Event Recap: Art Walk

Creating and cultivating events that garner connection is always our goal, which is why we absolutely love producing community engagement events for one of our longtime real estate clients.

Throughout the course of the year, we work alongside the KIMCO Realty team producing a lineup of exciting and interactive events that bring the community of Gaithersburg, Maryland together at KIMCO’s Kentland Market Square shopping center -- from summer concerts and holiday festivities to our most recent activation – the very popular Art Walk!

Working closely with the shopping center, we created an art fair that celebrated the talent of local artists. We had 14 diverse artists showcasing their masterpieces ranging from woodworking to paintings to photographs and sharing their stories with their neighbors.

The highlight of this year’s Art Walk was the new community mural by Lea Cragie-Marshall. A stunning, larger-than-life tribute to local wildlife, this piece now permanently brightens up Kentlands Market Square. The development of the mural took a year, ending with Cragie-Marshall painting the final brushstrokes at the grand reveal!

With the goal of the Art Walk being bringing the community together, we wanted to ensure everyone could get in on the fun no matter what age! The youngest artist of Gaithersburg were encouraged to let their creativity flow through children's activities such as making friendship bracelets and painting miniature versions of the mural. Chalk was also on hand for community members to add their own masterpieces to the center, drawing alongside a professional chalk artist.

To keep the party going, we partnered with a local restaurant to provide delicious bites, and a DJ spun a 1960s-inspired playlist that kept guests of all ages dancing. We even had raffles throughout the day, giving attendees the chance to win gift cards, meals, and a signed print of the mural itself!

Our goal for the Art Walk was to bring the community together, and we're thrilled that it was a true celebration of our vibrant local art scene. This event was just the beginning of our 2023 series of events with Kentlands Market Square, and we can't wait to see what else we can create to foster community engagement.

A Note From RG: Celebrating Pride

A Note for RG

Spring shifts towards summer, and we remain enjoying one of our busiest periods of the year! It has been an extraordinarily exciting past few months as we have supported innovative conferences, expressive experiential marketing events and fundraising endeavors for inspiring changemakers. We continue to push our own boundaries and those of our industry as we challenge ourselves to creatively solve our clients' challenges and execute events, both sufficient and as always mission-driven.

This final month of spring is always one of my very favorite periods of the year. Not only is the weather exceptional in nearly every area of the country our work takes us, but our event calendar is packed on those travels and with initiatives for inclusivity that are not only inspiring to produce, but always exciting to attend. I’m talking of course, about our projects for nonprofit and private enterprise clients celebrating and supporting Pride Month!

Over the next 30 days we will record quite a few frequent flyer miles executing for our clients in Los Angeles, NYC, Miami and Washington D.C. as we support goal-oriented events, aiming to cultivate an emphasis on inclusion while honoring the LGBTQ+ community. Concerts, conferences, product launches and fundraisers all draped in a kaleidoscope of color, a joyous cacophony.

I hope you follow along for insight into all the outstanding efforts my team puts in to ensuring the success of these initiatives. We’re so excited to have you and thrilled to share this spirit of celebration all through the month of June!

Cheers!

RG

Event Recap: La Roche-Posay Presents "SOS Save Our Skin"

Here comes the sun… and one of our favorite clients knew how to kick the summer season off just right and raise awareness during skin cancer awareness month by rolling out their new sunscreen line and providing free skin cancer screenings.

When La Roche-Posay approached us to help produce a media breakfast for their new campaign “SOS Save Our Skin”, we knew the party had to feel like jumping right into a beautiful summer day with a venue on the water, beachballs galore and fresh-cut florals everywhere! The Queensyard at Hudson Yards in New York City was the perfect fit!

 As a top dermatological brand, La Roche-Posey puts a huge amount of emphasis on skin cancer prevention, so it only made sense to launch the “SOS Save Our Skin” campaign in May, skin cancer awareness month. Not only was there a stunning and extremely informative event going on inside the Queensyard, but when attendees looked out the window they could see a giant outdoor La Rocher-Posay branded tent where the pubic could receive free skin cancer screening as the brand strived to break the Guinness world record for most screenings.

