Cinco de Mayo Chic

Through a wealth of history and abundance of delicious foods, we can think of so many reasons to explore and learn about Mexico’s unique, warmhearted culture full of music, art, color, and tradition. Not only does our very own principal, Rachael Glaws, love traveling there often with her family, but she takes the entire team at RGI for a full team retreat almost every year. Once embracing it in its entirety, you’ll surely agree there’s no argument that Mexico represents one of the great world cultures - distinctive and varied with so much to love you’ll want to keep going back like we do.

With Cinco de Mayo just around the corner we wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge Mexico’s diverse traditions and customs by asking Rachael Glaws to share a few of her entertaining essentials for a proper celebration of its rich and vibrant culture. She shows her appreciation for the country’s traditions and flavors by curating some delicious recipes and lively decor ideas to celebrate at home with her family. Read on for Rachael’s top three tips for a chic Cinco de Mayo celebration.

TIP 1: SPICE UP YOUR CELEBRATION WITH A FUN + INTERACTIVE BATCHED COCKTAIL STATION

A festive margarita bar is the perfect way to serve up all the different blends and combinations for your Cinco de Mayo celebration. Setting up ingredients for your guests to create their own scratch cocktails is an easy way to round out your margarita bar and provides something more interactive for the guests. Plus, everyone can have some fun making their own margaritas based on their flavor preferences so there’s no need to worry for a bartender. To keep all the guests from congesting one area, consider setting up separate stations for each step of the process. A fun addition to your margarita bar is a custom salt station with a variety of artisan salts, sugars, and spices for rimming the glass.

One of Rachael’s personal favorite margarita recipes is the Spicy Jalapeño margarita. Drinks don’t always have to be sweet, and there’s nothing like a little jalapeño heat to give us that little kick. But remember - a little jalapeño can go a long way, so add sparingly to taste if you’re sensitive to spice.

Ingredients

1.5 oz tequila

1 oz lime juice

1/2 oz triple sec and 1/2 oz agave syrup

2 jalapeño coins

Lime wedge and salt to garnish

Directions

1. Press the jalapeño coins at the bottom of the cocktail shaker with agave syrup.

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients into the shaker and fill with ice to shake until chilled.

3. Strain the mix into a salt-rimmed glass filled with fresh ice and garnish with a lime wedge, remaining jalapeño coins, and fresh mint.

Photo by Cassandra’s Kitchen

TIP 2: USE CREATIVE SERVICEWARE TO ELEVATE YOUR FOOD PRESENTATION.

For instance, if you’re doing a self-serve salsa bar then using a variety of plate settings to serve up all the different dishes and garnishes is a great way to elevate your food. Much like the margarita bar, it’s an easy “service” because guests can help themselves and create their own combinations to their liking.

From blue corn tortilla and black bean chips, to pica de gallo, queso, and salsa verde, it’s always good to have variation laid out to give your guests different options. A great serving tip from Rachael is to use these adorable mini cast iron skillets to present. They’re simply adorable and they don’t take up much space!

Spicy, smoky, tangy, and incredibly delicious, one of Rachael’s favorite dishes is this “elote salad” for all the off-the-cob lovers out there. Esquites are everything you love about the classic elote, but without the mess and easy to eat! Its cheesy, creamy, irresistible goodness is perfect for serving as a side salad or topping.

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil

4 ears fresh corn, shucked

2 tbsp mayonnaise 

2 oz feta

½ cup finely sliced scallions

½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt + chili powder

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add corn, season with salt, and cook for about 2 minutes on one side until charred. Toss and repeat for about 10 minutes total until corn is charred all over and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add remaining ingredients into bowl and toss to combine. Season to taste with additional salt and chili powder as needed.

Photo by Jo Cooks

Photo by Official Fiesta

TIP 3: FLOURISH + FLARE WITH COLORFUL AND FUN LITTLE ARRANGEMENTS AROUND YOUR DISHES AND DRINKS TO HELP SET THE MOOD FOR A FUN-FILLED FIESTA.

It's always helpful to start off with a color palette to inspire the rest of your decor pieces. In this case, bold and bright colors help make this fiesta a little more festive. This is a great place to start and will help you choose things like plates, napkins, and other fun accessories. A Cinco de Mayo celebration isn’t the same with a vibrant tablescape. Rachael dressed her table up with a geometric-patterned table runner and some succulent centerpieces.

A fun serving tip is to decorate mini tequila bottles with mini sombrero hats and pair with tacos for your guests. If you’re doing a margarita station, you can also put sombreros on your serving bottles to add a bit of flare.

Undoubtedly, this period of self-isolation isn’t much of an ideal time for a celebration, but festivals and fiestas have always been big in Mexico and celebrated even in the smallest towns. Not to let the stay-at-home order get in the way of all our plans this year, we hope these recipes and decor ideas gave you some inspiration for low-key ways to still celebrate the holiday safely at home with your loved ones. 

Earth Day 2020: RGI STAYS GREEN

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April 22nd, 2020 marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day! In an industry not often associated with sustainability, RGI has always placed priority on producing in an environmentally conscious way – and striving to lead the way towards low-impact event production. This great admiration for the world’s natural beauty and the responsibility we feel as a company to acting in a way respectful of that beauty is demonstrated in our design – our production and our management work for our clients – not to mention the innovation we bring to projects during these particular uncertain times. 

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We find such pronounced design inspiration from the natural world. We love to design seasonally and look through a lense of geography, climate or typography to inform themes for artistic expression in our event design. – A theme we readily employ in design is the simplicity and beauty of greenery as a focal point in décor installations. The power of the color green and impact of large swaths of greenery - representing renewal, life, and harmony, make it’s beauty all the more profound. We not only want to use green as and feeling, but as a point that we make as a team to be forward thinking with our clients and projects towards a greener future overall. 

