Twenty-sixth Edition // November 2013
Featuring Aleit Wedding Coordination Aleit Events Aleit Academy Stir Food
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THE OPENING
TWENTY-SIXTH EDITION – NOVEMBER 2013
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EVENTS & WEDDINGS NEDERBERG WINE AUCTION 15 ON ORANGE
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KELSIE BLAKE INTERVIEW WITH THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER OF A MEDIA
A PLACE LAUNCH SUZANNE & JACQUES
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FEATURES
ALEIT ACADEMY A Place Launch Coordination Group
STIR FOOD
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IN CLOSING
TO END IT OF
Lourensford Winemakers Dinner Fiat Launch
INDEX // 3
OPENING //
Photographer : Hallo Gorgeous Photography
THE OPENING
Twenty-sixth Edition – November 2013 As we see Christmas decorations slowly cropping up in shopping malls all around the country we are reminded that the end of the year is looming. However for the A Team the end is not yet in sight as we are gearing up for the annual corporate year ends that are fast approaching. On the weddings side we are stimulated on a daily basis by new projects and challenges, and fantastic new clients with exceptional taste. We are currently so privileged to be dealing with clients from all over, the UAE, Germany, the Middle East Egypt, the USA…even with a few royals in between. For me personally, as Aleit, this year has been incredible in terms of my television career, as I am writing I literally finished shooting the last of 28 episodes for DEKATv, so blessed to be the lifestyle editor for one of the trendiest shows in South Africa. We also had many appearances on Top Billing, Pasella and the likes. The Aleit Group still boasts with numerous international magazine publications and international events. We are jetting off to Europe again soon in order to coordinate a very high profile function. Next year sees us hosting the annual Minister’s dinner again, this year’s event is still talked about and we are excited to get started on the next one and to absolutely top ourselves. We constantly strive to differentiate ourselves and every year we reinvent the wheel insofar as trends. The (by now) cliché’d line on our website, that we are trend setters is absolutely in our veins, and we thrive on that. I am so lucky to work with an amazing team, they take responsibility and can absolutely take a client brief…run with it and create breath taking events from what started out as a mere idea. The Aleit Academy is growing at a tremendous rate. Our final submission has been made with regards to our very own accreditation, and now we wait. Intake for 2014 is going really well and we are almost at capacity for 2014. I am so excited to meet all our new students. I will end off with a little update on my latest pet project A Place. The unbelievable success of A Place is more than I could have ever expected. We are currently working on no less than 15 interior projects and we are truly lucky to be able to say that all our clients are exceptional and such a pleasure to work with. Our hiring division is going from strength to strength, our exclusive furniture is custom made according to each unique client’s specific requirements. I am looking forward to seeing how A Place is going to grow. I wish everyone a fantastic November!
Aleit Swanepoel Founder and CEO - The Aleit Group
THE OPENING // 5
FEATURING KELSIE BLAKE On a very cool, rainy day in the middle of Spring we sit down at the beautiful newly renovated offices of A Media to have a chat with their enigmatic graphic designer, Kelsie Blake. It is always such a treat to have a chat with our creatives and get to know them a bit better. Tell us a little more about your history in design. It actually took me quite a while to find my way into studying design. At school I excelled at maths, physics and art so I was a bit confused as to where my passions lied. After matriculating I spent 10 months in Australia before making my way back to UCT to study civil engineering. Luckily I figured out very quickly that I didn’t want to do engineering for the rest of my life, so I dabbled around in miscellaneous jobs for some time before deciding to pursue my more creative side and study graphic design at Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography. I absolutely loved every second of my studies and thank my lucky stars every day that my job is my passion. What is your favourite thing about working for A Media and what has been your most memorable moment to date? My favourite thing has to be the fact that I get to design stationery and am allowed to make everything look pretty just for the sake of it looking pretty. Another wonderful perk of my job is the resources I have available to me with some of the projects – such as laser cutting or gold foiling. I never had the budget to do any of these processes while I was studying so it’s all every exciting for me! Even though I’ve only been at A Media for a short time, I already have too many memorable moments to count. Just seeing my work go from a bunch of lines and words on a screen to an actual item in my hands still makes me smile to myself and feel all warm inside (apparently I’ll get over this reaction but I secretly hope that I never do). One of my best moments though would have to be seeing the stationery I did for the A Place launch. It was
the first event that I had to do multiple designs for, and it was just so great to see them amongst all the décor and not just sitting in the office awaiting delivery. The laser engraved tree trunk slices are a special favourite of mine simply because I think they’re awesome! Your job is highly creative, what offers you creative inspiration on a daily basis? The internet is my best friend when it comes to my inspiration. I have a set of websites bookmarked on my computer that I browse whenever I have spare time to keep up with trends, and I take daily inspiration from anything visual around me. I have a massive love for packaging design so I’m always scanning the shelves of shops to see what’s new and I must admit on one or two odd occasions I have bought a product just for the packaging. But it’s all been in good favour because most of those have served as great starting points for my briefs. Outside of work, what do you do that makes you happiest? My weekends mean one thing to me: relaxing. Spending time with family and friends is by far the most important thing to me, and most of the time we spend together is spent eating or visiting a market or eating at a market. Did I mention eating? Although I also enjoy down time to myself just to take in the week’s events and process anything big that may be current in my life. That’s when I can easily lose myself in a book for a morning. If the weather is particularly bad…a day in bed watching a series is right up my alley. Spending time in the sun is definitely a big smile factor. So if you ever see me sitting in the sun with a friend and eating, you’ll know I’m in absolute bliss!
