Before founding The TAGS Group, Stacy was Vice President of Strategic Communications at the Toy Industry Association. In this role, he transformed the industry’s signature Toy of the Year Awards celebration into an immersive theatrical experience inspired by Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría.

Outside The Plaza Hotel, fur-clad greeters welcomed attendees into a dreamlike world of red carpets, dramatic silhouettes, and old-world glamour. As guests entered the soaring Palm Court, the red carpet itself transformed into the sweeping train of a performer’s crimson gown. Cocktails unfolded beneath the grandeur of The Plaza’s gilded ceilings.

But the evening’s true transformation came later.

As attendees ascended the grand staircase, the atmosphere shifted completely into a fantastical environment inspired by Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría. Golden living statues and butterfly dancers guided guests into a fully transformed performance space alive with acrobats, jugglers, aerialists, projection art, and a theatrical ringmaster orchestrating the evening’s energy.

Throughout the awards presentation, large-scale shadow performances played against glowing projection walls that transformed the stage into a moving visual installation.

Even after the final award was announced, the environment continued to evolve.

Guests entered a late-night dessert reception where musicians and the evening’s vocalist performed atop an enormous river of crimson fabric that echoed the dramatic red gown welcoming guests earlier that evening.

Every transition throughout the evening was designed to feel seamless, cinematic, and slightly surreal — allowing guests to move through the celebration not simply as attendees, but as participants inside a living performance.

Because the most unforgettable events don’t just entertain people.

They transport them.