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The Climate Reality Project is a non-profit founded by Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President Al Gore after his Academy Award winning film An Inconvenient Truth was released. CPR is a leader in grassroots advocacy and has trained thousands of people around the world to take action on climate change. We are honored to count The Climate Reality Project as a client, supporting them on these advocate training conferences nationwide. We love them because they don’t just  preach – they teach and they practice. And we’ve learned so much more applicable actionable steps for a sustainable production through working with them which we now newly employ or use new guidance to expand upon efforts we had currently deployed. By following the ISO 20121 Sustainable Event Management Standard and the APEX/ASTM Sustainable Event Standard – which both elevate the industry standard to a whole new level – they’ve shown that your party doesn’t have to be a pooper for the planet. 

• Look for venues with LEED certifications, whenever possible 

• Seeking out local printers that are green certified, when using print materials 

• Using cleaning products that have earned planet-friendly certifications like Green Seal

• Donating leftover supplies to local organizations so all items get used

• Serving food on reusable Tupperware, using bulk condiments, and only serving vegan and vegetarian options 

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Another organization we are proud to work with on their mission for a greener future is the National Park Service (NPS). In January 2020, RGI won the 10 year National Park Service contract to support general event services and food and beverage services for events held in the National Parks Services National Capital Area parks - including some of the country’s most widely know, loved and attended events – The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival, National 4th of July Celebrations, Inaugural Events and more. A large part of the reason we at RGI were chosen, was our dedication to resource conservation in the parks and our innovation in efforts to be deployed over that time to keep these areas pristine and the events we produce low-impact and no-trace.

Some of our initiatives include:

• Establishing composting practices on-site through facilities at festivals and events, to productively recycle event-generated waste

• Ban on plastic straws

• Ban on styrofoam

• Ban on single use plastics

• Commitment to using only recyclable and recycled packaging

• Digital event components to reduce overall waste

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Finally, a virtual event is the pinnacle of a no-waste event and unsurprisingly, we have seen a recent boom in these remote connections. As virtual becomes more viable, RGI has been a lead innovator for our clients to establish that event goals can still be met, agendas can still be advanced and an event behind a screen can still feel special, impactful and bespoke. From a gala gone hybrid, to a webinar course inspiring the next generation, to online auctions and fundraisers, if it was possible in-person, it is possible on screen. Most importantly, your virtual event can and should be crafted to reflect your unique vision through emerging tech that is more affordable than most organizations think. The future is now – and even though we predict that we will once again celebrate and collaborate in person, the shift towards virtual events will have a lasting change on the industry. – which can have long-term impact for the better on our environment.

We hope you are honoring Earth Day in many creative, and of course always, sustainable, ways. Here’s to it’s next 50 years and beyond!

The Show Goes On

We find ourselves, upon the day of writing this entry, in unprecedented times of great uncertainty. We know the world at large is having a tough go of it right now - especially our own industry - and many clients, partners and friends so very dear to our hearts are struggling in the wake of this pandemic. While the events industry may look a bit different these days, at its heart this industry is about bringing people together. Community, connection, collaboration, shared purpose… Here at RGI we are as passionate as ever about that mission. Even if right now that means “alone together”, rest assured we are still here as a resource and will continue to entertain, inspire, and guide you towards better days ahead.

One ritual the RGI team can’t wait to resurrect once released from our lock down is the tried and true cocktail party…. But who says we can’t start now?! 

Next Thursday, April 23rd at 5 p.m. ET, RGI is hosting cocktail party via Instagram Live (with the help of some amazing friendors).

Live tunes by DJ 2-tone Jones (@dj2tonejones) will set the vibe as we whip up swoon worthy hors d’oeuvres with Vicky Theodoro of Heirloom Catering (@heirloomdc), test our mixology skills with Toastworthy’s Sophie Stich (@toast.worthy), and pull together the perfect floral arrangement with Sweet Root Village (@sweetrootvillage) To top it all off, Rachael Glaws of RGI events will share her best entertaining essentials to use right now for your roommates-only parties, and later for your post-COVID celebrations.

We’ll distro lists of ingredients to grab and materials to gather next week – so head over to www.rgievents.com/cocktailparty to RSVP and make sure you’re on the list to receive the 411! While RSVP is not necessary to join to Instagram Live broadcast – your RSVP will ensure you can create along with us 

- because its always better when we party (alone) together!

Updates will also be posted to our Instagram account so be sure to follow us @rgievents – we hope you’ll join in on the fun!

Principal + Creative Director of RGI events, Rachael Cameron Glaws - On Insta @Rachael_Cameron_G

Of course, no proper host would hold a cocktail party without featuring a house cocktail. Drawing inspiration from our archives, feast your eyes on our Lavender Cloud. We dreamt up this pretty-in-purple number for an event we produced for a corporate client a few years back – and I think you can see why it was such a hit.

While the cocktail had major visual appeal – and gave a nod to the season (spring!) – an interactive element gave this drink its lasting impact. As our bartenders mixed and poured their concoctions, guests placed the final touch: lavender garnished atop a frothy egg white foam. We love a cocktail that does double duty: our Lavender Cloud was a palate pleasing beverage and low-lift entertainment for our guests.

When implementing custom elements into your bar service always be mindful of execution. This cocktail was a success because our “custom” feature was accomplished quickly and easily – no wait time or instructions needed.

If, like us, you are now craving an equally refreshing libation, we’ve put together an easy substitute for our at-home bartenders that will take any COVID-19 cocktail hour to the next level!

Ingredients

4 oz Champagne, Prosecco or sparkling wine

1 oz Chambord

1 oz Simple syrup (easy to make, all you need is sugar and water!) 

Shake ingredients together with ice and pour in a coupe.