The breakfast was a great example of how to effectively incorporate brand identity into an event – but if you know anything about how RGI throws a production, you know it wasn’t as simple as a few posters or branded napkins. We really went all out wanting to #MaterializeTheMessage and drive home the importance of this new product as we head into UV-filled summer days!

From a textured floral beauty cart where guests to see, smell and feel the product firsthand to a customizable product station where attendees could take home personalized samples, we wanted the morning to be filled with experiences!

Surrounding the room were branded La Roche-Posay beachballs and stunning florals everywhere you looked – including a build-your-own flower arrangement with stems in various hues of orange!

What’s a media breakfast without something to really generate buzz?! We threw it back to summer days as a kid playing endless amounts of games on the pier – like the classic claw machine! We brought in a custom-branded old-school claw machine where guests could feel like a kid again winning killer prizes like gift cards or even grabbing the golden ball and winning a donation to charity from La Roche-Posay.

All these activations not only served as excellent marketing tools for the company but also provided guests with an engaging and memorable experience.

The morning wrapped with a delicious breakfast on tables branded with La Roche-Posey orange plates, beautiful menus, static cards for attendees to review and you guessed it more stunning florals!

All in the Details: Transforming A Room

It is our point of view at RGI that to be a great event producer, you must really enjoy a challenge! One of the most significant challenges we face for our clients is often how to transform a room to meet the needs of our client's event. Couple that with them needed to meet a budget, and now you are really speaking our language! No matter what price point we need to achieve for a client. There are a few tried and true, focused ways we evaluate when proposing a plan for transformation to a client!

Create Impactful Wow Moments

If you know anything about RGI, we love to go big or go home! Our goal with any and every event we produce is for attendees to walk away amazed. But transformation doesn’t have to mean saturation. Creating big impact moments spread strategically throughout a space is a great approach when creating an environment that feels transformative. Through unique activations, an incredible stage build and even right down to food and beverage, creating killer focal points rather than trying to blanket the entire space is sure to make a massive impact!

Lean Into lighting

Great lighting is really worth the investment. Very few elements can so transformatively fill up a space and directly influence an event's atmosphere and energy. If we are given - which we always are - strict instructions on a budget, we will always invest a good chunk of it in lighting. You will be surprised, stunned, and extremely happy with the results of your spending!

Draw the Eye

Diversity within a space creates a transformative effect. Alternate linens with lots of patterns in the same color palette to pull an attendee's eye around the room. Play around with an innovative floor plan or an outside-the-box registration flow. Switch up past appetizers with stations darted around the space. Anytime you can mix it up helps to really amplify interest and make a room feel transformed.

Transforming a space truly is one of the best parts of what we do! There is just something about turning an ordinary room into a breathtaking experience - from lighting and decor to custom builds, entertainment, and activations; no detail is overlooked!

Event Recap: Carbon 180 Summit

While Earth Day has come and gone, our RGI Atelier team is constantly focused on eco-friendly practices – especially when working with clients whose mission is reducing carbon footprint! Recently we were given the opportunity to produce a two-day conference for some of our favorite eco-friendly clients!

The Carbon 180 Summit convened experts in carbon removal for its inaugural event. Experts were invited to discuss the importance of carbon removal in mitigating the effects of climate change with roundtables, panels, and presentations by leading researchers.

Our clients had the passion but knew that the topic at hand could lose their audience’s attention pretty quickly, so RGI was tasked with creating an interactive experience for experts in the field to share knowledge, collaborate and advance the goal of achieving a sustainable future. Our goal was to make the summit into a conversation, where the guests and the experts would be able to engage with each other in memorable ways. 

One of the ways we tackled this challenge was through a QR code trivia activation. Large pop-ups were placed throughout the venue with trivia questions displayed. Attendees could then scan the corresponding QR codes to find the answers! the custom-built six-foot-tall topical banners doubled as décor throughout the venue creating branding opportunities while driving guests to our client’s website and keeping them engaged with the concept of carbon removal.

Another way we kept things exciting was through the coveted meeting swag! Union-made tote bags were filled with branded pens, notebooks, water bottles, fun stickers, and Carbon 180 hats. It was essential to the clients that all swag items were ethically sourced and as green as possible!

After a day filled with roundtable talks and discussion panels, attendees were able to unwind at a happy hour filled with custom cocktails and on-brand snacks.

