HOLLYWOOD -- As producer of the official post-Oscars bash for the past 19 years, Cheryl Cecchetto knows from last-minute drama.

When the looming U.S. invasion of Iraq put the fate of the Oscars in question five years ago, Sudbury, Ont.-born Cecchetto and her Sequoia Productions had to finesse an apres-awards Governors Ball that would be elegant and respectfully subdued at the same time.

Of course that was nothing compared to what happened with the Emmy Awards back in 2001--Cecchetto also stages their annual Governors Ball--when the aftermath of 9/11 twice forced the postponement of the Emmys, the second time mere hours before the scheduled start of the ceremony, stranding her with literally tons of food and ice sculptures.

So when it was looking as if the writers strike might seriously put a damper on this year's Oscar celebrations, Cecchetto calmly picked up the phone and contacted the powers that be.

"I called (the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences) because some of our vendors were concerned," relates Cecchetto. "I asked them what was the deal and they assured me that under no circumstances would we cancel. "So I said, 'OK, bye-bye.' It didn't affect us. The show would go on."

Traditionally the Ball, held at the same Hollywood Blvd. complex that houses the Kodak Theatre, serves as the first stop on the soiree itinerary, but with the cancellation of this year's Vanity Fair bash--generally acknowledged to be THE par-tay of the year, folks just may be hanging around longer than usual.

It is, after all, the Oscars' Big Eight-O, and to mark that occasion, Cecchetto and her team have come up with something fittingly grand and glamorous.

"We've incorporated the colour palette derived from the two most recognizable icons -- the red of the red carpet and the gold of the Oscars--and used them throughout the entire Ball," says Cecchetto.

At the Governors Ball, everyone will get to walk along a gold-inlayed red carpet and chill to the groovy sounds of ultra-hip 14-piece band, Pink Martini, while sipping commemorative Patron cocktails (burgundy red, natch) with gold sugar on the rim.

"And the ceiling is just insanely fabulous," adds Cecchetto. "It looks like a cloud of glass bubbles with firefly lights glowing around it, which will be reflected in the mirrored tables."

As for the sublime munchies on the Wolfgang Puck menu, in addition to the trays of sexy hors d'oeuvres (mini Kobe cheeseburgers with remoulade, miso-glazed black cod) there will be numerous stations dedicated exclusively to sushi, ceviche, shellfish and noodles, plus a "butlered" sit-down meal which includes Tsar Nicoulai caviar and creme fraiche encased in a gold foil-wrapped (again with the colour scheme), baked Yukon Gold potato.

Don't know if the Yukon Golds are Puck's nod to this year's strong Canadian presence at the Oscars, but Cecchetto certainly plans to cheer on her old compatriots.

"Canadians are showing up everywhere in my life," observes Cecchetto, whose motto is, "You're only as good as your last event." "I have four relatives -- two sisters, a niece and a nephew -- down here from Canada helping me out. Canadians are the hardest-working people."

And they know how to party.