No drink is complete without a garnish so pull a few wild lavender sprigs growing in your yard, or sprinkle with some lavender sugar you have stashed in the back of your pantry! For a truly lux experience, substitute this easy cotton candy in place of our lavender foam!

We can’t wait to chat over a coupe (or two) next week! In the meantime, stay home, stay safe, and we’ll be enjoying our cocktails together again soon!

Event Recap: The Faraday Grid

Event Type: Corporate client launches their U.S. outpost and presents energy system of the future for Washington’s movers & shakers

Attendees: 400

What We Did: Planning, Production, Marketing & Promotion, Design, Management, Brand-Activations and On-Site Execution 

Venue: Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, DC

Theme: Tron goes to DC

Biggest Challenge: Marrying great design with functionality presented a challenge. Our client wanted a large stage build to display its underpinning device, the three-phase Faraday Exchanger. The custom outfitted stage included two screen surrounds and grid-patterned stage lighting. Worth noting… the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium has original flooring with very specific rules about what you can and cannot put on the floor. We had to find something that would achieve our client’s aesthetic vision while being strong enough to support the weight. Our 20 ft deep and 60 ft wide stage was designed out of steel decking to support thousands of pounds of pressure per foot to support the exchanger in a way that would not damage the floors in any way while providing surface area durable enough for these beautiful flooring facades and build elements. Oh, and did we mention we only had 45 days to pull this together?!

RGI’s Favorite Creation: The creation that challenges us the most is typically our favorite and this event was no exception! Our custom fitted and outfitted rainbow grid stage was a tall order [literally and metaphorically speaking] but the end result was totally worth it. We had to find very specific expert engineers and technicians to meet venue and flooring restrictions on top of working with Faraday’s core engineering team in DC just to ensure the Faraday Exchanger could power this whole thing.

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Five weeks out from the event date, RGI was contacted to produce an event for a UK-based company that was introducing their brand to the US market and wanted to debut and demonstrate a hands-on demonstration of their new, culture-changing electrical grid technology that enabled affordable, reliable and clean energy to everyone. The client wanted the event to be authentic, not just a show. To achieve this hands-on experience, we built a custom power sequence and custom outfitted stage that would allow the Faraday Grid Exchanger, its underpinning device, to power the stage set and the room as a whole. 

Marrying great design with functionality presented a challenge. Our client wanted a large stage build to display the Exchanger, custom outfitted with two screen surrounds and grid-patterned stage lighting. The lead of Faraday’s creative team was also the lead of the Rio Olympics creative team. The client was accustomed to their ideas presented on a world stage. No pressure or anything…

Additionally, the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium has original flooring with very specific rules about what you can and cannot put on the floor. We had to find something that would achieve our client’s aesthetic vision while being strong enough to support the weight. Our 20 ft deep and 60 ft wide stage was designed out of steel decking to support thousands of pounds of pressure per foot to support the exchanger in a way that would not damage the floors in any way.We created atmospheric lighting treatments throughout the room to coincide with the stage program to further immersive experience – gradient blue lights, uplighting to highlight the architecturally stunning 60-foot-tall Doric columns, and a grid pattern rainbow spectrum of light with movers on the ceiling. We also built out a fully custom bar, branded glow tables, and the branded backdrop for the social lounges located in the two corners of the Auditorium. 

We began the event using the standard power that is typically drawn from the venue for the event. After the program kicked off, the whole room went to blackout to demonstrate a first-time live demonstration of the Faraday Exchanger. Standard power sources were not an option to power the Exchanger. To use the Exchanger as a power source, we worked closely with the engineering experts in Faraday’s DC office, which were hidden during the event behind the stag to ensure the Exchanger was operational. During the blackout and subsequent repowering using the Faraday Exchanger, the two-screen surrounds displayed visuals of electricity flowing through the computers that powered the grid. This explained the transformative effects of this technology to the audience. 

This is the only event that has provided energy and power to the stage set in this fashion; opting to develop our own technology rather than relying on standard power sources. The client wanted the event to be authentic, not just a show; the staging and set design were integral aspects in achieving this objective. With the help of expert technicians and electrical engineers, we created power sources that previously were nonexistent. 

Our live-demonstration of the Faraday Exchanger offered gusts a unique first-hand insight into Faraday’s innovative energy system of the future powered by the Faraday Grid. We were not just event producers -- we acted as engineers, technicians, scientists, and architects to inform and inspire and create an impactful and memorable event.

Partners: Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Design Foundry, Fabrication Events, RSVP Catering, Event EQ, VM Photography, Vantage Video, Perfect Settings, AFR Furniture Rental, DINO Beats & Beautiful Music 

Events 101: Event Manager, Designer, or Producer? What's the Difference?

We hear it all the time from potential clients – wait, what’s the difference between an event manager, event designer and event producer? More importantly, which one should I hire for my event? If you’ve never thought about this before and are now curious yourself, read on to get our inside scoop!

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EVENT MANAGER 

An event manager is typically someone you can rely on for the day of the event or with a limited lead up. They provide the backbone for organization of different partner teams and manage event execution logistics, i.e. load in and set up, catering, band, A/V, gift bags, and general execution.

Good for: mainly brides who do not want to be bothered with the nitty gritty logistics on their wedding day as well as clients who are the host of the event and do not have the time to manage the behind-the-scenes while also being the face of the event. 

EVENT DESIGNER

An event designer’s primary role is to inform the creative direction of the event. Typical duties include: creating the color palette, providing feedback on collateral and print material such as the invitations, floral and tabletop décor, custom furniture and accent pieces, lighting, and any other element that is necessary to make your event as aesthetically pleasing as possible. 

Good for:Those who need help creatively – whether that be in inspiration or execution. If design is not your strong suit, someone with an aesthetic vision and experience will help you bring your vision to life. If you have a goal-oriented special event, this is not the best partner for you. 

