Community Memorial with 2000+ Attendees for Mr. Santa Barbara

It was an incredible honor to create an event commemorating the late Michale Towbes, Santa Barbara’s most influential and respected entrepreneur and philanthropist. The community event consisted of an afternoon at the Granada Theatre. Over 2000 spectators and community members gathered as Michael Towbes’ closest friends, family, work confidants and even Governor Jerry Brown took the stage to individually honor and shared in songs, stories, photo collages and favorite memories of the beloved guest of honor. The touching tribute ended with Mr. Towbes friends and family on stage to sing the guest of honor’s favorite song and getting every single spectator of the filled theater on their feet to .

The afternoon memoriam was followed by a champagne toast and mini cupcake reception at the iconic Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens. A quartet performed Mr. Towbes favorite songs while guests mingled and celebrated the life of our community’s beloved philanthropist, and all-around mensch. The garden party included orchids, his favorite flowers as well as personalized cocktail napkins printed with his favorite quotes or “Towbe-isms including:

“Onward and upward…”
“Some of the best deals I ever made were  the ones I didn’t make”
”The only thing I like better than a ground breaking is a ribbon cutting”
”I always try to do my best, even when no one is watching”

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Mr. Towbes on several party planner projects, including his 80th Birthday Celebration and Fundraiser for the Granada Theatre Capital Campaign, his 85th birthday brunch and a show at Bacara Resort and Spa, as well as one of his company’s 60th Anniversary Celebration and Roast of MT. Each event was carefully planned to exemplify things Mr. Towbes loved and supported, the arts, fundraising and success in business. Creating this garden party to reflect and combine the personality, passion and entrepreneurial psyche of our local tycoon was the hardest story to tell, and the most rewarding to produce.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Towbes has been a huge influence on our community and the people in it. Everybody wanted to celebrate the life of this extraordinary man, Michael Towbes.

Santa Barbara will not be the same without him.

GRAZIE MILLE to the Event Production Team who made this all happen!

Photography: Kelsey Crews Photo

Music at the Granada: Scott Hiltzik, Aurora Ensemble

Garden Party Venue: The Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunken Gardens

Memorial Venue: The Granada Theatre

Rentals: Elan Event Rentals and The Tent Merchant

Audio at the Sunken Gardens: SPARK Creative Events

Quartet Music at the Sunken Gardens: Idiomatiques

Mini Cupcakes: Léle Patisserie

Flowers: Louloudi Boutique Floral Design

Bartenders: Liquid Cult

Servers: Top Shelf

Transportation: SB Trolley

Valet: BlueStar Parking

Also, a special thanks to MarBorg Industries and Triumph Protection Group

Felici Events Featured in CASA Magazine

Article from CASA Magazine

Felici Events Makes News for Planning Santa Barbara's Largest Philanthropic Event

Special thanks to CASA magazine for their article, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” published in August 2009. The article, written by Jacqueline Dyson, provides a detailed description of the event and includes information about Michael Towbes. This birthday celebration also served as a benefit for the Granada Restoration Capital Campaign and raised approximately $1.2M.

As the evening drew to a close, the party was just getting started! Dancing under the stars to Lois Mahalia & The Georgetown Band, exuberant guests rocked the house. Michael enjoyed dancing to his favorite song ‘YMCA’ with wife Anne, granddaughter Allison, and the family. Michael and Anne savored a special moment with the favorite, At Last, and shut is down with a rousing last dance Don’t Stop ‘Till You Get Enough. When all was said and diner, the party’s theme summed it up well: “It’s a Wonderful Life!” – CASA Magazine

Casa Magazine celebrates life in Santa Barbara. This award-winning weekly magazine focuses on cultural institutions and non-profits that support basic human rights and stewardship of the earth. Jacqueline Dyson has written other articles on local fundraising events, including:

• La Fiesta del Museo
• A Night at the Opera Santa Barbara

Felici Events is a first-class event design and production company based in Santa Barbara, California that produces events like this 80th birthday celebration. Contact us if you are planning an upcoming birthday celebration and looking for a company that listens to and expertly translates its clients’ visions into reality.

