Arts & Culture Gifting Suites

GBK Productions Goes Green for Their 2007 Oscar Gift Suite

Cash for your car

While many celebrity gifting suites donate to charity, no one does it on the level of GBK Productions. And their event to honor the nominees and presenters of the 79th Annual Academy Awards was no different. Held at the swanky and hip Roosevelt Hotel, mere steps from the Kodak Theater and the Oscar’s red-carpet, GBK founder Gavin Keilly put together a plethora of fabulous gifts for celebrity and VIP guests, all the while promoting several influential charities, including Global Green. To complement their charitable efforts, the suite featured a “green” theme, with several environmentally friendly products.

The suite also benefited the non-profits So The World May Hear and The John Wayne Cancer Institute. GBK is donating 20% of the profits from their Gift Suite to the three charities, as well as donating a gift bag to each worth $40,000. "We anticipate donating over $15,000 to non-profits involved, plus additional celebrity donations," said Keilly.

 

The “eco-friendly” theme brought out several products to promote environmentally conscious living. The very charming Elliott Balbert of Natrol nutritional supplements represented the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance and gifted a variety of vitamins and supplements to guests. The DSEA was created to provide accurate information about vitamins, minerals, herbs and other supplements for consumers and for the professional health care community. The DSEA Scientific Advisory Board is comprised of nationally recognized physicians and researchers who are experts in dietary supplements. www.supplementinfo.com

Other “green” products included Helen E. Riegle Design Organic Purses (a favorite of attendee Penny Marshall), Shaklee “Get Clean” Green Cleaning products (www.shaklee.net), Pure-Rest Organic Bedding (www.purerest.com), Del Forte Organic Denim, Earthly Body products (www.earthlybody.com), New Belgium Brewing Co. beer (www.newbelgium.com), a year’s supply of Dogswell Organic Dog Treats (www.dogswell.com), and a year’s supply of O.N.E. Natural Experience Coconut Water (www.onenaturalexperience.com).

Robert Craymer of Robert Craymer Designs was on hand to personally design for the celebrities’ homes, providing custom home design eco-friendly furniture (www.robertcraymer.com). The Suite’s guests also had the chance to indulge in deluxe holistic pampering services for the face, body, hands and feet from LA-based Green Bliss Eco Spa.  Best Supporting Actress nominee Adriana Barraza, had planned to indulge in a full day of spa treatments at the GBK suite, but had to leave due to a delayed plane. But never fear, she got to relax as Randi from the Green Bliss made arrangements to do the treatments in Adriana’s hotel room Sunday morning prior to the show. www.greenblissecospa.com

Helen Mirren, Green Bliss Eco Spa 

Guests, including myself and LA’s The Place editor-in-chief Jane Emery, were able to take home a number of the newest tech gadgets, health procedures, elite fashion accessories, and spa products on the market.

Rosa Loves, a line of socially aware (and super cute) t-shirts, was there to spread their message of awareness through fashion. Each shirt tells a story meant to inspire and promote awareness of social issues. Each story is told through stimulating graphics and actual text that will appear on the inverse of the shirt directly in line with the heart, where the Rosa Loves movement stems from. Through their designs, Rosa Loves hopes to encourage individual people to get involved in the community around them. They provide financial support to those in need by infiltrating the t-shirt industry with a new perspective of how clothing can serve a purpose other than making you look good.  Instead of donating to larger charity organizations that already have established financial support, funds raised by t-shirt sales goes to individuals in the community around us. www.rosaloves.com

Magellan RoadMate 

Magellan, the leader in GPS Navigation Technology, gifted their new Roadmate 2200t, to help celebs navigate the streets of Los Angeles. It’s sleek, compact design features it all: a top-of-the-line SiRFstarIII GPS microcontroller chip, GPS guidance with turn-by-turn voice, text and visual directions, a color touch screen with 3-D birds-eye map view and even a MP3 player and picture viewer. It has full map coverage of the 50 United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, as well as the SayWhere text-to-speech software that delivers audible street names. The best part is the searchable directory of nearly 2 million points of interest to easily find restaurants, ATMs and more. It’s like having your own personal chauffer, except with a better driver: you. www.magellangps.com

Gevril Watches brought their stunning collection of luxury watches. We were told by Gevril’s vice-president Steven Pachtinger that Best Actress-winner Helen Mirren loved the Swiss timepieces, and selected a beautiful diamond-encrusted watch with a light pink leather band. Every Gevril timepiece is made with unmistakable quality. Whether it’s the expert artisans who design the unique movements, the stitching on their fine Louisiana Crocodile bands, or the sparkle emanating from each and every diamond, at Gevril no expense is spared to bring their customers the finest watch available anywhere. www.gevril.com

