Lavazza celebrates Hollwood’s brightest stars in filmmaking by joining the 16^th annual “Night before” party as the official coffee in support of the motion picture & television fund

Los Angeles, California (February 28, 2018) – This weekend, Lavazza, a leading and authentic family-owned global Italian coffee company, will celebrate Hollywood’s brightest stars as the Official Coffee of the 16th annual “Night Before” party to benefit MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) at FOX Studios in Los Angeles. For the third year in a row, Lavazza will be joined by a star-studded host committee, Academy Awards® nominees and presenters, and some of the most powerful film industry influencers. Since its inception, the annual event has raised just over $75 million to help provide social services, financial assistance, a renowned retirement community and innovative programs for entertainment industry members in Hollywood of all ages.

Taking place the night before the Academy Awards® each year, the “Night Before” has become one of the most coveted invitations since it began in 2003. The 2018 host committee includes a lineup of the industry’s most elite talent, including Amy Adams & Darren Le Gallo; Tanya Haden Black & Jack Black; Mary J. Blige; Kate Capshaw & Steven Spielberg; Jessica Chastain; Tom Cruise; Leonardo DiCaprio; Gal Gadot & Jaron Varsano; Greta Gerwig; Allison Janney; Sharon & Richard Jenkins; Brie Larson; Margot Robbie & Tom Ackerley; Sam Rockwell; Saoirse Ronan; Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith; Octavia Spencer; Meryl Streep; Pauletta & Denzel Washington; Rita Wilson & Tom Hanks; and Reese Witherspoon & Jim Toth.

Attendees will enjoy traditional Lavazza coffee creations including the signature E-Tonic, made with Lavazza espresso, tonic water and gin, crafted by the master experts of the Lavazza Training Centre—the Turin-based centre of excellence that has been providing training and information about authentic Italian coffee culture worldwide for over 30 years through a network of more than 90 locations. Guests at the pop-up Lavazza coffee bar will also sample drinks made with KAFA, a Lavazza single origin coffee that was relaunched in 2017 in the United States.

Lavazza will also delight guests with tailor-made cappuccinos with personalized foam. Attendees will be able to take and share photos via tablet and enjoy a personalized Lavazza cappuccino with the corresponding image printed in the foam in a few seconds.

Earlier this year, the Lavazza coffee experience was also offered at the Golden Globe Awards Lounge at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, as part of Lavazza’s long-standing support of the arts and entertainment communities.

For Lavazza, a commitment to quality, innovation and sustainability are deeply rooted values engrained in the brand’s more than 120-year history. Lavazza strives to spread coffee culture and the excellence of authentic Italian coffee experiences worldwide, whether it be inventing the art of coffee blending, or providing farmers with appropriate tools and technologies to address climate change. Supporting events with attendees and hosts who share like-minded passions is just one of the many reasons why Lavazza is proud to celebrate with Hollywood as the Official Coffee at the 16th annual “Night Before” party to benefit MPTF.

For more information about Lavazza, please visit: www.lavazza.us or Twitter (@LavazzaUSA).

Established in 1895 in Turin, the Italian roaster has been owned by the Lavazza family for four generations. Among the world’s most important roasters, the Group currently operates in more than 90 countries through subsidiaries and distributors, exporting 60% of its production. Lavazza employs a total of about 3,000 people with a turnover of more than €1.9 billion in 2016. Lavazza invented the concept of blending — or in other words the art of combining different types of coffee from different geographical areas — in its early years and this continues to be a distinctive feature of most of its products.

The company also has over 25 years’ experience in production and sale of portioned coffee systems and products. It was the first Italian business to offer capsule espresso systems. Lavazza operates in all business segments: at home, away-from-home and office coffee service, always with a focus on innovation in consumption technologies and systems. Lavazza has been able to develop its brand awareness through important partnerships perfectly in tune with its brand internationalization strategy, such as those in the world of sport with the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and those in fields of art and culture with prestigious museums like New York’s Guggenheim Museum, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Venice, and The Hermitage State Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

As the company continues on a strategic globalization path, the Lavazza Group has acquired local jewels in key markets such as France’s Carte Noire (2015), Denmark’s Merrild (2015) and North America’s Kicking Horse Coffee (2017). Additionally, in 2017 the Group amplified its distribution reach with the acquisition of France’s Espresso Service Proximité and Italy’s Nims.

MPTF (Motion Picture & Television Fund) supports the entertainment community in living and aging well, with dignity and purpose, and in helping each other in times of need.  What began more than 95 years ago as the Motion Picture Relief Fund has, today, flourished into MPTF, a comprehensive service organization that remains at the core of the entertainment industry.  MPTF belongs to everyone in the entertainment business and its successes are embodied in the spirit of stepping up and giving back. With the engagement and generosity of thousands of people from within the entertainment industry community, MPTF serves thousands in the entertainment community each year with financial assistance, social services, and retirement living.  The entertainment industry has a longtime history of taking care of its own like no other industry in the world. People are at the heart of what MPTF does each day, and it is the extraordinary generosity of countless donors, families, and volunteers that enables the organization to deliver services to industry members in need.  Visit mptf.com, facebook.com/mptf, and on Instagram and Twitter @MPTF.