This luxe awards dinner had the crowd swooning from “welcome” to “farewell”. What made this event even more breathtaking was that less than one hour earlier, the group was meeting in the very same ballroom, only it was set-up theatre style with hotel chairs.
In order to succeed with this massive logistical dance, we had to create a plan and get all parties on the same page. We assembled a skilled team of vendors and hotel banquet staff who would work faster than lightning to complete the set-up and make everything “just so” in the allotted time. Knowing from the start that we would have less than an hour to turn the room, we designed and orchestrated every movement down to the last staging detail. We completed this herculean task with a full 10 minutes to spare before doors. We high-fived and then quickly made our way to the back of the house to admire the room and catch our collective breath.
Just minutes earlier while we were putting the final touches on the awards dinner inside, guests were enjoying their cocktail reception in the Chantilly foyer of the Hilton Anatole. The foyer was dotted with federal blue covered highboy tables, topped with dainty vases dipped in gold and filled with oversized white hydrangeas. Classic, welcoming, and elegant, this was just a preview of the beauty that awaited just beyond the ballroom doors.
When the clock struck 7:00 PM, the tall, wooden doors into the Chantilly East Ballroom swung open. Guests stood for a split second in amazement before entering and looking around incredulously at transformed room. Other than the stage, the ballroom was anew, sparkling with gold accents. With 44 rounds, all fully set with deep ocean blue linens, sumptuous centerpieces, clear acrylic chairs, chargers, china, gold matted flatware, and ornate gold glassware, it was truly a spectacle to behold.