EVENT PRODUCER

An event producer plays a much more holistic role and wears many of these hats for small and large events. An event producer will typically be very skilled in a multitude of event specialties such as planning, production, design, management and execution. Producers serve as the captain of the ship, steering successfully, navigating the rough waters of special events from beginning to end with an extremely robust suite of responsibilities for bringing a concept to life. Many producers are also event designers – but many event designers are not event producers. 

Good for: Large-scale special events; special event with short lead times; special events with clearly defined goals: fundraising, marketing, event strategy, brand activation; strategic special events with a dedicated program featuring speeches, award, or video shown during event 

RGI is the latter – an event producer. Full-service or a la carte, conception to completion, load in until the last guest leaves — our comprehensive management capabilities ensure your event is a success. We engage and inspire attendees – fostering connection + achieving our client’s goals through seamless organization, outstanding design, innovative ideas and comprehensive follow-through. Creative, savvy, versatile, dependable and award-winning – we pass onto our clients the benefit of our extensive experience and commitment to cutting-edge methods. Paired with the boutique style client management and communication to deliver a logistically sound, chic and flawless event from beginning to end. This is what sets RGI apart from the rest. 

Event Recap: L'Oréal's Spy Soirée

Event Type: Corporate client hosts a cocktail party for the world’s top dermatologists 

Attendees: 700

What We Did: Planning, Production, Design, Management, Brand-Activations and On-Site Execution 

Venue: The International Spy Museum’s brand-new multimillion-dollar rooftop space – one of the first events to be produced in this marquee location before it was even open to the public!

Theme: We let the venue space itself inform the theme and leaned in heavily to all things SPY! 

Biggest Challenge: The unknown. Working in a brand-new event space which hadn’t yet been open long enough to understand the full spectrum of potential trouble spots. Being forced to troubleshoot these on the fly in a way that would appear seamless to both the guests and client certainly wasn’t easy, but the RGI team is always up for a challenge. 

RGI’s Favorite Creation: Our 10ft high x 20ft long interactive product wall which displayed featured items from L’Oréal’s four dermatological-grade brands and encouraged guest social interaction by framing up ‘ready to shoot’ mirror selfies complete with L’Oréal lipstick written brand and event hashtags and tongue in cheek messaging begging to be photographed, such as ‘let me take a selfie’, ‘Hello Gorgeous!’ and ‘Sip, Selfie, Repeat’.

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Although RGI is in the business of event planning, we are much more than planners. Our emphasis on client objectives is what makes us unique – we focus on weaving interactive elements throughout our events that seamlessly tie together to achieve the client’s goals. When RGI was approached by L’Oréal’s professional skincare brands to produce a social event to complement the country’s largest dermatological convention to be held in Washington, DC in the Spring of 2019, they had a clear mandate: They needed to live up to the hype of their past events, which had come to be known as the must attend brand event for guests of the larger American Academy of Dermatology’s annual conference — and then some — stretching the creative to continuously surprise, entice and inspire so they would continue to be the MUST attend, see and be seen, miss it and YOU missed out, satellite function! 

They wanted outside of the box ideas which would both wow guests and encourage social media interaction throughout the evening at various touch points magnifying brand messaging. Trending wasn’t just a wishlist item – we had to create some major social media traction – and do what we do best … materializing the message!

Headquartered in New York, L’Oréal relied on RGI to act as boots on the ground in DC. We did their full advance and full production, which included: venue contracts, vendor contracts, drafted and created the Save the Dates and digital invitations, created the RSVP and information webpage for the event, managed attendee communications and strategy, arranged and managed courtesy shuttle service between host venue and host hotel for conference, managed full RSVP process on the front and back end, and produced takeaway reports. A great-looking event is nothing without SOLID behind-the-scenes logistics management – in addition to the design, full creative, activation ideas, activity ideas, collateral production, support and specialty staffing and custom fabrication – when we say full service, we mean it. 

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Attendees were greeted at the museum’s entrance by secret agents who required a palm print scan to grant them access to the event. The secret agents then handed each guest their mission objectives packet, which included brand swag and a list of brand-focused objectives to complete within the course of the evening. 

Mission in hand, guests were escorted to the new rooftop space and greeted by RGI’s first of four custom brand build-outs – a larger-than-life custom entrance treatment made using mirrored material to replicate the iconic image of the James Bond’s golden eye gun barrel from the opening credits.

As guests walked through this archway to enter the main event, our lightbox photobooth station and our interactive brand wall quickly became guest favorites for the perfect photo op. As guests settled in, they enjoyed spy-themed food and beverage at RGI’s two 14ft diameter circular bars custom built to highlight brand messaging. A custom martini bar with artisan, hand carved cocktail ice elevated the guest experience further….shaken, not stirred, of course!

To solve their secret mission, guests had to prove their espionage skills at RGI’s four custom-designed and custom-branded activity stations. The first was a lipstick reader, who used L’Oréal lipsticks to read attendee’s lip prints. The second was a faux polygraphist who “hooked up attendees to his polygraph” and quizzed them on their brand knowledge while putting them on the spot with incredibly embarrassing and personal true/false questions. (we love it when our clients don’t take themselves TOO seriously!). The third was a blacklight tattoo station; we then rigged blacklights over the bar which revealed the tattoo to the guest when they went to get a drink exposing their secret messaging and directing them to their next objective. The fourth station was a handwriting analysis station. The secret mission objective and activity stations allowed us to encourage attendees to participate in a way that would achieve our client’s goal without seeming contrived while simultaneously providing the attendees the payoff of a cool prize upon completion.

Guests left with product samples and their own branded secret agent sunglasses, which were heavily photographed throughout the night, as well as the two remaining days of the conference. 

Channel your inner James Bond while checking out a few of our favorite photos below. 

