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The Rooftop Charity’s Lunch and Fashion Show – the best yet!

A very special “Thanks” party at U Hotel

The Rooftop Charity’s Lunch and Fashion Show – the best yet!

Pictured with Elaine Yue, GM of the Shangri-La Hotel, are the elegant models from Elephant Life Experience.

August 27 at the Shangri-La – the date and place on indefatigable organisers Sally and Jo’s minds for several months! No lie-in that morning for the dedicated pair – the charities and shops taking part in the Shopping Mall on the Kad Café’s terrace were setting up from 7.30 a.m. for the opening of the event. Both community celeb models and professional models were arriving early – hair and make-up to be done, outfits to try and jewellery to match. Table placings for over 200 guests, last-minute tickets being collected and paid for, last minute problems being swiftly solved, last minute gifts for auctions and raffles being gratefully received, quick cups of coffee being snatched.

Young and not-so-young Chiang Mai celebrity models at the Fashion Show.
10.30 a.m. – it’s on! The Charity Rooftop Party’s Lunch and Fashion Show had begun, with meetings and greetings, gossiping and laughing, guests mingling on the terrace in the morning air and admiring the booths, or lounging in the Kad Café with friends. The tempting displays in the Shopping Mall of jewellery, silks, clothes, shoes, hill tribe textiles and objets d’art, and the booths representing city charities received a great deal of attention and self-indulgent appreciation until lunch was served!
The Shangri-La’s buffet lunch did the guests proud with a huge variety of delicious dishes Thai, Chinese, and Western, truly something for everyone. And, it was noticed, just about everyone had a taste of just about everything! More self-indulgence, and why not?
Lunch over, it was time for the show – emceed by Chiang Mai’s own Pim, looking gorgeous in floating black and purple. First out were models from the Elephant Life Experience, wearing beautifully designed outfits made using fabric painted by elephants. Colourful, elegant and fun. Fun was the understatement of the day when the first of the expat celeb models, Lois, bounced onto the catwalk, wearing a red mini-skirt with matching bolero and coordinated blouse, followed by husband John looking very cool in his outfit. Extrovert Chas proved another hit in his casual wear, and the display was rounded off by Mary, looking lovely in a classic silk cocktail dress with shawl – the major lot in the auction which followed. Many thanks go to the models, designers and Pim for a great show.
Rounding off the event was the auction, with the lots for sale, including the elegant cocktail dress modelled earlier, generous spa packages and a beautiful silk embroidered and fringed shawl, all donated by Chiang Mai companies, (particularly Fashion King, one of the charity’s most loyal supporters), and individuals. All were enthusiastically received by bidders. A raffle, conducted amidst much hilarity, concluded a highly successful event, hugely enjoyed by all, which added 73,900 baht to monies raised to date, giving a current grand total of 287,000 baht.

A very special “Thanks” party at U Hotel

Rooj, (centre), the guest of honour and owner of the Ratchamanka Hotel,
pictured surrounded by happy party-goers.

A very special party was held August 17 at U Hotel, organised and supported by Joe of Joe Consulting, Marketing & Events, Taam, Nobita, Berth, and Nang as a big “thank you” to their special and much appreciated friends. Before anyone asks – oNo stands for “Oh, no party!” Drink at U Hotel was the chosen venue as it’s on Walking Street – the party was planned for a Sunday when the famous market is in full swing, meaning that all guests, regardless of whether they were famous, infamous, rich or poor, would have to walk to get there! Equality…this clever ploy did, it seems, make some party-goers a little uncomfortable… the organisers replied that at least everyone would remember the occasion as a result!

Joe, MD of Joe Consulting, shown enjoying his “Thank You” party with friends.
Joe Consulting, Marketing & Events began in October 2006, and now has 9 full-time staff and over 20 part time performers, MCs and backstage boys. When asked by our photographer where he had managed to find the gorgeous male models at the party, Joe replied that most of his “hunks” are professional fitness trainers who work part-time as models for his company. As to where they hang out – that information was promised for the next party!
When reminded that his company had been responsible for the spectacular U Hotel opening and asked what other grand openings he had been involved in, he provided a long and very prestigious list of venues including Ban Thai Village, the Oriental Siam Resort, Amazing Golf Challenge 2007 and even the Microsoft Asia OEM Executive Summit 2008 at the Shangri-La and the “Intel Solutions Summit 2008” for the USA Intel Company. Joe is most proud of his company’s involvement in the Microsoft event as he feels that it helped support both the local economy and the Chiang Mai tourist hotel industry, but said that he also enjoyed arranging events for the expat community.
An amusing recollection involved the party-planner’s nightmare – when things go wrong! Joe told the story of a golf tournament in Chiang Mai, for which 5 very pretty girls had been hired by his company. On one particular day, 2 of them called in sick, too late to find replacements. In a superb example of sideways thinking, Joe decided to ask his make-up artist and costume designer to dress up and replace them, which they did with great success. It seems that most of the golfers actually liked the two substitutes more than the real thing, without realising that they weren’t quite what they seemed – one deluded player even asked for a date!
Joe pointed out that, as so many actors, singers and other professional entertainers live in Chiang Mai, this makes his job of finding the right performers for each party much easier. He gets great pleasure from supporting charities who work with poor children and the disabled, and feels that it must be very difficult for the disadvantaged to find real happiness.
His favourite job is arranging private parties as he much prefers this to corporate events. Our reporter asked him for details of the cost of his services; in reply he said that cost, dependent on requirements, of a party for 20-30 guests, is usually between 25,000-50,000 baht, including theme, decoration, performances and food and drink.
The company’s next event is a Golf Tournament for Malaysian golfers held by the Chiang Mai Tourism Association; also on schedule in the near future are a Halloween party and Loi Kratong and New Year Gala Dinners for several Chiang Mai hotels. If anyone would like to book a party, please call Joe on 081-814-5672, or fax on 053-851-885.
If you are planning an event; why not contact [email protected] to make it that little more special.

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