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On The Scene: Foster Grant Sun Luv Sunglasses Hosts the Paraiso Miami Beach Welcome Dinner For Miami Swim Week 2022

by Avyana Chapman
written by Avyana Chapman

On July 14th, 2022, Foster Grant hosted the Paraiso Miami Beach influencer and media welcome dinner at Tropezon, located in the Esme Miami Beach Hotel. Foster Grant Sun Luv collection is the Official Sponsor of Miami Swim week’s “Paraiso Miami Beach.” The leading global eyewear brand was featured at the shows all weekend and at the fashion tent daily with display, gifting, and photo booth activations.

 

The Foster Grant® SUN LUV collection was created to celebrate uniqueness while at the same time embracing important connections to others. Every pair of SUN LUV sunglasses comes with a coordinating A4114A® pouch (“All for One, One for All”) and bracelet to complete the look. And all of that comes in a reusable and recyclable paper tube. 

The fun-filled Miami evening started with mingling, music, photos, a deliciously unique Rosé spritzer welcome cocktail, and charcuterie. The Rosé spritzer cocktail was light and refreshing but still had bold flavors of mint which gave this cocktail its unique twist. Once everyone was seated Natalija Dedic Stojanovic and John James Muller welcomed all the guests with a brief welcome introduction before the family-style dinner plates started coming out. 

 

Tropezon, an Andalusian-style gin and tapas bar hidden in the corridors of historic Española Way was responsible for providing all the delicious eats, wines, and cocktails that were severed throughout the night. For our 1st course we indulged in: Para Picar, jamón ibérico de bellota, lomo de bellota, chorizo, mojama, manchego, hummus, gigante bean, finca la torre, sullivan street bread, pan con tomate, plum tomato, heirloom tomato, and garlic. The 2nd course featured carrots, chimichurri, yogurt, idiazabal, Patatas Bravas, aioli, pimentón, Tuna, ajo blanco, and salted cucumber. In our 3rd course, we enjoyed: local fish, clams, tio pepe, salsa verde, chicken, mojo picón, papas canaria, and swiss chard. Finally, it was dessert time. Our sweet tooths were satisfied with: churros, gianduja, salt peaches, oloroso, almond, and vanilla ice cream.

Everyone in attendance received a goodie bag filled with Foster Grant Sun Luv glasses, beauty products from Elaluz by Camila Coelho, and jewelry from Simplicité. 


Talent and Influencers including: Jessie James Decker, Sydney Rae Bass, Jessica Payne, Cindy Prado, Alexa Collins, Madi Webb, and more were in attendance at the welcome dinner.

        

The evening continued at the Official Swim Week Kick-Off Party at the W Hotel on South Beach hosted by Paraiso Miami Beach and Select Model Management. 

  

Special thanks to the Getty Images, A-list Communications, and everyone who made this epic night possible. Photo Credit: Aaron Davidson.

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LifestyleThe Latest

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH NATHAN LEONG & VISIT TO “SOMEWHERE NOWHERE”

by Avyana Chapman
written by Avyana Chapman

The Knockturnal checked out the beautiful, Somewhere Nowhere rooftop club last weekend. If you have never been check it out ASAP! The long weekend is still young!

Somewhere Nowhere NYC, a two-level indoor lounge and open-air rooftop pool venue, sits at the top of the Renaissance New York Chelsea Hotel located at 112 W 25th St, on the 38 and 39th floors. The 5,156-square-foot luxury day and nightlife destination is designed to artfully merge progressive sound and lighting technology with garden-inspired decor and magical design to indulge guests in an immersive nightlife experience. The decadence of Somewhere Nowhere’s outdoor lounge and open-air rooftop pool boasts 360 views of Manhattan’s majestic skyline as far as the eye can see.

The cocktail menu changes seasonally and features a mix of classic libations and expertly crafted cocktails that match the venue decor and escapism from the hustle and bustle of the city. On the food side, Somewhere Nowhere offers globally inspired comfort food dishes that are upscale yet approachable for all guests. Available on the After-Work menu to take off the edge, Late Night Food, or Nightlife Menu. 