Blue, Purple + Teal = Bat Mitzvah Garden Party Appeal

Peacock Colors + a Garden in the Heart of Santa Barbara

It is no secret that the Santa Barbara Club is one of our favorite venue to produce weddings and special events in Santa Barbara.  So much so that Zohe held her 40th Birthday Celebration - Godfather Theme - at this location.  In fact, this client attended that event and also fell in love with the venue, thus booking it and having it be a perfect fit for her daughter's Garden Party themed Bat Mitzvah.

We were thrilled to be here working at the Santa Barbara Club, and the theme and colors - so much fun!

We love when guests leave notes and words of wisdom (rather than just a guest book). Leaving it out for guests to share at their leisure throughout the reception or event allows time for all to think about what to say and share a lovely note with the guest(s) of honor.  In this occasion we purchased leaves and flowers to keep in theme w/ the event for guests to write on and hang on a manzanita branch.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Wishing Cards Write A Wish

A great entertainment for any age, is getting temporary tattoos, flash tattoos or in this case Henna.  Here the guest of honor is getting some henna work done by the lovely Dee.  When you have a lot of guests, keep the designs simple so that each guest takes up a 10 minute window.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Henna

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Drinks Beverage Garden

A "mockail' bar is a great element to include for the kids.  Here we have specialty drinks of Lily's Lemonade and Watermelon Crush.  Fun straws add to the festivities.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Purple Nibbles

A scrumptious appetizer station for the adults include a charcuterie, cheeses and veggies, with the bread sticks doubling up as decor.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Floral Arrangement Table Decor

The adult tables, indoors, had an elegant feel with the gorgeous white, green and dark purple color palate to compliment the aesthetics of the teal and purple linens, and bring the garden theme indoors.

We chose 3 different colors of Dupionique linens within the palate which worked out nicely inside the main dining room.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Purple Blue Flowers Table

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Garden Purple Seating

Outdoors, the kids tables consisted of seated tables with window box centerpieces of greenery and pinwheels and low to the ground wooden tables with cups of Tulips and Lillys (for our guest of honor, Lily). The iridescent dupionique La Tavola pillows matched the linen and tied the design together.

Another fun element was the outdoor furniture (to the left) where both adults and kids were able to lounge on.  The seating arrangement by Elan Rentals was perfect for this setting.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Garden Purple Lights Balloon

How and why are the kids all seated and attentive?

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Balloon Purple Pink Green Blue Table Seating Garden

…..Desserts, of course!  These mini bundt cakes were a huge hit!  We purchased paper decor shaped toppers tied in the garden party theme. We love incorporating the food and beverage into the theme.  Most caterers can do this without a problem, rather than having the same ol' same ol' menu, and it does not cost much to bring in touches or a menu that tie in with the theme.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Cupcakes Purple Pink Colorful

One of our favorite design elements is how the 'wishing tree' (manzanita tree + floral stems + string lights) turned magical at night, and became a focal point as the sun set and it became dark.

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Purple Pink Blue Lights Garden Seating

We thanked guests as they left and favors were there ready for them to pick up.  Keeping with Lily's Garden Party theme, we had seed bombs (3 per pack) with a lovely thank you card to match the stationary as a moment for guests to remember this magical night.  What a great Bat Mitzvah!

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Favors Thank You Organza Bags Lilac Purple Mint Sign

Felici Events Bat Mitzvah Thank You Favor Organza Bags Seed Bombs

Coordinator - Felici Events

Dessert - Nothing Bundt Cakes

Flowers - Coco Rose Floral Design

Lighting - Spark Creative Events

Linens - La Tavola Fine Linen Rental

Music/ DJ - H2H The Perfect Element

Photobooth Flip Book - A Little Scene Flip Books

Photobooth - Complete Weddings & Events

Photography - Kelsey Crews Photo

Rentals - Furniture - Elan Event Rentals

Rentals - Dance Floor - Ventura Rental Party Center

Venue - Santa Barbara Club

Entertainment Brings Adults + Kids Together at Parties!