For the celebrity gamer’s, The Official Game Haven brought their fun and innovative video game consoles, the ultimate must-have for any at-home game room. The home arcade instrument of your dreams, the Official Game Haven Crystalcade upright console brings the home arcade experience to a whole new level, and is the world’s first and only translucent game system with an internal light show. It is the most versatile, advanced and exciting fantasy-fun-center on the planet! This system includes everything you need to game in style: a massive 350-watt Dolby THX surround sound system with a huge 8" Subwoofer, 4-way joystick, separate controls for 2-player games, and a full-size 3” lighted arcade trackball and a pinball flipper and tilt buttons on the sides of the control panel, and much more. You’ll never want to game on anything else! www.officialgamehaven.com

Game Haven 

For minty-fresh breath that also provides a caffeine kick, Vojo Enery Mints gifted a year’s supply of their Guarana-powered mints. And so you’ll never misplace them, the supply came in a handy black briefcase, complete with a handle for easy transportation for jet-setting celebs. Vojo has been called the Rolls Royce of energy candy and for good reason. Powered by Guarana, they offer a less hectic and jitter-free sensation over traditional caffeinated candies. And every package has a handy mirror inside (perfect for last minutes touches backstage) and sleekly fits into your pocket or purse. Each mint has 8 mg of Guarana to keep you awake even during the longest of Oscar ceremonies. And, if it could get any better, VoJo mints are sugar-free. www.vojoenergy.com

Pure Color Jeans was there with their premium line of denim. When Oprah names your product to her ‘Favorite Things Holiday 2005’ list – you know it will hit big! And it has. Ever since the talk show mogul raved about Pure Color, these hard-to-get-a-hold of jeans and corduroys have become a hot commodity. Guests could choose from a variety of styles and colors, all in super-soft denim. These jeans are so comfy, you’ll never want to take them off!

Pure Color Jeans 

575 Denim made sure the men in attendance also looked fashionable by gifting their line of premium denim. 575 is a vintage-inspired denim line designed to adorn the bodies of jean enthusiasts around the world. With amazing detailing and great washes, 575 is a unique California jean for men and women alike who live the laid back Los Angles lifestyle. Their perfectly distressed denim id a favorite among celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Keith Urban and Jennifer Lopez, and was featured as one of the top four jeans for celebrities during the 2006 Sundance Film Festival by Hollywood Life magazine. www.575denim.com

LIFEPOP’s Stereo Pet Carrier created excited squeals of delight from celebrities like Eva LaRue, and Academy Award Nominee Adriana Barraza when they learned that the roomy and very fashionable pet carriers have a built-in stereo and speaker system that hooks up to any iPod, MP3, DVD, CD, PSP player – even a laptop – to listen to music without being confined to the secluded world of headphones. Creator Heather Breen explained how the multi-functional bag can act as a roomy travel carry-on to hold all your essentials (with or without your furry friend inside) or as a gym tote with two sides of ventilation with a fully zippered ventilated top, and work out to your own yoga meditation or music on the road. www.lifepop.tv

Heather Breen, LifePop 

Also on the fashion scene, Royal Guard gifted items from their distinctive clothing line. Royal Guard is the culmination of regal creativity and a purposeful directive by designers for keeping the focus ahead of fashion. They surpass other high-end brands by continuing a tradition of developing innovative clothing perfect for everyday living. Tier tees, tanks and hoodies are all perfect for a weekend out with friends, and will never compromise your individuality. www.royalguardclothing.com 

Guests could relax their tootsies with a stop at the Medi Rub Foot and Body Massager. While sitting in a comfy chair, guest could prop up their feet on the massager and sit back while the Medi Rub vibrated their aches and pains away. Medi Rub Massagers have been the premier choice of doctors, chiropractors, physical and massage therapists, professional athletes, and consumers since 1976. The Medi Rub Foot Massager is designed to relieve pains and tiredness in the feet and lower legs and is widely used by people with diabetes and neuropathy because of increased blood circulation. www.medirub.com

Royal Guard 

YogaToes was also on hand to relax, revive and condition tired feet. YogaToes are truly revolutionary. They work while you kick your feet up and relax. YogaToes will stretch, strengthen, and align foot muscles. This action increases circulation, straightens bent toes, and can even realign the bones. Its Yoga for your toes. www.yogapro.com

Allison Janey, EZ Gear EZ Gear gifted two great inventions, the ezWake Alarm Clock and ezVision X4. The ezWake Alarm Clock, created to work with your iPod, recently won Best of Show at Macworld 2007. It beat out several other products to win the award, with judges praising its superior sound. Helen Mirren liked the alarm clock so much she had her publicist call in to request that two be shipped to her home in London: one for her and one for her sister. The ezVision X4 was also a Best of Show finalist. The innovative virtual technology ezVision allows you to view movies by, amazingly enough, wearing glasses. They simulate a 60" virtual screen as viewed from 8.5 feet…and they fit like a pair of glasses. Perfect for the plane or long car trips, it’s like taking the movie theater with you. www.ezgear4u.com 