Aleit is a known perfectionist, does this affect your work in any way and if so, how?
Photographer : Leon Van Rooyen
It wouldn’t say it affects me at all. When it comes to my work, I only want to be the best so I’m already hard on myself to produce a high quality product but with the nature of our business being ridiculously busy all the time it’s hard to keep a high standard while trying to keep track of everything. If anything it’s great to know Aleit will pick up on any discrepancies before we send for final production, because you never want to find out there’s a mistake only after printing. It also keeps me on top of my game to know that I’m working for the best, therefore I also have to be the best.
EVENTS |NEDERBURG WINE AUCTION //
NEDERBuRG WINE AUCTION From an intimate gathering of food and wine lovers at our Winemakers Dinner to a considerably larger crowd of food and wine lovers at this year’s annual Nederburg Auction. Stir, along with The Aleit Group was extremely honoured to make up part of the lineup for this year’s event, which ran like a well-oiled machine thanks to our Creative Director, Johnny Hamman and his team. This year was the 39th Nederburg Auction and once again the A Team did not disappoint. The décor was an absolute inspiration, with live hanging gardens and a beautiful dark wood theme. The Marie Antoinette décor throughout the Auction fit in perfectly with this prestigious event, Rembrandt prints were hung in the dining area and the whole event spoke of classic elegance. The food, done by Stir Food was simple, hearty and wholesome. The seated lunch was a traditional Butter Chicken with fluffy Jasmine Rice, sambals, and a crispy Poppadum, accompanied by some beautiful fresh salads. The fun started on Saturday with our ‘Market Style’ food stations. Freshly rolled Sushi, Spanish seafood Paella served in edible bowls, Italian style flat breads and the favourite of the day, our ‘Plankie-vleis’ – dry aged Rump Steak, chargrilled to perfection served with a Béarnaise sauce and Truffled shoe-string fries on mini wooden planks. Food stations create a laid-back atmosphere where guests can mingle and see Chefs preparing and serving food live, adding to the entertainment value. Everyone loves variety, so having 4 different stations provides just that, as well as making sure there is something for every tastebud. 700 people over two days and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!
EVENTS // 15
EVENTS |15 ON ORANGE //
15 ON ORANGE A cool Monday morning greeted us with a gentle Northern breeze as we arrived onsite at the beautiful 15 On Orange hotel in the bustling heart of Cape Town. The set-up began, and a crisp white Bedouin stretch tent was soon glimmering in the few shy rays of sun. Patio furniture was quickly replaced with gorgeous ornate furniture pieces from our sister company A Place. A hint of floral décor and a quick AV set-up and we were ready to go. The look was innovative opulence. The team interpreted this in gorgeously designed Perspex printed menus, a strong presence of gold, deep purples and reds in the décor, and bold deep buttoned furniture pieces. Guests arrived to a backdrop of Cape Town traffic, and were treated to a delicious set of canapés. The outstanding menu included a wide variety of scrumptious dishes – from smoked Springbok Carpaccio to Portobellini Mushrooms; Cumin scented Lamb Kofta to Southern fried Chicken lollipops; Butternut Arancini to a royal Thai Prawn Curry – and everything in between. While guests enjoyed the mouth-watering menu, former CEO of Google South Africa, the acclaimed Stafford Masie, treated guests to an enticing talk on innovation, management and creative new approaches to old business practices. After his captivating talk, guests were treated to what is considered by some to be the best miniature Cheese cakes they had ever experienced. Guests departed feeling content and satisfied, both in terms of their minds and their stomachs.