Partners: International Spy Museum, Cast of Thousands, Perfect Settings, RSVP Catering, Social Supply Events,Fabrication Events, AFR, Talk of the Town, Vantage Video, VM Photography, Ice Lab, Just Smile Photobooth, DJ 2-Tone Jones

Event Recap: Army 10 Miler

This Veteran’s Day, we wanted to recap an event that is always close to our hearts… 

Each fall we kick off our busy season with a whirlwind 4 days onsite at the Pentagon in Arlington, VA – and this year was no different. We are honored to have partnered, for a second year, with The United States Army in producing its annual Army Ten-Miler Road Race. 

The annual event, celebrating its 34th anniversary in 2018, attracts over 60,000 total attendees and 900 race teams including military, civilians, and wounded warrior athletes - the fastest growing race of it’s kind – continuously selling out year over year. 

RGI events is the logistical brain trust behind the event, coordinating (for 12-months) site planning, production, management, personnel and execution of the event – not to mention the elbow grease to place over600 tables, 160 tents, two-miles of bike-racks, five-miles of cabling, 50 generators, 300 porta potties, 100s of banners and signage, 6 stages, three tractor trailers of water, 2 gunnery cannons and much more…

From the load-in and set up itself, which spans a continuous 48 hours until the first runners begin to arrive at the Pentagon imprint at 5am on race day … through strike – taking nearly 18 hours from the time the North lot reopens at 1pm after the race  -RGI’s full staff is engaged to ensure the infrastructure necessary for an event this size and scale is seamlessly constructed and artfully executed. 

The race is a logistical monster for sure… starting with the route itself – beginning on Route 110 running through jurisdictional districts of half a dozen different law enforcement agencies including Pentagon Police, Secret Service, Metropolitan Police, Arlington County Police and the National Park Service - all requiring different permits and protocol for race day –

The scale and scope of the supplier team necessary to create the event is mind boggling – the list above doesn’t even scratch the surface of the logistical ballet we must orchestrate to pull off this project – then add into the mix coordinating with the services such as medical, power, sanitation, safety – before we even get to the race itself! – We’re exhausted all over again just thinking about it! 

We truly do love this project – not only does it give us the ability to show off in a real way what RGI does best – which is manage logistically challenging projects with style and ease – but the team at the Army Ten-Miler are some of our favorite clients – the passion and organization they bring to the table make working with them an absolute dream. 

Many of us at RGI come from a long family history of service. This event - and all our events where we work alongside military service branches or organizations that support our military service men and women are particularly rewarding for us – we salute all our vets – and thank you for your service!

Our Principal, Rachael Glaws’, Grandfather, John Peter Glaws II – a fighter pilot in WW II – and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross, alongside one of his planes on mission in Europe.

All in the Details: Artisanal Ice

At RGI we challenge ourselves to put a unique stamp on each client’s project and let their messaging shine through - from the larger more obvious aspects of design, like the build-outs, lighting, florals, and linens; to the tiniest detail – it’s essential to us, and a pillar of our design strategy, to make sure the client’s messaging saturates in subtle ways and their identity takes center stage.

With this particular event, we strove to take identifying pieces of the company’s brand and integrate that into event concepts in surprising and unexpected new ways to coincide with the events overall theme. Far from just putting the company logo on a napkin - our team wanted to take the client’s love of bourbon and play on the venue that the event was being held.

Our inspiration? 

Though Ivy City is home to several distilleries, Republic Restoratives certainly brings many new elements. Owned and operated by two women, the distillery was once the largest crowd-funded distillery in the world, raising the capital to open largely from its online network. Now open, the resourceful owners have a rugged space that is perfect for DC locals – simple, yet industrial in design. This fit our client perfectly, as a women-owned government contracting firm celebrating its 20th anniversary. 

With over 200 ppl in attendance the evening went off without a hitch, celebrating clients and employees alike. Beginning with brief program, guests were treated to cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and entertainment that didn’t end until well past midnight. 

While items like ice cubes may seem minute, they are the details your guests will remember (and are a great subject for a social media photo). 

Cheers!

Photo: A Crimson Kiss

Event Recap: Dine N Dash 2018

Event Type: Celebrity Client / Large Scale Non-Profit Simultaneous Events 

Number of Attendees: 4,500+ attendees 

What We Did: Planning, Design, Production and On-Site Execution + PR/Marketing

Venue: 39 restaurants in the 14th St and Penn Quarter neighborhoods + a pop-up at National Union Building, and after-party for MGM National Harbor at Studio Theatre.

Theme: José Andrés’ annual summer culinary event, ​Dine N' Dash brings thousands to ‘dine-n-dash’ at numerous locations throughout the city. Focus beginning with curated menus but ultimately being the philanthropic aspect - raising life-changing funds for the work that the chef’s nonprofit, World Central Kitchen does.

RGI's Favorite Creation: MGM National Harbor sponsored the DND afterparty where we created a fine art driven replication of this local resort’s gaming food and beverage offerings as a pop-up environment at Signature Theater. A particular favorite aspect, was our artist painting a live rendering of the event in real-time as it was happening. 

Biggest Challenge:  Simultaneously prepping, setting, and opening 39 logistically spread out event locations – some with lengthy and complicated set-up parameters – opening at the same time across the city. It required an immense amount of organization, strategy, and management of volunteers and staffing to ensure seamless execution. Also, how we shuttled all attendees across both corridors in managing transportation throughout the evening – such as branded buses and pedicabs. 

A lot to be included in a few short hours but, luckily, that’s where RGI thrives – under pressure.

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Each year celebrity chef Jose Andres hosts annual summer culinary event, ​Dine N' Dash benefiting ​his nonprofit World Central Kitchen​. For one night, guests were able to leave their wallets at home and enjoy endless food and drink in dine-worthy Penn Quarter and 14th Street neighborhoods of Washington, DC.  