SMILE + SNAP! It's a Felici Events Bat Mitzvah

For any celebration, entertainment is a MUST have.  Personally, we like interactive entertainment to help bring the guests together and add a fun and exciting element to any event.  The integration of an Open Air Photobooth® provided an exciting activity for guests and subsequent receipt of professional quality keepsake photographs that will last a lifetime.

With the current social media trend, especially around mitzvah aged kids, having  Social Media Integration - Instant Email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds incorporated are a plus.

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And here is the token Felici Event Team "Quality Control" image.  FeliciTazioni Julia!

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Planner - Felici Events

Photobooth - Open Air Photo Booth

Mr. Towbes Birthday Celebration at Bacara Resort and Spa

Felici Events Produces an Entertaining Brunch Celebration

Felici Events was honored to have been part of another grand celebration for the accomplishments, love and birthday celebration of Mr. Towbes, Santa Barbara's own "It's a Wonderful Life" (Zohe produced Mr. Towbes 80th at Fess Parker Doubletree)

This time, we had a double whammy with putting this event together at Bacara Resort and Spa.  Everything is grand at Bacara, event the entrance, impressive!

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Bacara Entry

The gracious and gorgeous Anne, Mr. Towbes wife, was instrumental in creating this event and guiding Felici Events to a personalized affair!  Here is the happy couple just minutes before guests arrived.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Anne and Michael

We created life-size cutouts of the guest of honor and placed them around the resort for guests to take pictures with.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th standing with lifesize

Being Mr. Santa Barbara created a receiving line which showed exactly that!  Everyone who is everyone came to wish him a happy birthday!

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th greeting guests

The guest of honor is an avid tennis player, so the talents of Louloudi Design incorporated this hobby into the centerpieces.  They looked lovely on La Tavola Linens with linear definitions.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th table set up floral orange linen

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Rotunda Room Bacara

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th tennis racket signage

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th floral centerpiece with tennis ball

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th wide lens orange table decor

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Rotunda Terrace Orange Decor

After brunch, we moved the 275 person event to the ballroom, where we had four performances or acts celebrating Mr. Towbes and his love and support of the arts and music as well as other surprises and personalizations celebrating his interests and  accomplishments.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th ladies kissing cheeks lifesize

The Towbes Group Inc. is an award-winning and respected construction, development and asset management company.  We had a life-size cutout of the honoree supporting the Cottage Hospital Project.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Lifesize Architect

The honoree is also known as the owner and Chairman of the Board of Montecito Bank and Trust.  Here we produced a 'money tree' with oversized ficus and a Towbes Bucks garland.  Did you know people have been known to try to use the Towbes Bucks in town?!

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th Money Tree

We set the ballroom into dinner theatre style small tables so all guests could see the performances.  At each table were programs, popcorn bowls and a low cylinder of floating candles wrapped in blueprints of the Cottage Hospital Project.  The red pens, personalized with Mr. Towbes Still Swingin' at 85' were party favors representative of Mr. Towbes use of them for using in his editing and return correspondence.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th ballroom table set up

The State Street Ballet danced while guests arrived into the ballroom.  Mr. Towbes is a longtime support and passionate of this local professional ballet company.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th state street ballet

During the brunch and performances, the Felici Events Team gathered all the 'momentos of Mr. Towbes' (the invitation asked guests to bring those in lieu of gifts), and produced two scrap books.  Carrie, Mr. Towbes daughter and Anne presented this surprise gift to the man of the hour.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th presenting album

Let there be cake!  We replicated the invitation cover picture of the the man of the hour playing tennis onto a sheet cake.

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th birthday cake

Hope you made a wish!  Happy Birthday Mr. Towbes.  You are truly a genuine, altruistic, generous and kind man, and Santa Barbara is lucky to have you as a leader and philanthropist in our community!

Michael Towbes Birthday 85th blowing out candles