Laura Fenamore provided guest with a certificate for her Life Coaching services. With experise in both body image and career, Fenamore can help you achieve the success you desire. Her goal is to assist you in uncovering your true self so that your inside and outside match. With her help, an effective plan and the right tools, you can break through the barriers that keep you from being you and realize your dreams—personally, physically, financially, professionally, and spiritually. www.laurafenamore.com
3Lab provided guests with luxury and technologically advanced skin care products. Their “h” Serum and WW Cream are both powerful shields against Father Time. The “h” Serum is the world’s first anti-aging serum with bio-engineered hGH hormones naturally produced in the body, and the WW Cream contains technologically advanced and patented ingredients to address facial lines, wrinkles, uneven complexion, skin tone and dryness. It’s a one, two punch. www.3lab.com

Laura Fenamore 

Guests also received $500 in hair products by Barbar, including hair dryers, straighteners and curling irons. Barbar is known for its Permanent Hair Straightening System. Fast becoming the hair straightening system of choice in Beverly Hills salons including Cristophe, Juan Juan, and Giuseppe Franco, Barbar is embraced by stylists for its ease of use, gorgeous results, and faster, safer processing for all hair types. www.barbarartist.com

Gadget Universe gifted gorgeous and functional Steinhausen Watches. Celebs like Kath Hilton (who was there picking up last-minute birthday gifts for her daughter Paris), Robinson Keith of Dreamgirls and Rex Lee of Entourage each took one of the elegant Swiss timepieces home, possible to wear on the big night. Gadget Universe is the premier mail-order catalog and internet store for cutting-edge gifts and gadgets for easier living and personal safety. Whether you’re looking for a gift for a business colleague, a way to protect your family or a high-tech toy, they’ve got it. They are constantly searching for the newest and best articles the world has to offer, so they can offer it to you. It’s what distinguishes Gadget Universe from other marketing companies and makes your purchase truly worthwhile. www.gadgetuniverse.com

Robinson Keith, Kathy Hilton, Gadget Universe

Screen Life Games brought their entire collection of Scene It DVD Games, including the new Music version and American Idol – All Star Challenge karaoke DVD game.  They also had the popular Disney and Sports editions of Scene It. All games provide hours of endless entertainment trivia for the whole family. Screen Life has revolutionized family game night with their world-class designs and signature interactive elements. The game is never the same twice! php.screenlifegames.com

Signorello Vineyards and EDGE Wines kept the wine enthusiasts at the suite happy with their distinctive wines. EDGE is a lush, complex Cabernet Sauvignon produced from grapes carefully selected from the great old vineyards in the Silverado Trail area of Napa Valley. Produced with 100% Napa Valley fruit, the product is a cutting edge wine without the cutting edge price (www.edgewines.com). Signorello vineyards makes limited quantities of premium varietals that blend classic French wine making characteristics with California fruit. They strive for lush, concentrated fruit flavors, and good acid balance in all of their products for a superior wine experience. www.signorellovineyards.com

Scene it? DVD Game 

Dr. Glen Kawesch gifted complementary laser eye surgery. With this generous gift, suite guests can now be free from the every-day burden of glasses and contacts. They will join the ranks of celebs such as Jessica Simpson who have entrusted their eyes to Dr. Kawesch. www.kaweschlaser.com

Guests were also gifted a $2,500 certificate to Dr. Dan Taheri Laser Center. They can use the certificate for LA Laser Center’s myriad of procedures such as Mohs surgery for skin cancer, laser hair removal, Botox®, the Fraxel laser, Titan laser, and acne photodynamic treatments. www.lalasercenter.com

Other great gifts included custom made men’s sport shirts from Glenn Laiken for Alandales (www.alandales.com); 60’s inspired day dresses from Heidi Merrick (www.heidimerrick.com); Isaac Mizrahi shoes (www.isaacmizrahiny.com); iPlatform FLS Exercise Training Machines; Indulge Leather Goods; La Tee Da Scented Candles (www.ltdfragrance.com); Cinzia Eyewear and Accessories (www.cinzia-designs.com); and a gift certificate to Freedom Laser Therapy for their quit smoking or weight loss programs (www.freedomlasertherapy.com).