On the second day, the summit was moved to the US Capitol Building for a lobbying exercise. The day started with a catered breakfast in the rotunda and was followed by meetings with lawmakers. Attendees then had the opportunity to meet with lawmakers and advocate for carbon removal at the very heart of government.

Both days were planned to be interactive to keep the Carbon Removers Summit informative, while also making the event memorable and engaging for our client and their attendees.

Event Essentials: LIGHTS, Camera, Action!

It's no coincidence that "lights" comes first in this iconic phrase, "Lights, Camera, Action". Lighting is an important aspect that can completely transform the look and feel of a space. Read on for some of the top ways we use lighting to transform a space!

Big Brand Energy

No matter what type of client it might be – we love using lighting elements to create an identity for an event. We look to weave in colors of the organization hosting the event or the pallet of the event invitation. It's also a great opportunity to promote social media usage by projecting an event hashtag, the organization's logo or the title of the event. How you utilize lighting, be it uplights, pin spots, or projections for washes on your stage – there is always an opportunity to use this element to #MaterializeTheMessage.

Effects

The possibilities when it comes to lighting are truly endless. Far from just colors – patterns, shapes, movement and room effects are all tricks in the lighting arsenal we love to deploy. From creating a night sky awash with stars or a kaleidoscope mosaic to a wall full of waves or ripples on a pond, the capabilities of a strong lighting schematic can create a room full of wow, attendees will not soon forget.

Bang for the buck

This is not to say that great lighting is cheap. But that great lighting is really worth the investment. Very few elements can so transformatively fill up a space and directly influence an event's atmosphere and energy. If we are given - which we always are - strict instructions on a budget, I will always invest a good chunk of it in lighting. You will be surprised, stunned, and extremely happy with the results of your spend!

Overall, lighting is a crucial element in event décor and design and can greatly impact the overall look and feel of a space. By keeping these tips in mind, you'll be able to transform any venue into the perfect event space.

Event Recap: National Cherry Blossom Festival

In 2019, RGI won a 10-year contract from the National Park Service to provide broad event services in the region. Through this contract, we are thrilled to be involved in planning large-scale events such as the Fourth of July Celebration, Inauguration, and the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The National Cherry Blossom Festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each spring to witness the beautiful cherry blossom trees in full bloom. However, planning for this event can be challenging due to the unpredictable timing of the blossoms. The peak bloom period usually occurs between mid-March and early April, but it is affected by weather conditions. As a result, we need to be flexible and prepared to act at any given moment once March arrives.

To cater to the hundreds of thousands of attendees at the Cherry Blossom Festival each year, meticulous planning is essential – particularly when it comes to food and beverages. This year, the festival featured 14 diverse food trucks, serving delicious options, each offering a menu item inspired by the Cherry Blossom Festival. We also created not one, but two beer gardens featuring a local craft option brewed specifically for the festival.

In the 88-year history of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, this was the first year in which local DC businesses had the opportunity to participate in this national event. Hometown favorites were able to serve up their best for residents and the hundreds of thousands of tourists that made their way to our nation's Capitol.

This is an innovative and unique addition to the festival that speaks to its purpose, getting people outside to enjoy the trees, learn about their importance, and enjoy good company and delicious food!

The two-week stretch of the festival was a huge success, and we cannot wait to do it all again next year!

The Power of Partnerships

A Note from RG -

When I started RGI events, we were a rare boutique industry in the DC market. As I surveyed the market landscape, the passion it takes to successfully carry off the events we produce for our clients and the big box solutions I saw around me just didn't mesh. It is my deep belief that to be able to successfully produce goal-oriented events, we have to share the deep enthusiasm for those goals on the same level as our clients. Through our team doing so - we have created an atmosphere in which partnerships truly do form the backbone of our growth over the past 15 years and have shaped the identity of who RGI events really is - a mission-driven firm that produces measurable results for our clients across planning production design, strategy and execution of their initiatives.

For all of the many accolades we have been grateful to receive, I consider it a particular point of pride that RGI events has enjoyed a client retention rate of over 80% year over year for the last decade. This means that 80% of the clients we execute every year return for another year of work with us. There are events on our roster that we have produced for seven and eight years – more than a few that we have produced for over a decade. Our client roster further includes brands and organizations who we may produce up to a dozen events for each year. Not only do I feel like these repeat opportunities allow for expressive and expansive growth of these events and the said initiatives, but it's hard to underestimate just how valuable the one-on-one relationship is with a client to the event's success when you have known them for ten years.

