The Trifecta Gala presented by the Bridgeman Charitable Group is an annual Kentucky Derby fundraiser benefiting various charitable organizations. For the past 18 years, retired NBA guard Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman and his family have hosted the most exclusive events during the Kentucky Derby weekend, drawing the likes of notable celebrities, influencers, top-athletes, as well as international CEOs and chairmen from diverse industries. Each year, The Trifecta Gala celebrates the Derby while raising funds for specific charities pledging to make the world a better place through an evening to remember.
Back for the 150th Kentucky Derby, this year’s event was headlined by Global superstar and award-winning singer, songwriter, and producer Bruno Mars. Mars has sold over 200 million singles worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time. His 64th Annual GRAMMY win for Record of the Year, makes him only the second artist in Grammy history to win the category three times.
The event was emceed by award-winning actor and comedian Chris Tucker, and part of the all-star entertainment lineup included DJ E-Clazz, who has entertained at multiple Super Bowls, NBA All-Star games, and music festivals worldwide along with Louisville-based DJ Z-Nyce and television and radio host Kenny Burns, the party's master of ceremonies.
The event benefited Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kentuckiana, and paid special homage to the invaluable contributions of African Americans to the Kentucky Derby history with a reverence for the past and a vision for the future. The Gala is recognized by Churchill Downs as an official Kentucky Derby Event, and is sponsored by Churchill Downs, EBONY, Jet Media, Jackson Family Wines and Brown-Forman.
For the event, we created a 185k sq ft event space and built over 40k sq feet of tenting with heights reaching over 60ft inside the main tents. The rooms featured over 100k flowers with tens of thousands of fresh roses. To fill the space, we featured several hanging installations including a custom lit Trifecta sign, abstract hanging stage installation of iconic Churchill Downs spires, floral chandeliers, and a custom horse sculpture by artist Damon Davis.
The Trifecta Gala is known for attracting big-name entertainment and Hollywood, fashion, and sports celebrities and this year was no exception. Guests included Smokey Robinson, Star Jones, Emmitt Smith, Creed Humphrey (Kansas City Chiefs), Mike Caliendo (Kansas City Chiefs), Isaiah Pacheco (Kansas City Chiefs), Nate Burleson, Lisa Leslie, Penny Hardaway, Tina Knowles, Holly Robinson Peete, Garcelle Beauvais and many more.