| EVENT REPORT 09.03.08 12:56 PM |
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| Camels on Collins |
| For the finale of the Ritz-Carlton hotel brand's weeklong sales training program, A.O.M. Events created a traffic-stopping Moroccan-themed event. |
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Miami Beach residents and Labor Day tourists stopped in their tracks on Friday, as two camels, wearing elaborate Moroccan duds and escorted by costumed camel wranglers, trekked down busy Collins Avenue in front of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach. The stunt, organized by Dan Vazquez, president of newly named A.O.M. Events (formally All Over Miami), was just one of many Moroccan elements presented as part of the goodbye luncheon for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel's week-long sales training program.
"The hotel choose the Moroccan theme, and I was thrilled," Vazquez said. "I could use the vibrant colors that are so much of the Moroccan culture and also mirror the upbeat South Beach vibe."
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The Ritz-Carlton treated its sales trainees to a Morocco-themed appreciation lunch to end the company's weeklong training program at the South Beach hotel.
Andrew Duany Photography Inc. |
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 | Two camels stopped traffic and turned heads as they trekked down Miami Beach's busy Collins Avenue in front of the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach.
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 | Trellises accented with brightly colored draping created intimate dining areas throughout the ballroom.
Andrew Duany Photography Inc. |
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 | The design team used lighting projected onto the venue's ceiling to create a fiery atmosphere.
Andrew Duany Photography Inc. |
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 | The lunch buffet was presented on tables suspended to resemble flying magic carpets.
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 | The hotel's culinary team served a variety of dishes for lunch, including rack of lamb with braised apricot and artichoke couscous.
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With a crew of 12 and just two hours to set up, Vazquez and his team erected seven trellis systems in the ballroom space, which hugged hexagon-shaped tables for six with traditional pillow seating.
Low-to-the-ground rectangular tables offered additional seating and doubled as makeshift stages on which Moroccan dancers performed and interacted with seated guests.
"I wanted the guests to have close interaction with the entertainers and feel as if they were really in Morocco," Vazquez said. "For me, the guest experience and element of surprise are the most important aspects of the event."
But due to Florida law, he said, guests couldn't smoke hookahs, a tradition in Morocco, indoors; instead, he lit incense all over the space and in the centerpieces to create a smoky environment.
A.O.M. set up its signature suspended buffet-style lunch-which included rack of lamb and braised apricot and artichoke couscous-prepared by the hotel's culinary team. Strung from the ballroom ceiling, the tables resembled magic carpets, adding to the thematic decor.
After lunch, guests traveled through the property to an outdoor oasis, where they sampled desserts such as pistachio baklava and took pictures with the camels.
—Brittany Peitsmeyer
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