EVENTS // 19
EVENTS |A PLACE LAUNCH //
A PLACE LAUNCH On Three and Four September A Place Interior and Design celebrated their exclusive launch with a one of a kind event that took place at the showroom situated on Lourensford Estate, Somerset West. A beautiful Bedouin tent covered A Place’s landscaping section offering guests shelter from the looming clouds. Welcomed with a refreshing glass of chilled bubbly and Lourensford wines guests were set to be in for a wonderful evening. Sumptuous canapés were passed around by The Aleit Academy students who had the honour of coordinating the event. The jazzy stylings of Manouche kept guests dancing all night and inspired guests to shop to their heart’s content. The latest in bespoke home decorating, A Place offers a fresh new look at interior decorating. The stunning show room which is situated on Lourensford Estate is proving to be a runaway success with the amount of visitors we receive increasing daily. The interior design service at A Place bids expert solutions within the existing building envelope, be it an office, bathroom, kitchen, entertainment area and/or any other significant space. This comprises of creative yet practical and effective spatial design and detailing.
EVENTS // 25
A full interior decorating service is also offered, which includes specification and sourcing of furniture, fabrics, wall treatments, fittings, art and objects. They are pleased to assist with the design and creation of bespoke items for a unique touch. A Place is currently working on 15 impressive projects nationwide, there is also a project in Australia in the near future. Excellent progression for such a young company, we see excellent things in the near future. They have many years worth of experience as retail designers and love creating striking shop interiors, restaurants and the like. Shop fitting drawings, lighting, signage and shop front design are all provided. The landscape design team has extensive experience in the design and implementation of green spaces, outdoor rooms and supplementary features such as paving, pools, pergola’s and water features. The two launch evenings were both an incredible success and the positive feedback received was overwhelming. We invite all clients and industry partners to come and have a look at the shop, have a complimentary glass of wine or coffee and enjoy the beauty A Place offers.
EVENTS // 29
WEDDINGS |SUZANNE & JACQUES //
SUZANNE & JACQUES mount nelson hotel How did you experience your wedding day? It might sound like a cliché, it was the best day of our lives. We could not have pulled it off without the support, enthusiasm and help from the Aleit team, especially our wedding planner, Kirsty Hartmann. The picture we saw on the day truly reflected the image we had created in our minds of how our wedding should be: A celebration of love, life and happiness. It was a timeless event, with memories that will last a lifetime. How did you meet? We don’t have a conventional love story. We met via the online social network, Twitter. Jacques is from the Eastern Cape and I am from Stellenbosch, one of my colleagues is a mutual friend and she introduced us on Twitter. Within a few months after meeting in person we got engaged and two years later we got married. Jacques: From the moment I laid eyes on Suzanne, I knew there was something special about her. I fell in love with her and never looked back. Never in my life have I met someone as witty, funny, smart and beautiful as her. I am one of the lucky few to have found the one, the one person I want to spend the rest of my life with, the one person I could never be without. I love this woman and if I had to draw up a list of all the reasons why, it would take me days, but I do know this: I would die without her and I want to spend the rest of my days, by her side, holding her hand. Suzanne: I never used to believe in the concept of soul mates, that is till I met Jacques. He is truly the love of my life. We are the two sides of a coin, both different, but incomplete without each other. I have never lived, laughed or loved so much since meeting him. I believe we were destined to meet and that he is a Godsend – The ONE. To quote lyrics from the song we cut our cake to from the movie “The
