When we reported that the Golden Globes were canceled, I said that I felt bad for the nominees and winners because this was their big chance to be honored by their fans, peers, and the industry. Well even though there wasn’t an awards ceremony this year, Golden Globes guests were still able to fill their goody bags. Over the weekend, Nathalie Dubois and DPA, one of Hollywood’s premier entertainment strategy companies, hosted the 2008 World Experience DPA gift lounge held at the The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Despite the cancellation of the Golden Globes, Dubois and DPA decided to not to cancel the gift lounge to honor the Golden Globe celebrities and Hollywood insiders.

Gift lounges like these aren’t just nice perquisites for Hollywood heavyweights. Their main purpose is high end marketing to introduce the rich and famous to brands and products they may not yet be familiar with. Think of it as the free samples from the Chinese place in the food court at the mall for people with more money than God. The 2008 World Experience gift lounge attracted numerous stars. Hottie Marla Maples, who has recently been tied to former Bachelor Andy Baldwin, was seen enjoying the gift suite accompanied by her daughter with Donald Trump, Tiffany.