TIFF 2014: What it takes to plan an event for celebrities

Behind the glitz and the glam of the red carpet premieres and exclusive parties, a team of people is hard at work making sure things go off without a hitch and at the highest of standards.

Nick Di Donato, president and CEO of Liberty Entertainment Group is no stranger to fulfilling the requests of some of Hollywood’s heavyweights – his company operates several of the festival’s hot spots including Cibo, Spice Route and Casa Loma. He spoke to us ahead of the festival to share what it really takes to pull off an A-list event, and share some juicy details about some big name celebs.

What goes into planning a high-profile events for A-list celebs?

There is a tremendous amount of planning and preparation that goes into hosting an event for A-List celebrities. One of the biggest parts of the planning is the security and ensuring privacy for the A-List celebrity. It is very important that we determine how to give them their privacy within an event environment. The more they feel comfortable and not bothered by paparazzi and autograph/photo seekers the longer they stay at the party and enjoy themselves.

Who’s been the biggest diva you’ve had to work with?

The biggest diva we have hosted was the star from the Blade trilogy. He was always surrounded by an entourage made up of at least 10 women. He constantly needed to be centre of attention but when he was at a party we hosted with Brad Pitt and no one was paying attention to him, he almost threw a tantrum. He was doing whatever he could to draw attention to himself.

Who’s been the most down to earth?

We have hosted many celebrities and most are pretty down to earth, but Nicholas Cage was one of the best. He even called me several times to go to dinner after we met; which goes to show what a friendly person he is. A close second was Jim Carrey; all he wanted to do was party and have a good time.

What sets an A-list event apart from others?

What sets an A-list party apart from us regular people is there are no limits for an A-List event. For example, Paul Allen, a partner at Microsoft, was hosting a party for his new film company and they were doing a two hour cocktail party prior to the movie premiere. I asked what the budget was and they said, “$1,000 per person, give us the best party we can have.” We had to run out and buy all the premium caviar and Cristal champagne we could get our hands on to hit the budget and make it over the top.

What’s the most extravagant food request you’ve had to fulfill?

Farah Fawcett. We were doing a post screening party for her and she was planning on having a private after party. She loved the food we were serving so much, she wanted us to serve all her guest at her hotel for the after party with 10 minutes notice. We had to load up food, staff, small wares into limos, cabs and whatever mode of transportation we could find to move the entire party. She took our entire restaurant staff with her and had a great party back at her hotel.

How do you handle the pressure?

Our philosophy is very simple: just make it happen.