GBK (gbkproductions.com) – the luxury lifestyle gift lounge and special events company honored the 2013 Academy Awards Nominees and Presenters with a red carpet Gift Lounge. Special guests were indulged with luxury gifts, music, gourmet food and an opportunity to support the multiple charity sponsors featured at the event.
In association with GBK, the lounge featured designs by Danielle Rios – Interior Design From The Runway, art by Monika Jensen Productions and gorgeous floral arrangements by Hermine Flowers and Gifts. An eclectic mix of beats, compliments of DJ BABYCHINO, drifted throughout the lounge and set the tone for an unforgettable daytime excursion. Comedian Chris Tucker was even heard commenting upon his arrival – “Hey, I’m off to shop and dance!” In addition to the shopping and dancing, Sky’s Gourmet Tacos provided a lavish taco buffet for celebrities to refuel on, while sweets were provided by Zoe’s Chocolate Co., Cookie Daddy, and Breadbasket Cake Co., Guests also treated themselves to specialty elixirs from Skinnygirl® Cocktails as well as refreshing wines from the celebrity-favorite Moscato brand, Viva Diva Wines.
Each room of the lounge showcased a collection of great gifts including: organic chocolate bars by Vita Organic Foods; dietary supplements from Ajinomoto North America, Inc., avocado oil enriched bath and body products from Viavo; organic make up from NVEY ECO; a collection of conditioning and color cosmetics from RevitaLash; Stonefire Authentic Flatbreads; José Eber Hair Infrared Blow Dryers; EcoGenics Active Botanical Skincare; couture temporary body art from G the Body Art Professional; candles from Milena’s Boutique; remote control cars from Toy State; gift certificates from Magellan Jets; luxury pet bedding from Smartsilk; the world-renowned language-language solutions from Rosetta Stone; books from Dr. Ted Eisenberg; Hi-Call Bluetooth gloves from Bullboat USA LLC; and MATRIX, who was gifting a collection of haircare, color, style and texturing products and offering styling and touch-ups by Matrix Artistic Director Ammon Carving.
Jewelry and accessories were a hit of the lounge, and guests were seen leaving with a stylish array of items provided by: The Artisan Group; Juniper Blu; Égard, fine timepieces for men; Tiro Jewelry Design; Gemesis Diamond Company; MINIM, light travel bags for busy women on-the-go; and handmade jewelry from Chick Boss.
Guests were also spoiled with a nice selection of destinations including Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board, providing first class stays in Mexico’s premiere destination for 4 nights / 3 days at one of their luxurious properties; Caribbean Living, providing all-inclusive trips for 2 to the newest Hard Rock resorts in the Caribbean – Punta Cana & Cancun; Sunset SAVOR the Central Coast, gifting two SAVOR VIP Access Passes to their four-day food and wine experience.
There was no shortage of gift giving and brand awareness at the GBK event, and the charity sponsors were certainly included in that. A record number of charitable organizations celebrated the Oscar Awards with GBK and mingled with the honored guests – taking the opportunity to educate each one about their cause. Presenting Sponsor, Nicorette and NicoDerm, contributed to the efforts and were on site collecting signatures from celebrities who were supporting the “Pledge to Quit” smoking initiative. Celebrity guest Terry Crews also made a special appearance to co-present a check for $10,000 to Tobacco Free Kids.
Additional charity beneficiaries included: Global Green USA, the American affiliate of Green Cross International, founded by President Gorbachev to foster a global value shift toward a sustainable and secure future. The Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation – The mission is to raise funds for research and awareness towards a cure for Juvenile diabetes. YES! Beat Liver Tumors, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing information, resources, support and HOPE to those who are affected by cancer of the liver and other forms of advanced cancer. City of Hope – Every day City of Hope transforms the future of health by turning science into practical benefit and hope into reality. They accomplish this through exquisite care, innovative research and vital education focused on eliminating cancer and diabetes. The Creative Coalition – formed for the charitable and educational purposes of bringing together artists and entertainers to learn about pressing issues so they can better inform and influence the community and nation. Guard A Heart, a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of heart disease prevention by spreading the word to guard your heart and save your life.