The Knockturnal was greeted by Nik, who was amazing and took us right up to the 38th to get our night started. THIS VENUE WAS STUNNING! It literally looked like we were in a fairytale!! OMG!! After being lost for words for about 5 minutes and trying to record the beautiful Instagramable establishment, Nik escorted us into the VIP section where we started the night with a couple of refreshing cocktails. After enjoying a few cocktails and a shot we went to the dance floor to jam out to the music @samblacky and @jacksonenglund were spinning! The rest of the night was filled with great vibes, amazing views of the city, and music that kept us moving and feeling alive!

The Knockturnal also had the pleasure to interview Nathan Leong:

The Knockturnal: Please tell readers about yourself. 

Nathan Leong: I’ve always gravitated to the high-energy and fast-paced lifestyle of nightlife and hospitality. As an Asian kid growing up in Puerto Rico, I was able to stand out amongst my classmates. I was the kid who always threw parties and gravitated to a very active social life. When I moved to New York, I was quickly attracted to nightlife and the energy from the atmosphere and began co-producing VIP Table Decks for the main stage at Electric Zoo— the largest electronic music festival in New York. Growing a reputation in the industry and the right contacts to build a live music venue, I launched my hospitality group El Grupo SN with partner Sameer Qureshi to open the tallest nightclub, lounge and rooftop pool with Somewhere Nowhere. We wanted to create a venue that felt like an escape in all aspects from the decor, high tech sound system and location itself which is how the name was created— Somewhere Nowhere, you are somewhere but able to escape to be ‘in the moment’ or nowhere at the same time. 

The Knockturnal: What makes Somewhere Nowhere more than a nightclub and music venue? 

Nathan Leong: My partner Sameer Qureshi, and I have always said from day one that we are creating a lifestyle brand with Somewhere Nowhere NYC. Our goal is to expand our brand and experiences beyond one physical location and create memorable and intimate experiences within our ecosystem that will be made available in multiple destinations. Under one roof, we’ve expanded to offer events beyond nightlife by introducing Daylife for after-work events and the launch of our rooftop pool and new jazz programming on Wednesdays. 

In addition, we’ve bridged the gap between the tech and hospitality communities through the launch of our NFT collection— The Somethings. Our membership-utility based NFT collection will offer royalty rewards, as well as will work towards becoming a household name in the lifestyle and entertainment world as a brand producing exclusive digital and IRL (in real life) experiences and brand activations that will unite our community in multiple cities. We recently launched our in-house creative Web3 studio, SWNW Lab to accomplish this – which currently has over 10,000 registrations for the NFT collection. 

With The Somethings NFT project, our hospitality group can invite Somewhere Nowhere NYC’s community to embark on a journey from one physical location to a plethora of new experiences within our ecosystem in multiple cities and destinations. 

The Knockturnal: Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way? 

Nathan Leong: We’ve been fortunate to have the support of the community we’ve built over the years. It has helped make it a smooth road instead of launching Somewhere Nowhere and these new ventures without a base clientele. We have amazing support from everyone. The biggest challenge we’ve faced is growing and scaling while maintaining a level of top execution for events. That’s all part of growing pains and we’ve been fortunate to find top event planners who are stepping up to take on the new challenges as we continue to add new programming and expansions. Scaling your business is always the goal, so learning how to improve as you grow is a new set of exciting challenges that we’re ready to face. 

The Knockturnal: What are you and your team most looking forward to in the future?

Nathan Leong: We’re excited to officially launch our NFT collection by SWNW Lab, The Somethings. This is a project that 3D motion graphic designer Matt Burniston and myself have been working on for the last five months. The team is excited for The Somethings NFTs to drop as it adds a new element of gamification to our everyday interaction with our clients. With ‘The Somethings’ we are able to add more experiences for our clientele that expands our ecosystem beyond Somewhere Nowhere NYC – such as token-gated pop-up experiences. The Somethings collection will be dropping this summer to offer customers special membership perks through their NFTs. 

Now that it’s Summer and the weather is beautiful again, we have ramped up entertainment for Somewhere Nowhere with day life and afterwork programs being activated on both the nightclub and rooftop pool levels of the venue. 

In addition, we’re expanding our El Grupo SN hospitality group this summer 2022 with our newest venue in Long Island City, Gamehaus NY. A multi-room concept as the largest family-friendly venue in New York. 

You can follow Nathan Leong on Twitter or Instagram: @nathanleongnyc

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EventsLifestyleThe Latest

Playing For Change Foundation Impact Awards Gala & After Party

by Avyana Chapman
written by Avyana Chapman

Playing For Change Foundation Impact Awards Gala & after-party had the Faena Forum in South Beach full of excitement this past Saturday to honor Luis Fonsi & Paula Abdul by celebrating their charitable achievements. Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is a non-profit music & arts organization with programs in over 15 countries with 50+ locations.

