Photos Courtesy of NOOR Events
Photos Courtesy of NOOR Events
Photos Courtesy of NOOR Events
Photos Courtesy of NOOR Events
We all understand that in Pasadena, the pandemic, while not going away, is being kept at bay by vaccination. In fact, Pasadena still leads the state in the numbers of people vaccinated.
Thus we’ve seen smaller but more public gatherings, although masked and socially distanced, and many companies and organizations have begun clamoring for the return of in-person fundraising events.
According to Robert Shahnazarian, president and senior VP of sales & marketing at NOOR, an event space and catering service, it’s not unexpected, and they’re ready.
“We are absolutely planning all types of events,” he said in an interview Friday. “Weddings, corporate events, fundraisers, and fundraiser galas.
“And I think the main thing that people are asking is , ‘What are our options if things go south again?,’ and the good news is, because we’ve already all gone through this before, we’ve been able to give them options to make them feel confident about planning and scheduling their fundraiser gala.”
Shahnazarian pointed out that most non-profits in and around Pasadena have already gone through doing virtual events, which he called “the worst case scenario,” if an event can’t be held in person.
But he noted that there can also be hybrid versions of events, where vaccinated guests can feel comfortable coming in, while others can support their nonprofit by getting involved virtually and having dinner and a cocktail delivered to their homes to enjoy while they’re participating.
Pandemic or not, non-profit organizations still need to fundraise, he said.
“I think that every organization has a bottom line that they need to support,” Shahnazarian explained. “And for nonprofits, their number one way is hosting annual fundraiser galas. And whether they decide to do it in person or do it virtually again, they should absolutely be planning to do one or the other.”
Certainly, based on their experience and capability, NOOR would be a strong partner for nonprofits who are ready to dip their toes back into the in-person fundraiser event game.
As Shahanazarian pointed out, “NOOR is a full service event venue centrally located right in the middle of Pasadena in downtown across from the civic auditorium and convention center, and City Hall on the other side.
And, he added, “We’re a full service venue. So we have access to 3,000 parking spaces, options for valet parking, in-house catering and beverages, along with audio visual, lighting, and the staff to run everything. So it’s really a turnkey solution for anyone looking to host an event. They just need to pick the menu and decide how many guests they plan to attend the event and contact us.”
NOOR is able to provide very casual cocktail style service with food stations and hosted bar packages, to formal plated dining with a three-course dinner and along with tableside line service,”said Shahnazarian. “It really comes down to what they’re trying to do, who they’re trying to attract for their events and what type of service they want to provide the guests,” he explained.
NOOR has been hosting and producing events for 11 years, he said, which would be long before the pandemic, but they have also been hosting and providing dining and catering services one way or another, “nonstop,” since this past April.
As Shanazarian describes their work, NOOR ‘partners’ with its clients , regardless of the level of service desired.
“We help guide them along,” he said, “from the timing of food service to choosing the opportune time to stage their live auction, and that sort of thing. We help with the overall flow of the event.”
Weekdays, said Shahnazarian, NOOR is doing corporate meetings.
“Those are all day meetings and people meet in person, and we have high speed internet and giant 4K video walls and screens for their presentations. And we offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then cocktails afterwards for everyone to mix and mingle.”
As he also pointed out, it’s been a long while for so many companies, and they are ready for an in-person experience.
“For a lot of companies that are planning get-togethers again,” he said, “a lot of the employees haven’t seen each other or interacted in person in over a year. So it’s really a special opportunity to bring people back together.”