We have a saying at RGI - that our goal is always to make every client feel like one in a million, not one of million. We do that through boutique-style client management and a dedicated, consistent and cohesive team who are genuinely obsessed with their goals as much as they do - from end to end on every project. When we can speak as passionately as our clients speak about their goals it creates a magic to the production process that not even experience can replicate.

I'm so very grateful for the partnerships that have been built, and the outstanding collaborations that have been brought to life through our commitment to our clients, and I hope very much to continue these successes with these amazing organizations for many more years!

Event Recap: Celebrating 25 Year of Global Services

If you know RGI events, then you have to know our deep passion for supporting women in business. When that opportunity collides with special events – it's a dream!

We recently had the honor to do just that by celebrating the 25th anniversary of Global Services, a woman-owned and woman lead government contracting firm, whom we were fortunate enough five years ago to throw a soirée celebrating its 20th anniversary! Courtney Fairchild, the president and CEO, shares our passionate support of women in business and leads by example. Her leadership roles at numerous organizations and her passion for furthering professional development and leadership opportunities in education for women in government contracting and beyond are inspiring. The impact she has made and the support she has given was evident as clients, past and present, friends and colleagues over the years turned out in droves for this milestone event!

High atop District Winery, one of our favorite venues in the city, guests enjoyed local wine-tasting trivia while enjoying the spectacular view of the river. This party was paired with an opportunity to create valuable marketing content for the client. We brought in one of our talented, editorial-style videographers to shoot testimonial videos for the business to use far after the event. DJ 2-tone Jones, always a favorite, kept the crowd dancing with Motown all night as they enjoyed fabulous fare and toasted Global Services' success.

District winery was decked out in Global Services' signature blue, and we relied heavily on lighting elements to reinforce the brand messaging at every turn.

We are so very grateful to have been asked back by Courtney after all the turmoil the world has seen over the past five years to, once again, toast and permissions. Great achievements! We can't wait to do it again in another five years!

It's all in the Details: Materialize the Message

Materialize the message. It's a phrase you often hear in the RGI atelier. But what does it mean? In simple terms, put purpose behind every detail you can, from big to small, to drive home the reason attendees are supporting your event. From the first round of communication sent to your guests to the moment they leave the event, there should be no doubt as to why they are there and who/what they are supporting. It is all about strategic planning.

When we take on a new project, we do it with one goal in mind – to help our clients see the most significant return on investment - or ROI. Whether that is dollars raised at a non-profit fundraising gala, appreciation and celebration felt at a corporate anniversary or holiday party, hopeful feelings at a store grand opening, or excitement from a new product launch. Whatever it is, we strive to garner the largest form.

How do we do it? Well to start, the easiest way to "Materialize the Message" is through intentional branding – starting with invitations, whether they are physical invitations or electronic ones, ensuring your brand and your reason for the gathering is well represented is the first major step in your quest for large ROI!

From there, it's all in the details! Pulling your theme throughout every aspect of the decor, from the color of the linens and uplighting surrounding the room to the gobo projected on the floor or walls, strategically branding your event helps to drive home your message. We have seen clients get really creative with design elements that leave their guests talking for years after! How's that for ROI!

Recently, we did an all-in-one product lunch plus 10-year anniversary party for a beauty brand client. One way they really tied the event together was through florals believe it or not! On one side of the room was the anniversary party, while the other half of the room was the product launch. By mixing flowers in the colors of the parent company with stems in the shades from the new product, they celebrated the company's new growth – really driving home the point through a stunning combination of cascading florals from a bookshelf filled with products from both brands in the center of the room.

And finally, give meaning to your catering and cocktails! Perhaps one of the most fun ways - and let's be honest it's what your guests really care about – is pulling your messaging through your food selections and custom cocktails. This past year we did an anniversary party for a corporate client of ours where they were celebrating the success of their offices nationwide, so naturally, we wanted to be able to represent each location. How you ask? One way we did this was through the passed appetizers! From crab cakes for Annapolis, Maryland, and Chicago dogs for Chicago, Illinois, to shrimp and grit cakes for Baton Rouge, these clients knew how to #MaterlizeTheMessage!

