Luncheon by Design Fundraiser Celebrates Art, Fashion. . . and Event Sponsors

Written by Kimberly MacArthur Graham on May 10, 2012

Megan Hudacky, Heather Maurer, Dana Lynch

This week, I attended the Denver Art Museum’s annual Luncheon by Design, which tied in with the museum’s incredible Yves Saint Laurent show.  A capacity crowd, many wearing fancy “luncheon” hats, listened as Christie’s Catherine Elkies spoke about the “Legendary Collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge” auctioned off for record sums in 2009.  It was a magical show-and-tell of work by iconic artists and designers including Eileen Gray, Marcel Duchamp, Henri Matisse, and Constantin Brancusi.  A crowd favorite was Gray’s “Dragon Chair,” which had been estimated at 3M Euros, but sold for 22M, setting a new record for decorative arts.  Big wow factor at an event raising funds for the museum’s Department of Architecture, Design & Graphics.  But as a marketer (and I’m always wearing THAT hat), what wowed me the most were the event’s timing, theming, and effective sponsorship packages.  Tying this annual fundraiser to a blockbuster exhibition was a brilliant strategy that resulted in increased media attention, attendance, and sponsor participation.  Good food, an entertaining speaker, beautiful décor, and great networking will help bring back attendees.  Sponsors – which included Christie’s, Luxe Magazine, and Affinity Design Center, had a good experience, too, thanks to effective packages that included high visibility at the event, in ads and on invitations, plus effusive personal thanks from the host, DAM Curator Darrin Alfred.  Hats off to the Denver Art Museum and Luncheon by Design!

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Layer Cake Creative is a strategic marketing agency specializing in communications, design, publicity and online marketing that enrich your brand and support your strategic and sales goals.  This Denver marketing firm specializes in promoting professional services such as architecture, construction, engineering, law, finance, and real estate.

Kimberly MacArthur Graham, founder of Layer Cake Creative, is an expert in professional services marketing with 20+ years in the design and building industry.  She’s especially proficient in marketing communications including technical or creative writing and editing, articles submitted for publication, and brand messaging.

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