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Pierce Mattie Public Relations and Rachel Bilson presented Chef Yossi to Los Angeles on June 15th at Hollywood’s hottest Southern food eatery, Memphis Restaurant, and helped raise close to $4,000 for the Los Angeles Mission. The party began at 8:00 pm and by 8:30 pm there were already over 115 guests in attendance. Even Edy and Maryam, who had compiled the guest list, were surprised at the lengthy line at the door. According to Edy, “I knew that the line would be long, but I had no idea that so many guests would show up so early.”
Yossi, Rachel, and other stylish stars enjoyed hors d’oeuvres prepared by Yossi’s catering company, Off the Shelf, while dancing to music spun by special guest Jake Hoffman. The Chef Yossi event has been featured in OK! Magazine, E! Entertainment, Angeleno Magazine, LA Splash Magazine, BiZBash, and Los Angeles Confidential.
A Creative Idea
The Chef Yossi event started with a simple goal: to familiarize the press with Chef Yossi, who is a personal chef to the stars and the creator of the first patented odor-eliminating product line for chefs. Edy and Maryam decided that the best way to accomplish this end in Los Angeles is to throw a party celebrating Chef Yossi the person.
Partner with a Respected Charity
Edy researched Los Angeles based charities and presented Yossi with a list of reputable charities. Yossi was drawn to the The Los Angeles Mission, which is a nonprofit organization that has served the homeless living on the streets of downtown’s Hope Central known as Skid Row for over 50 years. Since celebrities are inundated with invitations to parties on a daily basis, it is important for a launch party to stand out from the countless other invitations. Raising money for the Los Angeles Mission helped build a reputable guest list.
Secure Media and Celebrity Attendees
The partnership with the Los Angeles Mission secured Rachel Bilson as the presenter of Chef Yossi. A save the date was sent three weeks before the party to generate buzz. Then a formal invitation was sent a week before the party to all media and celebrities. A pre-event release listing celebrity attendees was
sent out three days before the event. Lastly, the event was listed on hollywoodcalendar.com. Additional outreach was completed via phone and email until the actual day of the event to further build the guest list.
As a result of this extensive outreach, the following celebrities attended the event: Jeremy Piven, Dustin Hoffman, Eliza Dushku, Michelle Rodriguez, Adam Levine, Nina Kaczorowski, Nia Long, Tara Lipinski, German Legarreta, Rita Branch, Adam Brody, Tamara Feldman, Jake Hoffman, Anthony Ghannam, Shauna Sand Lamas, Sara Lassez, Izabella Miko and James Wilder.
Create a Coveted Gift Bag
Every great launch event has a highly coveted gift bags. In order to secure a gift bag filled with cooking related items that complemented Chef Yossi’s line of personal care products, Edy and Maryam contacted edgy eco-friendly companies, a process that involved several weeks of extensive phone calls.
Guests at the Chef Yossi event took home Thermos Coolers on wheels, filled with the following items: the entire Chef Yossi line, a t-shirt from Company 81, Zhena Gypsey Tea, Izze Beverages, food items from Robert Rothschild Farms, JoJoBars, Celebrate a book by Workman Publishing, Vivi’s Original Sauce, gift certificates from Kate Summerville, Le Creuset cookware, Wine Enthusiast Magazine, skincare products from Aromapharmacy, Tzu bars, and stationary from Square Six and R-Nichols.
Arrive Early and Stay Late
All last minute details must be taken care of before the start of the event. Edy and Maryam arrived at the venue 3 hours early to supervise the red carpet, welcome the members of the press, set up an entrance area, and greet early arrivers. Arriving early also allows for adding special touches to the venue, such as replacing the soap in the bathrooms with Chef Yossi hand soap. It is also imperative to stay at the party until all guests have left in order to properly send off guests. Edy and Maryam were the first guests to arrive and the last ones to leave.
The Outcome
Based on the list of celebrities in attendance, the Chef Yossi Party successfully established Pierce Mattie Public Relations as one of Los Angeles’ more strategic and connected public relations firms.