So when you sit down to plan your next event, really think about the reason for the gathering and get strategic – pulling your message through every aspect you can to drive home your message!

Event Recap: Forefront Dermatology Networking Reception

 What would you do if you hosted a party on St. Patrick's Day? It sounds like an easy call to make - shamrocks, green accents, and Guinness, right? Well, what happens when your client doesn't want the holiday to be the event's central theme? That was the question we were very recently faced with when our long-time client came to us with a dermatology networking reception to take place on March 17th in New Orleans -- a city that notoriously loves to celebrate so enthusiastically!

We always want to ensure any event produced by RGI is an elevated experience for our clients and their guests. This means that while we incorporate the holiday with a subtle nod here or there, we made sure to stay away from turning this event from corporate to chintzy. Custom whisky cocktails helped set the mood, without overwhelming the other, in our opinion, quite frankly more important, elements of the evening – the brand itself!

From custom lighting to an exciting guest of honor – the famed Dr. Pimple Popper - and a L'Oréal-sponsored beauty bar, the night was about all things dermatology!

Let's talk about this beauty bar! This bespoke build-out was created to highlight the amazing products handed out in the swag bags- courtesy of L'Oréal! This custom beauty bar wall was a real showstopper, with the coveted SkinCeuticals, Vichy, La Roche Posay, and Cerave jars taking center stage against creamy white florals and the twinkle of candlelight. The wall was not only stunning but educational, with branded messaging about the importance of skincare.

It's hard to imagine what could pull focus, but we managed to with the second activation: The Dr. Pimple Popper Lounge! Complete with a step and repeat, branded pop-ups, a full lounge seating area with branded pillows, and oh yes, Dr. Pimple Popper herself! We could not have asked for a better brand ambassador, plus the guests could not get enough!

We loved bringing this event down to New Orleans with our long-term clients. Building these relationships with brands means that even though our partners stay the same, the challenges and rewards keep changing with each event, and now that 2023 is put to bed we simply cannot wait to get started on their 2024 event!

Event Recap: Gallaudet University Commencement

Spring means so many wonderful things for the special events calendar - and one of our favorites is commencement.

We've had the honor to support dozens of commencement ceremonies for ivy league schools and Big 10 powerhouses over the last 15 years. From business schools turning out titans of industry to national championship institutions debuting the next big sports stars, there have been quite a few of these ceremonies, welcoming some of the most illustrious speakers imaginable, that hold a place of pride in our memories. One that may be closest to our heart was the commencement for Gallaudet University, which we supported in the spring of 2022.

Gallaudet University, federally chartered in 1864, has been the educational, political, social, and economic engine of the deaf and signing community on a national and global scale for more than 150 years.

This commencement was special for so many reasons, from the opportunity to support such a historic school, building a stage, literally, for such a memorable moment in these students' lives to returning to in-person learning just shortly before the ceremony, it was a huge year for the university. Throughout 2022, Gallaudet garnered a special relationship supporting the Oscar-winning film CODA making it even more special when Oscar-winner Marlee Matlin was one of the keynote speakers alongside Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Did we mention we had a little over 45 days to pull off this ceremony? To say the stakes were high would be an understatement.

The day started with a VIP reception in honor of these amazing guests. We then produced two back-to-back ceremonies welcoming over 1,000 attendees at each. We supported A-to-Z, 360° production at all of these components, including attendee management, ticketing and seating, venue logistics and management, strategic production, staffing and content creation for the stage show, as well as artistic and technical production, speaker management, and management of the student body. Undergrad commencement took place in the morning and the graduate school commencement followed directly after.

We're sure you can imagine the logistical and technical challenges of turning over a production of that size just to run it all over again with a 45-minute buffer. (Not to mention emptying and resetting a room and starting up, ticketing and check-in all over again!)

Add in the complexities of live streaming the event at a high production level both on the web, and also to an adjoining auditorium for an overflow audience and you have quite the symphony to conduct.

RGI's team rose to and then far exceeded the challenge. A member of Tim Cook's team dashed over after his presentation to, let us know it was one of the best-run commencement ceremonies Tim has ever spoken at.