On Saturday, the Playing For Change Foundation hosted their 2nd annual gala, raising over 1 million in ticket sales and auction items, setting a record to date for the foundation! The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour before moving into an elaborate dinner featuring entertainment by Luis Fonsi, Cimafunk, and other prominent artists, all powered by CEEK VR, with support from Tequila Herradura. Some notable auction items included: an NFL Rams game package, a Miami Heat floor seats package, a luxury Napa trip with a Screaming Eagle experience, and many more.

The after-party at the Faena Theater was truly magical. The theme of the theater, located on Collins Avenue Miami, is inspired by Europe’s historic opera houses and had stunning gold-leaf and red velvet decor. As soon as guests walked into the after-party we were indulged with talented live musicians playing various genres of music, an open bar, hors-d’oeuvres, and a full dessert station. The hors-d’oeuvres enjoyed by guests included: chicken and waffles, hotdogs, mini sliders, and many more delicious bites. The dessert bar had a variety of cookies and donuts to satisfy any sweet tooth. My favorite hors-d’oeuvre of the night was the chicken and waffles which had a perfect blend of sweet, savory, crunchy, and light taste with a slight kick of spice. After grabbing some delicious bites and cocktails the guests danced the night away to the lively music by a variety of talented musicians, I even learned a few salsa dance moves!

PFCF Impact Award recipient Luis Fonsi comments, “Thank you, Playing for Change Foundation, I’m truly honored. One of the most valuable things I have learned throughout my career is how much we can help bring awareness and use our voices for the greater good, not just for entertainment. I’ve truly found profound meaning while helping others, be it through my work with St Jude Hospital or my Foundation, and I’m fortunate that thanks to events like this one, I’m able to speak more about causes so dear to my heart.” 

Whitney Kroenke Silverstein, Co-Founder & Board President, comments, “It feels great to be back in Miami, in person, for our 2022 Playing for Change Foundation Impact Awards Gala. We can’t think of two better recipients than Paula and Luis, for their contributions not only to the world of music, but also for their commitment to using their platform to make a positive impact on the world.”

CEEK VR has teamed with Impact Awards/Playing for Change to bring this year’s event exclusively to the CEEK Metaverse. The award-winning performances will be on www.ceek.com and on the CEEK VR App. The CEEK Metaverse will also feature an exclusive NFT collection with Impact Awards in celebration of the music superstars and their fans. Founder and CEO, Mary Spio says, “The exclusive Impact Awards/ Playing for Change NFT collection enables us to engage music fans in an exciting and impactful way, while raising funds for a truly important cause.”

According to the Playing For Change Foundation website: “Playing For Change Foundation grew out of a common belief that music has the power to connect people regardless of their differences. Founded in 2007, PFCF was established to create positive change through music and arts education. Our work engages marginalized youth in diverse communities around the world, primarily located in low and lower-middle-income countries. These communities are home to great cultural wealth, which we use to create educational and social opportunities. We currently operate 17 music programs in 13 countries and have positively impacted more than 40,000 lives since 2007, including more than 3,000 youth through regular programming in 2019. We employ more than 200 staff, teachers, and community leaders locally across program locations, including Mali, Morocco, Ghana, Rwanda, South Africa, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina. Each program serves anywhere from 50 – 900 children. PFCF was honored to be named a Polar Music Prize winner in 2019”.

The three values Playing For Change Foundation lives by are local leadership, social empowerment, and transparency.

Notable attendees included: Karolina Kurkova, Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin “Baby Slice” Ferguson, Felix Semper, Jack McClinton, and more showing their support for this wonderful organization.

To learn more about the organization and ways to help them achieve its goals please check out its website.

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EventsLifestyle

On The Scene: The 26th Annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival

by Avyana Chapman
written by Avyana Chapman

Las Olas was the place to be Friday, April 22nd for the Las Olas Food and Wine Festival. The night was filled with eating delicious bites and sippin’ on wine, beer, and mouth-watering cocktails all while helping to fund lung disease research, education, advocacy, and support for individuals living with lung disease in South Florida. 

