Carlson Companies: Party like it's 1938

Invitations went out last week for the Carlson Companies' 70th anniversary bash in Las Vegas, and the lineup of guests -- while not likely to draw the TMZ.com paparazzi -- is nonetheless impressive. Joining Marilyn Carlson Nelson at the top of the list is Queen Silvia of Sweden, author and poet Maya Angelou, Nestlé Chairman Peter Braback-Letmathe, France's Minister of Finance and Economy Christine Lagarde, and Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum.

But that's only the start. Entertainment includes the Peking Opera, the Boys Choir of Kenya and the Taiko Drum Ensemble from Japan.

But wait! There's more! Highlighting the event for 5,000 will be Garrison Keillor and the legendary Tony Bennett. And who better as host of the event than Regis Philbin?

The theme for the Feb. 28 event is, "Imagine you could throw one party every 70 years. (This would be it.)"

Star power It's not only Minnesota Twins fans bemoaning the loss of Torii Hunter and the potential departures of star pitchers Johan Santana and Joe Nathan. Folks at Periscope, the Minneapolis-based advertising and marketing firm, have concerns of their own regarding those players, each of whom were part of the agency's award-winning advertising campaign last season.

"We have options," said Greg Kurowski, Periscope's president and chief executive. "The upside is the Twins will have multiple players [from trades] who are very good."

In recent years the agency's "This Is Twins Territory" campaign featured Hunter taking a mean swing at a piñata during a children's birthday party and Santana driving an SUV in spurts and stops while telling Nathan how important it is to change speeds.

The Twins and Periscope will have to act fast. The marketing campaign for the 2008 season begins in January.

DAVID PHELPS