I am often asked what my favorite event to produce has been and I respond that I might not have favorites, but certainly ones that are most memorable and rewarding, this event was high on that list for sure. - Rachael Glaws, RGI Principal

Event Essentials: Florals on a Budget

Stunning florals have become a must at any event these days. From big, beautiful arrangements to a single stem in an ornate bud vase, they aren’t just flowers on a table, they are true works of art for attendees to enjoy. Unfortunately, more often than not, with their killer looks comes a price tag that can kill a budget. So how does one have their cake and eat it too? It’s all about strategically *picking* the right stems.

 Stick to the Season 

First and foremost, start with flowers that are in season. This might seem like the most obvious trick to avoiding blowing your floral budget, however so many times, clients will show us inspiration pictures of arrangements they love, but those particular flowers are not in season, making them not only more difficult to source but also more expensive.

Filler Up

Another way to mitigate costs is supplementing with less expensive yet still beautiful filler. Filler flowers come in all different styles. From perhaps the most common - and very trendy - baby breath to the lily of the valley and bells of Ireland, you’d be surprised at how beautiful these options are and how much they actually enhance your arrangement.

Go Green

If florals are not in your budget, you can always go green! Bunches and stems of greens are so elegant and beautiful on their own, and they add just the right amount of punch to elevate a space without going too over the top. Stems like eucalyptus, no matter what variation, not only look great but smell amazing too! We love to add in Dusty Miller leaves, Eryngium flowers, or greenery ferns to add a unique element. And if green isn’t in the aesthetics, try opting for other organic elements that are much lower in cost. Think branches, leaves, other inexpensive greenery, citrus, and the list goes on! Get creative and have fun!

So once your event is wrapped and your guests gush about the stunning floral arrangements, what the heck do you do with them? Don’t just toss them, you wouldn’t throw your hard-earned money in the trash, would you? Give them to your guests as parting gifts, or better yet ask guests for a donation to benefit the organization of your choosing in exchange for an arrangement. Or, one option that absolutely melts our hearts is when clients opt to call a local hospital or nursing home and donate flowers for the residents to enjoy!

Next time you are debating if florals are worth it, smell the roses, don’t skip them!

Cheers to 15 - A trip down memory lane

If necessity is the mother of invention, then I suppose RGI events falls categorically into that designation. If you strip away the philosophy in the veneer, 15 years ago, I needed a job. And now here we are.

I had returned home to Virginia after nearly a decade working in entertainment and special events in Los Angeles, and as I started in on my job search, I quickly became disenchanted. The environment of experience and innovation I had just left had prepared me to fully step into the world of strategic special events, but as I looked around, I could not find a firm in the Washington D.C. area that was doing anything on the level to which I had been producing. I could not square throwing away that experience to take just any old position. I’ve always been far too ambitious for that – but, I was running out of time…and needed a paycheck.

If I only knew then what I know now.

Fifteen years later, it’s hard to sum up exactly how the experience of building and running this business has impacted me in a few paragraphs. There have been dizzying highs and catastrophic lows. I’ve learned more about myself than I ever thought there was to learn. I’ve lost a parent, gained three children, and as we all eventually do, I have now thoroughly turned into my mother. I have been lucky enough to get up every day for the past 15 years and make magic, bringing dreams to life, making fantasies concrete and bottling fairy dust. I still get the same butterflies before a show that hooked me on this type of work nearly 25 years ago. This business has been my life‘s biggest challenge and my best friend.

They say if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. Now, I don’t know about all that because what I do is awfully hard work, but I genuinely love it. I love to have been put in a position to teach the many team members we have mentored over the years about this business and about life, and I am so honored and humbled by the trust our truly illustrious clients – titans of industry, famous faces, the most impactful change-making organizations in the world – put in me and my team, to move the needle forward for their organizations.

Fifteen years has disappeared in the blink of an eye, and I can’t wait to see what we do with the next 15. Here’s hoping all of your dreams come true.

Event Recap: Walking for A Cure with PHA

RGI events is teaming up with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association to raise money and awareness for those affected by Pulmonary Hypertension. This year, Team RGI and Team PHA will walk across the finish line in over nine different cities nationwide.

From San Francisco to our hometown of Washington, D.C., we plan each and every O2Breathe Walk with one goal: to bring together patients, caregivers, and medical professionals to support and raise money for those in the community battling PH.