“Every year this event brings together the best of the best of South Florida. The Festival attracts a diversity of industries and demographics, representing various corporations, hospitality partners, entertainment vendors, and attendees from all over Florida and beyond,” remarks LaJuane Mack, Las Olas Wine and Food Festival Committee Member, South Florida American Lung Association Leadership Board Member, and Region Multicultural Manager – Central with Brown-Forman Beverages.

The three-hour event shut down a nice portion of Las Olas with tents lining both sides of the road filled with food and drinks from many local restaurants, breweries, and bars. Faux Pas had my favorite drink of the night, a canned pear Moscow Mule, I typically do not love Moscow Mules, but the canned cocktail was bursting with flavors from the pear notes. I highly enjoyed trying all the different wines, beers, cocktails, prosecco, and champagnes, and can not say there was one beverage I did not enjoy. 

The unlimited small plates of food had to be the highlight of this event for me, there were 28 food vendors and I made sure to try delicious bites from each of them in a three-hour window, a new food record for myself! I loved all the flavorful ceviches- there were quite a few I tried that night. I also can not stop dreaming about the spicy meatballs from Nikki’s Foods LLC. There was a true variety of restaurants at this event for all taste pallets, from seafood, sweets, pasta dishes, poultry, bruschetta, and so many more tasteful bites. 

When you think the night can not get any better there is more- not only did this event feature wine and food but it also featured a 360 photo booth, a silent dance party, some outdoor games, and loads of free giveaways from shirts to seltzer koozies. The silent dance party has to be one of the most innovative ways to party and dance off all the food that was consumed that night. For the silent dance party, each person was given a headset and they could choose between three different stations to dance the night away under the stars. It was hilarious to see everyone dancing to their own beat (literally).

“The American Lung Association is proud to share this memorable experience with our community. Proceeds from the Festival allow us to fund life-saving research, provide community-based support programs for those living with lung disease, and advances much-needed advocacy efforts to ensure clean air for all,” shares Cynthia Peterson, South Florida American Lung Association Board Member and Executive Director of Broward County Medical Association.

If you missed this event this year be sure to check it out next time, you will not regret it!

American Lung Association Interview On The 26th Annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival: 

 

Tell us about the event?

The 26th Annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival annually celebrates the incredible restaurant community of Greater Fort Lauderdale with a one-night event on the iconic Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, FL. There are five blocks of sampling stations featuring the participating restaurants paired with international wine stations so guests can sip, sample, and enjoy, thanks to presenting sponsor, Breakthru Beverage. The evening brings together the best of the area and is hosted by and benefits the American Lung Association.

Tell us about the American Lung Association and it works? 

The American Lung Association is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.  

  • Money raised funds the American Lung Association’s efforts to end all lung diseases, including lung cancer and COVID-19, through research, education, and advocacy. 
  • The Lung Association has long been the trusted champion for lung health. 
    • Over 115 years ago, the organization pioneered the model of using education, advocacy, and research to virtually eradicate tuberculosis in the U.S. 
    • Using these same principles, the Lung Association works to end all lung diseases, including COVID-19.

What were the highlights of the evening?

Prior to the event’s official start, VIP guests enjoyed a spectacular pre-event reception hosted by FPL at the Riverside Hotel Rooftop Terrace.  The reception included bites from Wild Sea Las Olas and Sky Thai Sushi, sweets courtesy of Hoffman’s Chocolates, and a champagne toast, courtesy of Korbel Champagne.

Some of the highlights of the night were the incredible samples the restaurant partners served, the entertainment sponsor lounges featuring Celebrity Cruises Silent Disco, Woodford Reserve’s Ode to the Derby, High Noon Dance Party, and Stella Artois’ Frites & Artois Experience. The all-new Demesmin & Dover 8th Ave.  Street Party was a huge hit.  Each pavilion had DJs or live music and provided everyone with constant entertainment and so much fun!  As guests flowed throughout the event, they popped in and out of the dance party with free giveaways and merchandise.  

How do you determine what restaurants, breweries, and wineries are showcased at the event?

The restaurants participating apply each year for one of the exclusive spots on the boulevard.  Our goal is to include a wide representation of Fort Lauderdale and the surrounding area restaurants to ensure guests get a diversity of offerings and discover new favorite places to dine in the future.  The beverages are selected exclusively by partners of the Festival.  We are so fortunate to continue to receive tremendous support from our Presenting Sponsor Breakthru Beverage and its amazing suppliers on the wine and spirits side and Stephens Distributing on the beer side. 