Wedding Singer”: “All I want to do is grow old with you (him)”. I’m blessed to call him my husband and blessed to know that no one will ever probably love me like Jacques does. Your best moment of the day? Suzanne: Three moments stand out: firstly, having my father walk me down the aisle. Secondly, making our entrance to the reception – we had all the lights dimmed and entered the Mount Nelson’s ballroom when the chorus part “Light up” from Snow Patrol’s song Run started playing. The ballroom was then all lit up, it was one of the most magical moments I have ever experienced. It was also very special having Niël Rademan sing a translated version of “Suzanne” in Dutch. Jacques: The whole build up on the day was spectacular. Meeting up with my groomsmen, having a drink, getting dressed and making jokes while photographs were being taken, to exchanging nervous pleasantries with guests just before the ceremony began…it all culminated in the most wonderful moment of my life, seeing my bride walking down the aisle, smiling, knowing that this was the beginning of the rest of our lives. Something good or great about us? One word stands out for both of us: Professionalism. We decided to work with the Aleit Group after hearing numerous recommendations about the excellent service and exquisite attention to detail. We can truly recommend the team without any reservations – they don’t only make dreams come true, they can even improve on your wildest dreams! Everyone asked us before the wedding if we were stressed about the planning and every time we replied: “No, we are in the most capable hands.”. One of the best parts is that we grew very close to the wonderful Kirsty and Aleit, they are more than mere wedding planners, they are friends. WEDDINGS // 35
Tell us more about the honeymoon? Since we both have jobs where we can’t take leave during September (Jacques as auditor and I as lecturer) we decided to go on honeymoon in December. Relaxation is the key word when we think about a honeymoon, and of course, great food and exotic cocktails. One place stood out: Mauritius. We will be on honeymoon for about three weeks, splitting our time between two lovely hotels: Le Mauricia and Le Touessrok. Advice to other Bridal couples tying the knot soon? • • • • • • •
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First of all, get a wedding planner! It makes the whole process less stressful and far more enjoyable. The budget will increase, be prepared to pay for what you want. Start planning at least a year prior to the wedding – time truly flies! Only invite guests who actively contribute and take part in your lives. Remember to enjoy your wedding, it’s over in the blink of an eye, so savor every moment! One of our biggest regrets is not having sat down to take it all in on the day. Get a bridal party that knows this day is all about YOU! The last thing you want is taking unnecessary stress upon yourself when it comes to the small stuff. Take dancing lessons, if you can’t dance. Wear comfortable shoes, stilettos are not made for dancing or standing on your feet for more than eight hours. Ensure your wedding playlist accommodates all your guests taste in music. Make sure there is enough food and drink!
WEDDINGS // 37
FEATURES | THE ALEIT ACADEMY //
the aleit academy’s winning 1st years Taking on this event as their very first annual practical group project, The Aleit Academy 1st Year students had the challenging, yet gratifying task to coordinate the A Place launch from initial brainstorming to final execution. The group leader, Simone Huskisson, ensured a smoothly run event with her attention to detail. Charne Kroese was assigned to be the group leader’s assistant while Nelis Vosloo managed staff during setup, execution and breakdown. Micaela Reid, who can only be described as miss personality, took care of food and beverage arrangements while Sonique Beetge worked at ensuring all hiring has been done and delivered. Caitlin Pipe made arrangements to have a personalized poem wrote for each guest, to remind them of their evening and Jana van Niekerk was on guest list and stationery duty. I am sure you can imagine that only with attention to detail, a good attitude and a tremendous amount of excellent group effort, this event could be a success. What an impressive mini A-team! They really put their names on the maps with this one. Photographer : Leon Van Rooyen
FEATURES // 43
FEATURES | STIR FOOD //
lourensford Winemakers Dinner When Winemaker Hannes Nel from Lourensford Estate approached us to work with him on this very special, very intimate event, we jumped at the opportunity. During our quieter winter months to focus on something like this is just what we love about our jobs. Chef Gustaaf Boshoff was excited to hone his food and wine pairing skills on this project and Hannes showed no lack of enthusiasm and knowledge of both the wine and the food. Many an hour in the kitchen was spent tasting, deliberating and tasting some more; both parties immersed themselves fully in finding absolute synergy between the liquid and solid carriers of flavor. There is a fine art of pairing food with wine. It takes an experienced and acute palate to pick up flavours; some are blaringly obvious, while others just present hints on the taste buds. The Lourensford Winemakers Selection is impressive to say the least and is such a pleasure to pair with food. The menu was a massive success, as was the evening in its entirety. The guests ooh-ed and aaah-ed their way through the dishes from arrival cocktails and canapĂŠs overlooking the Lourensford Polo Fields, to the unique Coffee, Chili Oil and Chocolate Beef Fillet to candle light and a starry night. Thank you to Claire Gunn Photography for the breathtaking images.
