party time

well, the results are in, and the spring gala was (dare i say it?) flawless. i said it. it was sheer event perfection.

the space shuttle hangar in setup mode

saturday morning began with nails, then hair. hair was traumatic. it's the first time i have had my hair done for one of these things, and it will never happen again. the stylist did not do what i asked, and when i went to pay, i nearly passed out when they told me the cost. i can't bear to repeat it here, as it was such a mistake, but just trust me, it was astronomical.

setup on the main floor

then it was on to pick up my dress from the tailor's. i headed to lara's for makeup, and truth be told, that was the one aspect of my ensemble that i was completely happy with.

while there, i tried on the dress. while far less poofy than it had started, it still wasn't exactly what i had hoped. i think they did what they could, and at that point, it was what it was.

finally, it was time to head over to the venue.

getting the party started

the udvar-hazy center was open during the day, so at 5:30, when the museum closed, mayhem ensued. tables were placed, floral arrangements set, bars set up. i have no idea how many people from the caterer and decorator and av company were on-site, but everywhere you looked, someone was busy doing something.

i watched in awe.

me with my two favorite senior vp's

at 6:30, i headed to the entrance to meet the vip guests and escort them to the pre-party cocktail reception. the reception was held in the tower, which gave them the opportunity to watch the takeoffs and landings at dulles airpot while they mixed, mingled, and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres.

also at 6:30, attendees began arriving. unlike any company i have previously been with, this company is full of early arrivers. though the floor would not open until 7:30, folks began arriving and waited out their time.

co-workers and i

registration was a smooth process with absolutely no glitches. there were no lines, despite the fact that 2800 people went through in the first hour. it was brilliant.

at 7:30, the stanchions were removed and party goers headed down the ramp to the event floor. the party was on.

what the catering staff ate

i would provide more details about the rest of the evening, but really, the only way for me to capture the essence of it is simply to say how incredible it was. people loved the venue, they loved the food. there were bars, food, and seating everywhere, so there was never a line, and never a need to stand if you didn't want to.

we had three showings of 'fighter pilot' in the imax theater, and the nearly 500 seater was filled at each showing. the band was excellent, the people were well-behaved (we've had some real drunkards in the past), and without exception, as far as i can tell, people had a great time. all evening long people were approaching me telling me that this was the best event they had ever attended, and they couldn't believe how perfect everything was.

quikpod self-portrait

it's also worth noting that i sat. and i ate. a first for me at one of these events. but things ran so smoothly that it seemed silly not to.

our senior staff took every opportunity to praise my efforts. in fact, one of our senior vice presidents literally got on his knees as he said 'i bow down before you.' he wasn't even drunk at that point.

the dress also received it's share of compliments, and several times as i walked by, i would hear people commenting on how cute the dress was. and oddly enough on more than one occasion (4 or 5 actually) i was told that i looked like marilyn monroe. a strange comparison in my mind, though it may have been the full(er) skirt.

since i somewhat consider this my last hurrah, i simply cannot imagine a better way to go. the team was incredible, the venue was perfect, and all the details came together beautifully.

my phone is ringing off the hook, i have been stopped in the hall every time i have left my office, and have walked by countless groups of employees 'buzzing' about the event.

leaving on a high note, indeed.

currently i have my photos up here.

i am also waiting for the photos from the photographer, as well as the behind the scenes video piece, and will post when i get them.