Surely the most successful arts fund-raiser ever conceived, the fifth annual edition of Bravo San Diego is scheduled from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Nov. 22 at the Westgate Hotel.

Always a sellout, Bravo is a feast of food, drink and entertainment that netted more than $197,000 last year to benefit the Performing Arts League’s arts and business programs. These include Business Volunteers for the Arts, Lawyers for the Arts, the National Arts Marketing Project, Technology for the Arts, and the OnBoard Development Program.

This year’s title sponsor, Qualcomm Inc., is a leader in the field of technology. Bravo San Diego is also supported by title sponsors The Westgate Hotel and Appel Presents, and by lead sponsor Supervisor Pam Slater. Additional underwriters include first-time supporters Citigroup, Legacy Bank and Benedetto Communications. Continuing sponsors are Sempra Energy, Viejas Enterprises, The Alford Group, SBC Communications, Target, and Procopio Cory Hargreaves and Savitch. Broadway San Diego is a new in-kind supporter.

“The challenge of mounting an annual event is to keep it fresh,” says Alan Ziter, executive director of the Performing Arts League. Bravo 2003 innovations include a Bravo on Broadway, red-carpet entryway, use of the Westgate Hotel’s new Terrace Under the Stars themed venue and an exclusive Angel Salon — the Copa Cabana — for high-level patrons.

Cuisine for Bravo 2003 is provided by the Westgate culinary team and chefs representing some of San Diego’s finest restaurants. Purveyors of fine wines, vodka, chocolate, coffee and ice cream are on hand, and a thousand performers from more than 50 arts organizations are ready to sing and dance their way into patrons’ hearts.

Logistics are as follows: At the entrance patrons receive a booklet that lists performance venues, artists and times. They can pick a venue and let the entertainers arrive as scheduled, or they can flit from salon to salon, greeting other arts lovers and arts-minded business people along the way.

“Lise Wilson and Phil Blair agreed to co-chair Bravo for the third year,” says Ziter. “They had big shoes to fill with Iris Strauss and Ron Bird (co-chairs the first two years). I want to acknowledge that Ron, who passed away earlier this year, exemplified business leaders working with the arts. He is hard to replace.”

Bravo tickets are $200 per person for general admission. Host level patronage is $350 per person and Angel patronage, $1,500 per couple. Phone San Diego Performing Arts League, (619) 238-0700, Ext. 12 or visit www.sandiegoperforms.com.

— Charlene Baldridge