(Photo Credit: Valerie Betts)
There could not have been more perfect weather for the Friday and Saturday of Emmy Awards weekend. With the recent Southern California heat wave in the rearview mirror, GBK Brand Bar and Mend took full advantage for their Luxury Awards Lounge outdoors on the terrace of the storied Beverly Wilshire Hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills.
The two-day event hosted about 30 Emmy nominees, presenters, past winners and talent, along with other VIP guests, who checked out this season’s hottest gifts and trips to beautiful locations.
Among those seen enjoying the festivities were Oscar-winning actors Viola Davis and Mira Sorvino along with a diverse range of stars of nominated shows including Alan Cumming, Mark Duplass, Mekhi Phifer, Stacie Greenwell, Jonathan Golodner, Michael Minkler, Duncan McRae, Abbey Romeo, David Isaacman, Hiroto Kanai, Yuki Kedoin, Meriel Sheibani-Clare, Denee Benton, Isaac Robinson Smith, Rose Abdoo, Tomo Goodman, Victoria Tate, Edwin Lee Gibson, Marlo Kelly, Luenell, Sarah Podemski, and Lane Factor. Other notable guests included David Del Rio, Vanessa Rubio, Cat Cora, Jimbo, L. Scott Caldwell, Calah Lane, Tabitha Brown, Karen Hunger, Adina Porter, Toks Olagundoye and Tim Bagley.
The event’s title sponsor, MEND, gifted attendees with its skincare regimen, which harnesses the power of stem cells and gold nanoparticles.
Other top vendors included Glory Jewelry, featuring diamond-encrusted butterflies, Michael Todd Beauty with their award-winning facial beauty devices and fine artist Nita Patel, who gifted museum quality giclée prints.
The guests also received gifts from from Xalisco Spirits’ premium Tequila La Propuesta and Tequila 4Hundred Voice 100% agave tequila, AXR 99 Point Wines from Napa Valley, Happy Gut Life LLC coffee which offers a cleaner, healthier, pesticide-free, coffee that’s good for your gut, Ike’s Love and Sandwiches, and Harry’s Famous Sauce, founded by entrepreneur and actor Harry Hamlin.
Select attendees were also given world class trips to La Casa del Camino in Laguna Beach, CA, a stay in Fiji at the “World Boutique Hotel Awards” winner, Raiwasa Private Resort, and a 5-night stay at the premiere luxury Turks and Caicos resort by Sailrock Resort. And for football fans, the Los Angeles Chargers offered guests a full VIP game day on field experience at SoFi Stadium with an all-inclusive suite .
Philanthropy is important to GBK Brand Bar CEO Gavin Keilly, and this year was no exception with the inclusion of (RED), which was founded by U2’s Bono and Bobby Shriver to fight AIDS and has generated over $760 million for the global fund, helping more than 290 million people world-wide, Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) a non-profit volunteer crises response team that works with first responders and hospital personnel, and The Collective Identity Mentoring founded by Nicole Lynn, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to empowering young Black women by enhancing their self-esteem, leadership skills, and academic achievements.
These organizations all had the opportunity to speak with the celebrities and press in attendance about the good work they are doing to help others– and (RED) attracted much attention with its shiny red Vespa.