RGI was brought on to handle the design, planning, management, pr/marking, and on-site execution; including the recruitment, training, and management of 150 volunteers. This corporate event was different than most, in that our team wasn’t just running one large scale event in a single venue, but rather managing 39 different events, in 39 different venues, including guest registration and attendee management, staffing, entertainment, print materials, food and beverage, and much more across the city simultaneously, including a VIP kick-off and closing party to book end the evening. 

Founded by Andres in 2010, World Central Kitchen has paved the way among chefs for philanthropic endeavors numerous times in the face of disaster. This year’s event celebrated its most recent accomplishment in feeding over 3.5 million victims of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, making it the largest hot-meal emergency feeding operation on the island, an aspect RGI wanted to translate into the event. 

The event proved to be a huge success garnering lots of media coverage and raising over $600,000 for the charity. 

Scroll down for a few of our favorite photos… 

All In The The Details: Lemon Place Cards

Here at RGI events, we believe what REALLY sets a great event apart from a good event are the details

- small steps which enhance a guest's experience - makes them feel welcome and leaves them with a lasting memory of the gathering .

In this series of blog posts 'ALL IN THE DETAILS'. We will be exploring some of RGI's FAVE tiny touches, which we have brought to life for our clients.

First up, are these place cards with a twist ;) we were able to pull off with the help of the fantastic Laura Hooper and her team at Laura Hooper Calligraphy.

Details were the name of the game at a very special outdoor event produced by RGI this past summer in New England. Custom watercolored 'How to Eat a Lobster' cards, foil edged menues, branded wine glasses, lovely linen hemstitched napkins custom embroidered for the occasion, custom lobster mallets and bibs, locally sourced 4-course wine pairing ALL set atop beautiful white-washed farm tables accented with hand-picked summer hydrangeas foraged from the surrounding countryside -

No touch was too small to be overlooked at this intimate traditional New England-style Lobster Boil bringing together a stylish group with high-end tastes. We wanted to elevate this beautiful event, held under the setting sun on a private farm estate in New Hampshire to a super elegant, yet, comfortable evening for attendees.

BUT one of our FAVORITE details we placed on the table that evening was the unusual, yet highly appropriate place cards - utilizing an aspect of the entree course to direct guests to their seats.

The idea: Take a traditional accompaniment to the meal, the lemon, accenting just off the dock seafood in this case - and make it really shine. We enlisted Laura Hooper to lend her fantastic talents to bring it to life.

It required some event engineering - testing different paints and markers on lemons, which were then frozen to ensure the lemons would stay preserved for transport from DC to New England, last a week in a refrigerator and the ink wouldn't be compromised in any way. The atelier freezer was filled with citrus to make sure we could pull it off - and we did!

The final product received almost as many raves as the fresh New England seafood. 

Take a look below for some shots of this stunning soiree and our lemon production!

Corporate Summer Bash

Event Type: Corporate client throws an outdoor summer bash for their employees

Attendees: 1,200

What We Did: Planning, Design, Production and On Site Execution

Venue: U.S. headquarters of a European-based corporate client's outdoor lot with a cocktail reception held in the lobby

Theme: Upscale Carnival with European touches

Biggest Challenge: Taking a vacant and long out of use 20,000 sq. foot lot and turning it into a venue ready to welcome 1,200 guests

RGI's Favorite Creation: Food Truck Alley and European style Beergarden

When one of RGI's corporate clients wanted utilize their newly purchased parking lot to put together an event to celebrate and show appreciation for all of their employees & families - RGI wanted to take that opportunity and run with it! What better way to show appreciation and have a little family fun than to throw a summer carnival inspired event?! We couldn't wait to create this awesome, over-the-top environment for our client and guests - so we went big!

In order to transform the raw, vacant lot space and achieve the goal of a high-end afternoon which was entertaining for guests – we knew it was going to take some serious creativity and logistical strategy. – not to mention, we only had about 5 weeks to pull it off – INCLUDING preparing the lot as an event site. This included necessary maintenance, temporary security fencing, landscaping and cleaning. The outdoor nature of the event posed unique challenges – not to mention the need to run water and power to the space for a complex technical set up and attendees necessities like portable restroom trailers.

The project lived up to the challenge we knew it would be - but once we had preformed the necessary prep - guests arrived to find a gourmet BBQ lunch buffet, traditional lawn game area, lounge vignettes, 5 food truck food court, artisan cotton candy and lemonade stands, traditional carnival game arcade alley, kids face-painting and airbrush tattoos - along with caricature artists, DJ entertainment, video photo-booth – and, for guests 21+, RGI created a European Beergartien in the lobby of the client’s headquarter building where guests enjoyed tastings, upscale bar fare, outdoor inspired décor and traditional café seating complete with umbrellas.  We brought in and installed 2 jumbo-oversized sailcloth tents for shade, added market umbrellas to lounge vignettes, and brought in a potable water truck at the last minute to power misting tents.

– it was an event RGI is very proud of, through which we truly demonstrated not only our planning and production expertise, but our ability to pivot, work well under pressure, and rise to the occasion. We like to say we make the impossible, possible – and it showed at this event. 

Take a glimpse below!

Partners: Heirloom Catering, Popped! Republic, Rocklands Barbeque & Grilling Company, Captain Cookie, Swizzler Gourmet Hot Dogs, Fluffness, Revolution, Talk of the Town, Perfect Settings and DC Rental

Events 101: Deciphering the Dress Code

We are so excited to debut a new conversation series on here on the RGI blog, Events 101! In this series we will lift the veil on special events tackling variety of different topics we hope you will find helpful when aiming to be the host (or guest) with the most! We kick off this series with a question our Commander in Chic Rachael Glaws gets asked all too often - What should I wear? Read on for her thoughts on Deciphering the dress code - or - seriously what am I supposed to wear?!?

