wedding ceremony and Tenfold Style came in with hanging lanterns, florals, and decor pieces that made this a focal point of the event and naturally turned into one of the best photo opportunities. Tenfold Style is a comprehensive event design studio. From concept to execution, they are passionate about distinctive design and create original concepts and dramatic environments specific to your vision.
In one corner of the courtyard, Giuseppe offered a few small plates, including a watermelon and feta salad, a delicious plate of honey Meyer lemon whipped ricotta, with fresh green pea, mushroom, pancetta powder, truffle and an olive toast. Chef also had a Maine lobster salad served on a smoked artichoke heart and a savory quinoa with a meatball. Operated from their state of the art catering facility located in beautiful La Jolla, California, Giuseppe draws upon his exceptionally talented staff to assist in the creation of his masterpieces. Not only does he offer catering services, but he has multiple restaurants and is very involved in the San Diego community.
Utilizing the central bar, Snake Oil offered multiple cocktail selections, including the “Jam Session” cocktail, made with gin, pressed grapefruit, thyme infusion and a dollop of blackberry vanilla jam on top and “Eye of the Tiger” made with tequila, dragon fruit, pressed lime, muddled basil, infused black pepper and garnished with a basil leaf and aromatic basil blossom. Snake Oil Cocktail Company is the exclusive beverage provider at The Conrad, which means you can enjoy a delicious craft cocktail, beer or glass of wine next time you attend a show.
Culinary Concepts highlighted a delicious warm lemon and artichoke soup served with crostini, harissa shrimp and micro herbs. They also gave guests a jar of finishing salt, made with honey and citrus. Culinary Concepts is known for delivering creative, fresh and delicious foods. They deliver unforgettable, creative experiences rooted in sharing great food that will elevate your most important moments.
The courtyard capacity is 480 standing, 200 in seated rows, 130 at round banquet tables. Private events in the courtyard and terrace require the rental of both the Baker-Baum Concert Hall and The JAI.
The JAI
The JAI performance space is stunning with geometrical designs and dotted with funky tables and chairs. Bright Rentals brought in plush cerulean velvet couches and Tenfold Style decorated the space with florals and decor pieces. The talented Celeste Barbier performed on stage, serenading the crowd with unbelievable jazz vocals.
As guests lounged in the JAI, Coast Catering offered two types of soup: a chilled spring pea soup with fried basil and creme fraiche that was divine, and a Peruvian style ramen with cilantro and corn broth, pork belly, vegetables, amarillo, lima and aji pepper. From classic favorites to new adventures in cuisine, Coast Catering offers superb menu customization and preparation.
Cocktails in The JAI are focused more on the classics that you might find at a jazz club, so Snake Oil served a traditional old fashioned with demerara sugar with expressed orange oil and a twist on a mule, featuring vodka, ginger beer, hints of clove, cinnamon, vanilla, star anise, almonds, and pressed orange.
The JAI is a 2,000 square foot flexible performance space with a contemporary look. Because of its lighting, audio and video system capabilities, this space can be configured for many types of events. It can be set with 4-top tables, rows or chairs, large rounds for a seated dinner, or all furniture can be removed to create an open studio. The JAI’s capacity is 301 standing, 180 in rows, 108 at 4-top tables or 110 at rounds (dependent on bar and dance floor).
The Baker-Baum Concert Hall
In the stunning Baker-Baum Concert Hall, pianist Jeeyoon Kim performed throughout the evening. Dr. Kim delighted the audience with a sparkling combination of sensitive artistry, broad emotional range, and impeccable technique. As a recent two Gold Medal winner for Emerging Artist and Instrumentalist at Global Music Awards in 2018, she has been recognized “as one of the next great stars of the music world.” by Manistee News.
While The Conrad will be a 49,000-square-foot facility, the Baker-Baum Concert Hall is designed to keep the relationship between the audience and the performers as intimate and direct as possible. The Baker-Baum Concert Hall is an intimate performance space with superb acoustics ideally suited for chamber music and classical recitals. In addition, its design incorporates state-of-the-art technology and adjustable acoustics, making it a world class space for amplified concerts, film, dance, theatre, lectures, and more. A wooden grillage frames the elegant curvature to the seating area creating a shape reminiscent of a European opera house. Outside this framework, lighting washes the walls in color to create a sense of space beyond. The space has 513 seats (350 Main Level, 136 Terrace Level, 47 Removable Pit).
The Atkinson Room
Guests were welcomed to meander into the Atkinson room, a great meeting place for your VIPS, a bridal party, or cozy space for a small reception. Tenfold Style added some wild animal print pillows to the existing couches and lounge furniture, exotic florals and bright pops of orange that had us feeling a bit of wanderlust.
Inspired by wayfarer vibes, we created tiki-style Cocktail Gummies, consisting of rum, pressed tangerine, smashed pineapple, almond, orange flower water, and a touch of both vanilla and lime.
Chef Lea of Sugar Kiln created delicate and delightful sweets that surprised the senses. She offered some thin, shortbread style cookies made with nut flours that gave depth and heartiness to the desserts, finished by colorful and striking sugars. For Lea, not only does the taste matter, but the presentation, the color, the texture and every part of executing her deserts takes high priority and she thinks of it as an art piece itself. Alongside various shortbreads, Lea offered salted chocolate and toffee cookie towers, red velvet cupcakes with Valrhona ganache, and frangipane and blood orange tarts.
The Terrace
Overlooking the QRT.yrd is the Raffaella and John Belanich Terrace. An architectural stunning space, the terrace has the best vantage point, so naturally The New Ivy League DJ was spinning crowd-pleasing tunes into the open air space and into the courtyard.
Woo Bar brought out their brand new ice cream cart and offered frozen cheesecake cones dipped in chocolate and sprinkles, something we offer at The Conrad concession on a nightly basis. Woo Bars are kind of like an ice cream bar only better, it doesn’t melt! Rich, creamy and intensely satisfying!
The Terrace also featured lounge furniture and a beautiful bar from Bright Rentals. We served two of our most popular cocktails: the “London Calling” made with vodka, coconut milk, applewood infusion, fresh ginger, pressed lemon, and a dash of club soda, as well as the “Jet Set”, made with tequila, smashed cucumber, pressed lime, agave nectar, and muddled basil.
After sampling a cocktail and enjoying the lounge, guests captured the fun at Amigo Booth’s photo booth with a tropical backdrop, lending to the gorgeous La Jolla weather.
Just outside the JAI, looking up toward the terrace and DJ, My Marquee SD placed light up marquee letters that read “let’s make music!” The evening celebrated the opening of a new venue space in San Diego and an opportunity to connect with industry planners and vendors. In this industry, collaboration and creativity keep us relevant and in business. If you are interested in working together at The Conrad, please reach out to our sales team for more information. We look forward to sharing this space with our community and supporting our partners.
All photos were captured by the talented, always smiling, Jamie Dickerson.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for an incredible industry evening! To find out more about our services, please reach out to us at events@snakeoilcocktail.com. Cheers and please remember to drink responsibly.
