Inside the Emmys’ Most Glamorous Event: The Governors Ball

The industry’s most elite will celebrate Nature’s Elegance—this year’s theme—from inside the air-conditioned venue (hey, it gets hot downtown!) while experiencing the romantic garden ambience that delights the senses.

From the moment guests enter the Governors Ball, they will be mesmerized by the inspirational beauty of old world gardens and the California landscape’s natural grandeur. Some of the signature elements will include suspended canopies of lilac, wisteria and ivy, a winding central pathway bordered by lush plants and grasses, rustic walls draped with foliage, and flickering ‘firefly’ lighting illuminating the room.

Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions, the brains behind the production and conception, adds that the “nature-driven theme of al fresco celebration” was spawned by the event’s co-chairs, Barbara Cassel and Ed Fassl. The event’s “lush garden walls, cascading overhead orals, and custom-designed ‘Farm-to-Table’ menu” perfectly complement the evening, as Cassel strived to achieve “a clear message of grand style within a natural atmosphere of comfort and relaxation.”

To keep things fresh, the Television Academy has also added a new twist: setting a record by throwing three separate balls over back-to-back weekends. In addition to the Governors Ball, the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony will extend from one to two consecutive nights—each with its own gala. In total, some 8,000 guests will be wined and dined in magnificent style at the trio of events.

That’s a lot to have on anyone’s plate, but legendary chef Joachim Splichal and his Patina team—back for their 21st Governors Ball— can handle it. For months, they have been collaborating on dishes that celebrate the late summer season. Drawing inspiration from this year’s rustic theme, Splichal, as well as Culinary Executive Chef Gregg Wiele and Executive Pastry Chef Frania Mendivil, crafted a three-course meal that includes beet salad with pistachio-goat cheese bonbons and blood oranges, thyme-roasted tenderloin and slow-braised short rib and, as the finale, a chocolate cream cake with tropical coconut mousse that brings out the natural flavors of each ingredient.