The excitement that comes with opening an invitation! The hand-addressed envelope arrives, shiny ink shimmering on textured, thick card-stock. You tear it open and admire the care that went into selecting the beautiful design. Your heart starts to quicken as you read the details of what promises to be a fantastic fete – and then it drops as the line ‘Attire: White Tie’ jumps out at you. WELL WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!

Take a deep breath, and don’t panic. It’s true that the nuances between Business, Business Casual, After Five, Resort Formal, White Tie, Black Tie…you get the point … can tempt you to forget the whole affair. But before you do that, pour a glass of sav blanc and take a look at this handy guide to some of the most common terms of attire.

Formal

The most common types of formal attire you will see on an invite is either white tie or black tie. Ladies, this is an easy one for you, because your expectation is nearly the same for both. Choose floor length dresses in a seasonal friendly fabric (think luxe velvet or satin in the winter, chiffon or lace in the summer). For Black Tie, gents are safe with a traditional tux, sans tails. Dependant on the host and occasion (think winter, evening wedding at a country club vs. movie premier) a dark suit may also be appropriate. White Tie however, calls for the highest level of formality. Gloves for ladies and white tie, tails and for the traditional, a top hat for our escorts. Should you just see ‘Formal’ on your invite, assume black tie. Need some inspiration? Check out these ideas from one of our fave fashion resources Rent the Runway

Cocktail

Tea length or short dresses are appropriate for ladies (within reason, of course!) Feel free to put your personal style signature into the look while following that guideline. Class after all is ALWAYS appropriate. For the men, stick with a fantastic suit but with the formality level taken down a notch, push the envelope a bit with a pop of color in the tie, or even in the blazer. Occasion is your best dictator of course – but this directive invites revelry (hello, cocktail!!) so a bit of envelope pushing is just fine.

Business

Here is where I tend to see the most variation on a simple dress code. Thusly, it can be one of the hardest to decipher. If you would wear it to a job interview, its probably fair game for this one. The slightly less rigid Business Casual still calls for a bit of button up but with a stylish twist – think a sharp-shouldered blazer over a chic ankle pant. However, unless you work in PR, Fashion, Music or another edgier industry stay away from open toes shoes or denim. Leave those for the even less rigid Casual Chic where either of those items is sure to be a welcome style statement.

If you’re still not sure what to don to a fantastic fete, a few rules of thumb: An evening wedding (beginning after 5pm), unless you are outdoors, will always be a formal affair. Let common sense be your guide and dress for comfort (4 inch stilettos to a beach bbq are probably unnecessary – and a waste of a great shoe!). Ask yourself what your mother would say before you walk out the door and it’s ALWAYS better to slightly over dressed, than underdressed. And for dress code tips down to a science – check out the guide from Miss Manners herself, Emily Post, (Attire Guide: Dress Codes from Causal to White Tie) on the subject.

Now put this on, and dive into your closet!

Portugal The Man, Purple Yellow Red and Blue

XO, Rachael

Corporate Headquarters Grand Opening

Event Type: Corporate client christens their U.S. Headquarters

Attendees: 500

What We Did: Planning, Design, Production and On Site Execution

Venue: The brand new U.S. headquarters of a Europe-based corporate client 

Theme: Bringing the outdoors, inside, through an upscale garden party

RGI's Favorite Creation: The color palette and tons of candle light

Biggest Challenge: A last minute venue change which allowed RGI to shine through creative problem-solving and quick thinking. Don't worry, the show went off without a hitch!

This corporate client has built a worldwide brand based on the values of localism, sustainability and environmental consciousness. RGI wanted to take those values and translate it into an event that their newly hired U.S. employees could easily relate to in celebration of their U.S. expansion. We wanted to create an atmosphere which was fun and laid back yet elegant and upscale - further engaging employees in our corporate client's mission and goals. RGI conceptualized an indoor garden party taking the best parts of an outdoor soiree within their headquarters building.

Guests enjoyed traditional lawn games such as corn hole, oversized JENGA and horseshoes (all branded in our corporate clients logos and colors of course!) Decor consisted of lots of leafy elements including a 10 by 20 foot boxwood wall with custom logo cutouts. Guests enjoyed a fresh seasonal menu accompanied by cocktails courtesy of Heirloom Catering. Sweet Root Village was on hand to provide fabulous floral accents in a green and white palette. We created lounges throughout the space for guest seating consisting of baroque-style patent leather furniture an amalgamation of classic and contemporary. Guests also enjoyed a DJ courtesy of Bruce Pike Productions who also added lighting elements to enhance indoor ambience such as bistro lights. Last, but not least, Fabrications Events covered the floor in artificial turf to further create an outdoor experience.

Scroll down to check out some photos from this corporate grand opening!

Partners: Heirloom Catering, Fabrications Events, Bruce Pike Productions, Revolution Event Design and Production, and Sweet Root Village

Larger Than Life Messaging

Event Type: Cocktail Hour Entrance Foyer at a Non-Profit Event

Attendees: 500

Venue: Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

What We Did: Conceptualize, Design, Messaging, Branding and Execution

RGI's Favorite Creation: The 8 foot tall by 16 foot long portable plexiglass structure representing the statistics our non-profit client's programming is trying to combat.

Biggest Challenge: Figuring out how to construct the 8 foot tall by 16 foot long portable plexiglass structure representing the statistics our non-profit client's programming is trying to combat.

One of the many things that makes RGI events + public relations so unique as a production partner is the fact that we are not JUST a planning and design team, but we also highly emphasize the organizational messaging of our clients - making it our goal throughout an event to continue bringing the focus back to the organization and it's objectives. Through our priority of  'materializing the message', RGI events + public relations utilizes the event as a vehicle, in order to make it as impactful as possible for the attending guests. The conceptualization and creation of unique messaging opportunities through sensory mediums attendees can see, touch and feel creates a very special, emotionally resonating and powerfully impactful experience that the guests can walk away with and remember. Engaging attendees through event is a must for success across the board.