 What other big events do you do throughout the year? 

  • Fight for Air Climb – celebrates all athletic levels working toward a common goal: a world free of lung disease.  Held annually each spring, this year the Climb was held at loanDepot park – Home of the Miami Marlins.   Participants climbed over 1,700 steps.  
  • LUNG FORCE Soiree – Scheduled for June 4th at 6:30 p.m. at the W Fort Lauderdale. Sunset Soiree, brought to you by Title Sponsor, Memorial Cancer Institute, is a premier luxury lifestyle event of the season designed to raise awareness, education, and critical funding to end lung cancer. This event recognizes several of our LUNG FORCE heroes and includes several guest DJ performances, a one-of-a-kind style lounge, beauty bar, craft cocktails, wine pull, chance drawing, silent auction, and more. For tickets and more information visit  https://one.bidpal.net/sunsetsoiree2022/welcome

Any upcoming news on the American Lung Association that you would like to share? 

  • The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative unites America to raise critical awareness of lung cancer, the nation’s leading cancer killer, during Turquoise Takeover Week (May 8 – 14, 2022). Each May, we work with landmarks and buildings across the U.S. to turn turquoise, our signature color, to honor those living with and impacted by lung cancer. To get involved locally visit www.turquoisetakeoverchallenge.org. 
  • While the survival rate of lung cancer has increased by a dramatic 33% over the past 10 years, there is still work to be done. It is estimated that in 2022 alone, there will be over 19,560 Florida residents diagnosed with lung cancer.
  • Turquoise Takeover provides the opportunity to raise more awareness about lung cancer, educate on lifesaving screening and raise more research funds to fuel lifesaving breakthroughs. Each year, we turn the nation turquoise and tell the stories of those impacted by lung cancer to change the public’s perception of the disease and help save more lives. Anyone can get lung cancer. In fact, 2/3 of lung cancer diagnoses impact non-smokers. Regardless, no one deserves this devastating disease.

Who are some key partners of the event?

The festival is presented by Breakthru Beverage with their 30+ wine suppliers along with High Noon Sun Sips and Woodford Reserve. Hosting sponsors include Celebrity Cruises, Cadillac, Las Olas Association, Las Olas Company, and Demesmin and Dover. Additional sponsors include Broward Health, Stella Artois, VIP Pre-Festival Reception host FPL, Truist, Kindred, Crown Wine and Spirits, Memorial Healthcare, Stephen’s Distributing, RRCA Roofing, and the host hotel is Riverside Hotel. 

 

Featured Culinary Partners included:  

  • American Social 
  • Bahia Mar 
  • Beehive Kitchen 
  • Big Buns/Matchbox 
  • Bo’s Pub Las Olas / The Balcony 
  • Boatyard Restaurant 
  • Bodega  
  • Casa Sensei 
  • Cornish BBQ INC 
  • Dunkin’ 
  • Estiatorio Ornos 
  • Eve On The Water 
  • Even Keel Fish & Oyster 
  • Gelato Petrini 
  • Gran Forno/ Gran Forno Pronto 
  • Lona Cocina Tequileria 
  • Louie Bossi’s Ristorante 
  • Morea 
  • Nikki’s Foods LLC 
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes 
  • Radiant 166 
  • Rivertail 
  • Sushi Garage 
  • The Alchemist Cafe 
  • The Patio at Le Marché  
  • The Wilder  
  • Vale Food Co 
  • Wild Sea 
  • YOLO Restaurant  

 

Beverage Partners: 

  • Aspect Fine Wine 
  • August Wine Imports 
  • Avalon 
  • BEV 
  • Bogle Vineyards 
  • Clos du Bois 
  • Daylight Wine & Spirits  
  • Elysian 
  • Faux Pas  
  • Guarachi Wine  
  • Hiro Sake  
  • Indigenous Selections 
  • Kaiken  
  • O’Neill Vintners  
  • Piattelli Vineyards 
  • Precept Wine 
  • Prosecco Zero 
  • Q Mixers 
  • Sonoma-Cutrer  
  • Treasury Wine Estates 
  • Blue Point 
  • Budweiser  
  • Goose Island 
  • Veza Sur 
  • Wicked Weed 
  • VOSS Sparkling Water 
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