Vidalia Grills 

Guests were offered tasty morsels to try at the suites, courtesy of Vidalia Grills, who served lunch cooked on their innovative grills (which celebrities had the opportunity to take home). From pork to chicken to salmon, all types of delicious and tender meats were expertly grilled by the Vidalia chefs. www.vidaliagrill.com

Everyone was crowded around Bodega Chocolate to indulge their sweet tooth. World renowned for its signature Truffle Bars and confections, Bodega is loved by celebrities, royalty and consumers alike. All of their confections are crafted using an old-fashioned European-style process and generations-old family recipes from Spain and Italy to create the magical blends of "chocolat" in the finest European tradition. www.bodegachocolates.com

And for libations, VIP Bartenders poured Pinky Vodka, the world’s most beautiful vodka (www.pinkyvodka.com) and Who’s Your Daddy Energy Drink (www.whosyourdaddyinc.com). Malava Relax Beverages (www.malavabeverages.com) and MetroMint Water were also on hand to quench guest’s thirst (www.metromint.com).

Bodega Chocolates 

For those guests looking to get away during post-award season, El Dorado Spa Resorts & Azul Resorts offered individually customized five-night stays at one of their locations, a vacation package retailing around $8,000. www.karismahotels.com

But before they could relax on a Mexican getaway, the stars had to get beautiful for the big night. To prepare for the evening, guests were able to schedule appointments for complementary pre-Oscars beauty services including make-up applications by Jane Iredale mineral makeup. Jane Iredale is the utmost in luxury when it comes to mineral makeup. Besides the makeovers, guests were able to take home a variety of their superior products (www.janeiredale.com). Bodyography Cosmetics (www.bodyography.com), Art of Beauty (www.artofbeauty.com) and The Shave of Beverly Hills (www.theshavebeverlyhills.com) also provided beauty services.

Guests could also get on-site cuts and blow-outs by Aveda Hair Care. Part of the “green” theme of the day, Aveda’s mission is to care for the world we live in, from the products they make to the ways in which they give back to society. A leader in natural hair and skin care products, they are always striving to set an example for environmental leadership and responsibility. www.aveda.com

Helen Mirren, Aveda 

And in case any of the guest were to take Oscar home with them on Sunday night (like Helen Mirren), the GBK Productions suite offered an exclusive service to all nominees: Academy Award acceptance speech consultations with public relations expert, Howard Bragman. Bragman, founder of public relations firm BNC, and, most recently, founder/president of Fifteen Minutes PR, has written numerous Academy Award speeches and has been published on the topic in both the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly.

When Gavin Keilly, founder of both GBK Productions and the Official Celebrity Gift Bags LLC, launched his companies he set out to make a difference in the world and to help as many charities as possible. His companies have given him the opportunity to do just that. GBK donated 20% of the profits to Educating Young Minds, Habitat for Humanity, which continues to help the Hurricane Katrina Victims, Global Green, Eva Longoria’s foundation Padres Contra El Cancer and the AmberWatch Foundation. Each charity received 20% of the profits from the Gift Suite, but in addition, a celebrity gift bag valued at $60,000 Design 21 also donated $21 to every non-profit when a celebrity took a ring to support a particular cause.
www.GBKProductions.com

About the Charities:

Global Green
Global Green USA is a national environmental organization addressing three of the greatest challenges facing humanity: stemming global climate change by creating green buildings and cities; eliminating weapons of mass destruction that threaten lives and the environment; and providing clean, safe drinking water for the 2.4 billion people who lack access to clean water. President Gorbachev founded the organization in order to create a new approach to solving the world’s most pressing environmental challenges by reconnecting humanity to the environment. Global Green’s unique approach merges innovative research, cutting-edge community based projects and targeted advocacy that educates hundreds of millions of people annually, leverages billions of dollars for environmental initiatives and implements ground-breaking environmental policy. www.globalgreen.org
So The World May Hear
In 1973 The Starkey Hearing Foundation started with a simple premise:  “Alone we can’t do much. But, together we can change the world.” With “So the World May Hear” as his goal, Starkey Hearing Foundation founder William F. Austin built an organization upon this vision.Today the Foundation is sustained by the efforts of thousands of volunteers and donors around the world. Your support allows us to deliver more than 20,000 hearing aids annually through more than 100 hearing missions a year in countries stretching from the U.S. to Vietnam. Besides giving the gift of hearing, the Foundation promotes hearing health awareness while supporting research and education. www.sotheworldmayhear.org

John Wayne Cancer Institute
Since 1985, the John Wayne Cancer Foundation has been committed to groundbreaking cancer research and education at the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI). The Institute has received worldwide acclaim for advances in melanoma (skin cancer), breast and colon cancer as well as immune therapy of cancer. Other areas of research include prostate and liver cancer. With its unique ability to rapidly turn scientific breakthroughs into innovative approaches to treatment and early detection, JWCI provides immediate hope to cancer patients from around the globe. Patients from over 40 foreign countries and 48 states in the US have come to JWCI for assistance in the management of difficult cancer problems. www.jwci.org

About the author

Kyra Lausmann