RGI had the opportunity to bring our unique messaging strategy and design to life in the entrance foyer of the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium for one of our our non-profit clients, Project HOPE, at their Annual Project HOPE 2016 Awards Gala. Utilizing the theme for this year, Make Hope Happen, as a guide - we set out to show in larger than life ways just why and HOW that sentiment was important for attendees. We worked with our graphic design partners to put together custom multi-media projections on 8 oversized LCD screens throughout the room cycling through a series of results oriented statistics from Project HOPE's programs around the world. Further, exhibiting for attendees the impact their donations can make. This was also an important moment to show corporate and long-terms donors just how much their 2015 giving has accomplished since the last gala.

While the statistics on Project HOPE's work are plentiful - they are also massive - both in the problems they combat and the results they achieve. We wanted to give the attendees a physical understanding of just HOW massive the efforts the organization is mounting to continue to combat HIV/AIDS in Africa must be. To that end, we designed and headed up fabrication on an 8 foot tall by 16 foot long portable plexiglass structure, which we filled with 7,000 branded blue plastic balls and covered with custom stencils. This represents the number of HIV cases diagnosed in an area of focus for our non profit client within the span of a week and helps attendees visualize the true magnitude. Highlighting further the urgency of the problem - we broke down that stat to illustrate how many cases that meant would be diagnosed JUST during attendee's time at the gala.

-and of course - we washed the foyer in branded lighting color and patterns, highlighting messaging stations, accented by beautiful, modern, floral arrangements -to tie the space together.

Want more? Check out the pictures below!

Partners: Perfect Settings, DC Rentals, Heirloom Catering, Sweet Root Village, Toy Box Productions, Photojournalism by Rodney Bailey, Elite Productions, Revolution Events and Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium

NextGEN Leadership Board

Event Type: Non-profit cocktail party

Attendees: 200

What We Did: Planning, Design, Production and On Site Execution

Venue: Long View Gallery, Washington D.C.

Theme: A Celebration of a Philanthropic Organization for Global Effort

RGI's Favorite Creation: Custom Airbrush Tattoo Bar

Biggest Challenge: Weaving organization's messaging through this event for an audience of philanthropic minded young professionals in an engaging yet authentic way.

RGI was brought on board by the NextGEN Leadership Board in 2014 prior to the organization's launch in New York City. After RGI's successful production at Midtown Loft and Terrace in Manhattan last summer we were retained to build the Board's outreach strategy through special events continuing in New York City and expanding to Washington, D.C. Beginning in 2015, RGI created and executed the Board recruitment strategy got the Washington, D.C. Chapter as well as the planning, production and design of D.C.'s Marquis event and the NextGEN Junior Gala in May of 2015.

The goal of this Gala was not only to make money for this organization, but to engage and retain an audience to expand the NextGEN Chapter in Washington, D.C. In order to do that RGI placed priority on NextGEN's organization messaging by weaving touch-points through the event so that while participants could enjoy the different aspects that were provided, attendees were exposed and encouraged to pledge their support to the organization.

Event highlights included: an artisan cocktail custom action-oriented libations to attendees, international themed hor d'oeuvres, a multi media moving picture photo booth, Moroccan style lounges and decor and an airbrush tattoo bar where guests were adorned with NextGEN's tagline and logo for the remainder of the evening. The centerpieces was a custom 20 ft poster where the organization's representatives encouraged event attendees to make an emotional pledge to support action across the globe. 

Scroll down to see some snaps of this evening!

Partners: Long View Gallery, Heirloom Catering & Event Styling, Stir DC, Perfect Settings, Bruce Pike Productions, Revolution, OnomonoMEDIA and Bright and Shining Event Artists

An RGI events production

Event Type: Non-profit cocktail party

Attendees: 250 guests

What we did: Planning, Design, Production and On Site Execution

Venue: Carnegie Library Washington, D.C.

Theme: Gilded Garden of Versailles

RGI's Favorite Creation: The Artisan Bourbon Tasting Bar 

Biggest Challenge: Figuring out how to rig all that draping without nails, screws or staples.

We are always so excited to return to the Carnegie Library - so when a private philanthropist entrusted RGI with the sixth year of his opulent holiday soiree, which, in addition to treating attendees to an awesome time - gives back to a local charity every year, we were of course, #stoked.

To bring to life the client's inspiration (taken from the Gardens of Versailles) lead designer Rachael Glaws, Principal (and Commander in Chic) at RGI event + public relations took her cues from fabled gardens of all kinds and took on the challenge of brining the outside, inside.

 The event was designed around a palette of bold gold, greens and sleek white. Guests entered through a tunnel of greenery custom built on the steps of the Library, inspired by the entrance in the great literary work 'A Secret Garden'. Once through the doors candle installations flanked two columns supporting ornate draping and an oversized chandelier. Throughout the room RGI added in lush garden inspired decor such as: tree trunk side tables (painted gold of course), custom built bar canopies draped in green garland and sparking votives (courtesy of our great friends at Sweet Root Village) served as fascinating focal points. Guests were delighted by small details such as the organizations logo laminated in gold glitter on the dance floors, as well as prominently displayed on napkins and custom lighting elements throughout the room. The theme carried through to food and beverage focusing on mini portions of favorite comfort foods. Guests also enjoyed a social media photo booth, interactive video DJ, bourbon tasting bar, champagne cocktail mixologist and a confetti cannon at midnight.

1,200 toys and gifts were collected for youth support with the help of our hosts beneficiary partner: Beyond the Barb.

Scroll down for photos of this fabulous fete!

Partners: Occasions Caterers, Fabrication Events, DC Rentals, Sweet Root Village, onomonoMEDIA, AFR Rental, and Carnegie Library