Photographer : Claire Gunn
FEATURES // 45
fiat launch Small corporate events, such as the launch of a fiery red new Fiat really pique our interest, a refreshing change of scenery from our large corporate events of up to 800 guests, such as The Champagne Festival and The Nederburg Auction. The brief was to create a truly Italian themed menu for media and journalists to enjoy at the end of the journey in the latest Fiat 500L. They were being guided by GPS along some of Cape Town’s more well known routes, such as De Waal Drive and Chapmans Peak, to end up at the truly Tuscan inspired Waterford Wine Estate in Pardyskloof, Stellenbosch. As the guests arrived they were offered a selection bruschetta; pickled carrot, courgette, artichoke and mint, wafer thin Parma Ham with a Tomato and Olive Salsa and a Melanzane-Garlicky roasted Aubergine with pops of Pomegranate jewels. After guests were seated they were served a traditional Caprese salad – a beautiful light dish with Buffalo Mozzarella, slow roasted Cherry Tomatoes, fresh Plum Tomatoes, Olives and Basil, drizzled with Balsamic and Olive Oil. This was followed by fluffy home made Gnocchi, smothered in Italian sausage Ragu and freshly sprouted Pea shoots. The perfect end to a perfect lunch-a beautiful Tiramisu in a mini jar, Espresso Crème Brulee and one-bite Limoncello Lemon Meringues.
Photographer : Leon Van Rooyen
FEATURES // 47
IN CLOSING //
Photographer : Johan Wilke
TO END IT OFF What a year. So much has happened, so much is still currently taking place. The birth of the new entity within The Aleit Group is an indication of the constant organic growth that is triggered by demand of very specified services within the events sphere. The month of September saw me literally living out of a suitcase hopping from one hotel to the other…country to country. The four week Africa excursion for the launch of the Global Development Organization kick started in East Africa and was hosted at Kenya’s Sankara Hotel. This brings up sad memories of the lives that were lost to the Somali Pirates attack at Kenya’s Westgate Mall. To think it had just been a mere 24hrs that I had left Kenya for Uganda when the attack happened. I cannot help but imagine I could have been a statistic… knowing me and my love for shopping. Post Uganda’s breakfast launch it was the last stretch to Botswana and Zambia, which felt a little more like home. Back at home it was time for yet another exciting annually held champagne festival. This being one our annual flagship events Andéle pulled out all the stops in ensuring it lived beyond expectations, Well done Andéle! Also what stunning and out of this world décor and furniture A-Place put together. This was indeed a 5 star event. We now gear up towards the year-end celebrations to take place in five cities countrywide. I know each project manager is excited and looking forward to what will be yet another spectacular celebration. Many thanks to the team behind yet another exciting newsletter edition. It takes a lot meeting tight deadlines and outmost creativity to putting together such an awesome read that constantly keeps readers captivated. Kindest Regards,
Thabo Matlhako Director - The Aleit Group
THE CLOSING // 49
SERVICE PROFESSIONALS EVENTS NEDERBERG WINE AUCTION Marquee Hire Florist Sound & Lighting Bar & Staffing Draping Furniture Hire & Styling Coffee Stations Toilet Hire Catering Catering Shoe Shine Service Entertainment Venue
Downings Flowers in the Foyer Presentation Staging Shake and Serve To-netts In and Out Events Coffee Right Sales Toilet Hire Stir Food Zest Catering Leers Shoe Shine Manouche Nederburg Estate
15 ON ORANGE Venue Food Furniture & DĂŠcor Jazz Duo AV & Lighting Bedouin Tent Photography
15 On Orange 15 On Orange A Place Gary Deacon DNG Presentation Staging Nomadik A Media (Leon Van Rooyen)
A PLACE LAUNCH Tent Catering Lighting & Sound Furniture Stationery Music Bar & Staffing Coordination
Downings Marquee Stir Food Presentation Staging A Place a Media Manouche Shake & Serve The Aleit Academy
SERVICE PROFESSIONALS WEDDINGS SUZANNE & JACQUES Sound & Lighting Stationery Hiring Hiring Hiring Hiring Hair & Makeup Wedding Florist Entertainment Photographer Videographer DJ Venue Piano Hire
Presentation Staging Secret Diary Top Table Classy Hire Styled Functions Exclusive Hiring Alicia Buckle Nelle’s Cakes Flowers in the Foyer Aleit Music and Entertainment Vivid Blue FJS The Beat Collective Mount Nelson Hotel W.Heuer