To reach this goal, Team RGI focuses on finding the perfect setting for the PHA community to walk with purpose. We research local parks and trails, looking for the most scenic and accessible place for Team PHA to walk together in every city.

Once we find the perfect location for the PHA community to walk, we get to work doing what we do best — planning!

We map out the exact walking route that the PH patients, their families and support will all walk together. Then, we lay the event groundwork — we set up tents and tables for registration, vendors, donations, swag, and more!

It is essential to have a place for Team PHA to announce the funds they raised at the event and a place to award the PH patients. We set a stage with a DJ to play some tunes while Team PHA gets to announce all their exciting achievements.

The first leg of our race with PHA began on a stormy Saturday in the heart of Houston, TX at the beautiful Buffalo Bayou Park. Despite the cold, wet, and windy weather, community members still came to walk and support PH patients and their families. At this event, the PH community raised more than $19,000!

Houston’s success reminded us that hard work does pay off! Team RGI feels extremely lucky to be able to produce events that have such a positive impact on communities all over the country.

Event Recap: JOAH - A Night of Surprise & Delight

After 15 years in business and nearly 1,000 events produced – a fundamental goal at RGI is to keep creating inspiring experiences, never rest on our laurels and push the envelope creatively and strategically.

Sometimes, if you are lucky – all you need to do is find the right venue! When a long-time partner approached us to produce a product launch for a very special brand, we knew the location needed to be just as surprising as the product. Enter Keys and Heels – a real speakeasy-style gem in New York City's upper east side. An unassuming facade cleverly hides an on-trend bar, the perfect locale for a disco-drenched party!

We leaned into a product that is all about the glitz and decked out the space with assorted disco balls, and all that shimmers! A live ice carver entertained the crowd by creating a frigid rendition of the brand logo, and guests enjoyed a crisp glass of bubbles - branded of course - from the champagne tower.

The surprise and delight on guests' faces as the event was revealed behind this unassuming storefront was simply attendee #goals! And this commitment to finding fresh new ideas is a huge reason why we've successfully rolled out hundreds of these events for hundreds of happy clients over the years!

All in the Details: Setting the Stage

If you know anything about RGI, you know we love being a bit extra in everything we do! We love to dream up big, extravagant visions and bring them to life. That is never more palpable than when it comes time for a stage build! It’s like we always say, we can’t change the world, but we will build the stage for those who do – literally! So what does it take to build a stage that’s sure to dazzle? Read on for the top three elements we embrace!

 Wow Factor

We LOVE a showstopping moment and that starts right when attendees walk into the room! When a function involves a stage, often the design and décor of the stage get forgotten. Not with RGI. We love taking the simple concept of a platform and turning it into a focal point or centerpiece of our design by giving it a wow factor. From colors to shapes and cutouts to placement in the room, thinking about every little detail making it different and buzz-worthy is a must!

 Killer Lighting

Kill or be killed… that could not ring truer when it comes to lighting! No one likes bad lighting so making sure our lighting not only paints our subject in a flattering light but also adds to the message of the stage is a concept we would be remised to miss. We love incorporating uplighting to really bring the stage to life and it’s a big plus when you can add in some color to give it that extra pop!

Functionality

There is no point in having a fabulous stage if it’s not functional for your needs. When setting out to design a stage, keep in mind its purpose of it. How many people will be on it at once? Is seating needed at all? What is an appropriate size? Will it support technology and lighting needs? These are just a few of the basic questions you should ask from the start!

So when you set out to build your next stage, have a little fun with it and let your creativity shine and pack a punch! Your guests are sure to love it!

RGI Takes Tulum

Early each year, team RGI packs up and departs the frigid mid-Atlantic for the balmy Caribbean shores of Tulum, Mexico, for a week and toast to the success of the year ahead! We spend time going deep on strategy with an amazing business coach, as well as career pathing and goal setting, both individually and as a team. There's lots of yoga, green juice, meditation, exploration… and tacos!

In addition to being deeply relaxing and a welcome respite from winter – the retreat is designed to give us the opportunities, both on our own and as a group, to connect with RGI's mission granularly. It allows us time within a beautiful and energetic setting to receive expert support to approach our goals passionately and explore how to use each day as an opportunity to improve our skills. Here, we exuberantly gain knowledge along with practical process improvements to be the best we can be for our clients.