For more information about Global Green, please visit: globalgreen.org
For more information about YES! Beat Liver Tumors, please visit: BeatLiverTumors.org
For more information about The Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, please visit: SugarRayLeonard.com
For more information about The Creative Coalition, please visit: thecreativecoalition.org
For more information about Guard A Heart, please visit: guardaheart.org
Participating talent who came out to enjoy and support are as follows:
Name Primary Credits
1 Alicia Lagano Lifetime’s “The Client List” (Selena Ramos)
2 Ashley Williams CBS’s “How I Met Your Mother”(Victoria), ”Wedding Band”
3 Bellamy Young ABC’s Scandal (Mellie Grant)
4 Ben Schwartz Showtime’s ” House of Lies” (Clyde Oberholt)
5 Blake Lindsley “The Session” (Dr. Laura White)
6 Brian Dietzen CBS’s “NCIS” (Jimmy Palmer)
7 Brigid Brannagh Lifetime’s “Army Wives” (Pamela Moran)
8 Bruce Greenwood “Flight” (Charlie Anderson)
9 Bruce McGill “Lincoln” (Edwin Stanton) (Movie Nominated for Best Picture)
10 Camilla Luddington ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” (Dr. Jo Wilson)
11 CCH Pounder Emmy-Award Nominated Actor, Avatar “The Shield”
12 Chazz Palminteri Academy – Award Nominated Actor, ABC’s “Modern Family (Shorty),” A Bronx Tale, Bullets over Broadway
13 Cheech Marin CBS “Rob” (Fernando)
14 Chris Butler “ParaNorman” Writer and co-Director**** Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
15 Chris Tucker “Silver Linings Playbook” (Danny) Nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year
16 David Costabile “Lincoln” (James Ashley) (Movie Nominated for Best Picture)
17 Dennis Christopher “Django Unchained” (Leonide Moguy) (Movie Nominated for Best Picture)
18 Diane Warren Six Time Oscar Nominated Award-Winning Songwriter
19 Dilshad Vadsaria ABC’s “Revenge” (Padma Lahari)
20 DW Moffett ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth” (John Kennish)
21 Eion Bailey ABC’s “Once Upon A Time” (August W. Booth)
22 Evan Handler Showtime’s “Californication,” “Sex and the City”
23 Franco Nero “Django Unchained” (Amerigo Vassepi) (Movie Nominated for Best Picture)
24 Gregg Henry ABC’s “Scandal” (Hollis Doyle)
25 Jackson Pace Showtime’s “Homeland” (Chris Brody)
26 Jamie Ray Newman ABC’s “Red Widow” (Kat Petrova); NBC’s “Grimm” (Angeline Lasser)
27 Jayson Blair NBC’s “The New Normal”
28 Jesse Williams ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” (Dr. Jackson Avery)
29 Jimmy Bennet “Movie 43″ (Nathan)
30 Joanna Cassidy ABC’s “Body of Proof” (Joan Hunt); “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” (Rose Lindsey)
31 Joey Lawrence ABC Family’s “Melissa & Joey” (Joe Long)
32 Josh Lawson Showtime’s ” House of Lies” (Doug Guggenheim)
33 Joshua Malina ABC’s “Scandal”
34 Keith Powell NBC’s “30 Rock”(Toofer)
35 Khandi Alexander HBO’s “Treme” (LaDonna Batiste-Williams)
36 Kristen Hager SyFy’s “Being Human” (Nora Sergeant)
37 Mizinga Mwinga “War Witch” (Grang Tigre Royal) (Movie Nominated for Best Foreign Feature)
38 Nat Faxon “Ben & Kate” (Ben Fox) Oscar Winner
39 Noel Fisher Showtime’s “Shamelss” (Mickey Milkovich); “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 2 (Vladimir)
40 Penny Marshall Director/Producer
41 Ralph Prosper “War Witch” (Boucher) (Movie Nominated for Best Foreign Feature)
42 Raphael Sbarge ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” (Archie Hopper/ Jimmy Cricket)
43 Rex Lee ABC’s “Suburgatory” (Mr. Wolfe)
44 Richard Kind “Argo” (Max Klein) (Movie Nominated for Best Picture); A Serious Man, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”
45 Rob Morrow Emmy-Award Nominated Actor, “Numb3rs,” “Northern Exposure,” Quiz Show
46 Robert Knepper CW’s “Cult” (Billy Grimm / Roger Reeves);
47 Sam Fell “ParaNorman” Director ****Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year
48 Steven Weber Malibu Country (Bro Code)
49 Tempestt Bledsoe NBC’s “Guys with Kid’s” (Mary)
50 Terry Crews “Scary Movie 5”; HBO’s “Newsroom” (Lonny Church)
51 Tichina Arnold TV Land’s “Happily Divorced” (Judi Mann); “Everybody Hates Chris” (Rochelle)
52 Tim Daly Emmy-Award Nominated Actor, “Private Practice,” “Sopranos”
53 Tucker Albrizzi “ParaNorman” (Neil) (Nominated for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year)
54 Wayne Knight TV Land’s “The Exes” (Haskell Lutz)
55 Wendi McLendon Covey CBS’s “Rules of Engagement” (Liz); “Bridesmaids” (Rita); ABC’s “Modern Family” (Pam)
GBK, formerly GBK Productions, is a luxury lifestyle gifting and special events company, specializing in entertainment marketing integration. Formed in 2000 by Gavin Keilly, the company’s Founder and CEO, GBK consists of five divisions: GBK Celebrity Gifting, GBK Special Events, GBK Weddings, GBK Charitable Consulting and GBK Marketing/Public Relations. Widely known in the entertainment industry for bringing that little extra something into the Gifting Lounge environment, GBK offers its clients a full range of marketing services. For more information on Gavin B. Keilly (CEO), Carla Domen (VP) or GBK, please go to gbkproductions.com.