We relish this time together as a team and look forward to it every year. The immense benefit it provides to connecting the RGI staff with our mission is truly unique and inspiring – we feel deeply grateful to RGI principal and creative director Rachael Glaws for orchestrating such an amazing experience for us each year. There's no better way to ensure we are ready to meet the challenges of 2023 head-on and exceed our goals by achieving each and every one of our clients' goals!

Event Essentials: Cheers to Mocktails

Cheers to the new year! Dry January is almost over, and whether you opted to participate or your new year's resolution was to drink less, you weren't the only one looking to cut back on alcohol indulgence. One big trend we saw in bar service in 2022 was the request for more and more mocktail options. These non-alcoholic drinks are everywhere – from celebrity endorsement elixirs to classic cocktails - hold the booze - for whatever reason, guests choose to opt out of alcohol, it's a trend we love. Read on for our top three tips to including a fun mocktail option at your next event!

If you got it, flaunt it!

Mocktails are in, so don't hide them! Just as you would display a signature cocktail on your bar menu, highlight your non-alcoholic craft options – they are a signature "cocktail," after all. Treat your mocktails as you would a fancy, showy cocktail. They should fit seamlessly into your bar setup with the same production level as alcoholic drinks.

Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!

Mocktails can serve as a canvas for the same creative embellishments that cocktails can. Use a custom, branded ice cube, add an edible flower, use dry ice or add a smokey element! Cocktails are made for adults, so make sure your mocktails feel like a fun adult drink too -- not something you ordered off the kid's menu.

 'Tis the season!

Fun and festive drinks are all the rage! Mocktails are a great vehicle for flavors of the seasons the same way you curate themed cocktails. Whether it's a warm and cozy mug of spiced *not spiked* cider during chilly months or a twist on refreshing classic lemonade as it heats up, play to the season.

When planning your bar menu, we typically recommend you have options for everyone – something for the wine drinker, dark liquor options like whiskey and light options like vodka or gin --but you don't have to go overboard with mocktails. Often people are surprised and delighted just to see one option. So cheers to your next event being *slightly* less boozy, but still a killer time!

All in the Details: The Perfect Step-and-Repeat

Step, pose, repeat! We are all familiar with the icon event arrivals view of pictures on the red carpet. But did you know there is a term for this arrivals area? Step-and-repeats are so named because as attendees alight into an event environment, they are invited to pose for photos, take a step and repeat the pose. These days it's not just Hollywood premiers that are looking for that perfect photo op. Read on for our top three steps to repeat (*insert winking emoji here*) to create the ideal spot for your guest to pose!

Step 1: Get creative!

Step and repeats don’t have to be just a wall with a logo plaster all over. Spice it up and get creative! Add some texture by incorporating elements like balloons, flowers or ribbons. Another way to add to your wall is to include cutouts or pedestals. These help to add dimension. Some of our favorite walls where our creativity shined have been for the Washington Nationals and SkinCeuticals!

Perhaps the most obvious of all the steps, but arguably the most important, make sure there is good logo visibility! This wall is where your attendees will take the photo they will most likely post on social media. Think of it as free advertising! Whether you print your logo all over the wall or turn it into a beautiful neon sign (which is incredibly popular right now!), make your brand seen!

Step 2: Size matters!

It really does – and at RGI, we firmly believe the bigger, the better! You want your step and repeat to be seen, so it draws guests to it. Most will want to take a photo with a group of people, so it’s important to make the wall large enough that everyone fits in front. Plus, the whole point is to provide a killer backdrop – you don’t want an ugly blank wall in your photo because you have to step so far back to get everyone in!

Step 3: Location is key!

We all know how the saying goes - location, location, location! Where you position the wall is so important. Keep in mind traffic flow, space for the photographer to adequately capture the photo, lighting, if your event is outside the sun's position and how it will affect pictures, if it is visible, etc. You will want to consider these things when it comes time to set it up.  

No matter what type of event you are hosting, attendees are bound to take a photo or two! A great spot gives them the perfect backdrop and you the perfect advertising - a win for everyone! Just follow those simple *steps* and *repeat* (okay, okay we're done) at your next gathering!