With a full moon illuminating the poolside area of the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, CertaPro Painters', a painters contracting company based in Pennsylvania, couldn't have asked for a better night to host a Latin-themed welcome reception while in town for its annual conference. On hand to give the Pennsylvanians lots of Latin heat? Bobby Ramirez of RITMO! Decor, who brought his interactive Latin decor and entertainment to the resort.Kathi Mello, creative art director for CertaPro, found RITMO! online and was attracted to their fun factor. "We wanted the attendees to be able to mingle and do their own thing; so we just wanted a fun atmosphere, some light music, and hors d'oeuvres," she said. Ramirez's conga party, which featured congas galore, offered an experiential approach to decor. "The experience begins as soon as they walk in," Ramirez said "Not only do the congas appeal to [the guests'] vision, they can be used as tables and then played."
Actually, for the attendees, the experience began before they walked in. Live drumming from the three-piece band could be heard from hundreds of yards away by those approaching the entrance of the resort's Blue Lagoon pool area. Then, upon passing lit wicker torches, guests were put into a festive mood by the sight of gigantic, colorfully hand-painted, 7.5-foot-tall wooden flat-panel conga backdrops.
Ramirez propped individual or grouped congas up on steel stands throughout the area, which served not only as decoration, but also makeshift cocktail tables. "I call these drums la linda Cubanas," said Ramirez. And he does indeed dress his drums up like ladies, adorning them elegantly in rumba dance attire: stretchy, multicolored form-fitting covers made of spandex, chiffon, and polyester and trimmed with shimmering sequins.
Accenting the conga furnishings was a 12-foot-tall neon-lit faux coconut palm, adding a vibrant splash of color and light. Raul Pareto, the resort's lighting designer, used just a few pieces of equipment, two lekos pole lights, and pars lighting on the floor, which made it all the better to enjoy the full moon. Two food stations offered fresh fruit kabobs with yogurt dipping sauce, chocolate-dipped strawberries, warm sourdough pretzels, and cookies.
Luis Sanchez of La Tradicion Cubana provided complimentary hand-rolled Cuban cigars. Within 45 minutes of the event beginning, the poolside courtyard was overrun with 400 people.
And as guests continued to drink, they couldn't resist trying to play the congas, just as Ramirez predicted.
—Makkada B. Selah
Actually, for the attendees, the experience began before they walked in. Live drumming from the three-piece band could be heard from hundreds of yards away by those approaching the entrance of the resort's Blue Lagoon pool area. Then, upon passing lit wicker torches, guests were put into a festive mood by the sight of gigantic, colorfully hand-painted, 7.5-foot-tall wooden flat-panel conga backdrops.
Ramirez propped individual or grouped congas up on steel stands throughout the area, which served not only as decoration, but also makeshift cocktail tables. "I call these drums la linda Cubanas," said Ramirez. And he does indeed dress his drums up like ladies, adorning them elegantly in rumba dance attire: stretchy, multicolored form-fitting covers made of spandex, chiffon, and polyester and trimmed with shimmering sequins.
Accenting the conga furnishings was a 12-foot-tall neon-lit faux coconut palm, adding a vibrant splash of color and light. Raul Pareto, the resort's lighting designer, used just a few pieces of equipment, two lekos pole lights, and pars lighting on the floor, which made it all the better to enjoy the full moon. Two food stations offered fresh fruit kabobs with yogurt dipping sauce, chocolate-dipped strawberries, warm sourdough pretzels, and cookies.
Luis Sanchez of La Tradicion Cubana provided complimentary hand-rolled Cuban cigars. Within 45 minutes of the event beginning, the poolside courtyard was overrun with 400 people.
And as guests continued to drink, they couldn't resist trying to play the congas, just as Ramirez predicted.
—Makkada B. Selah
Congas of various sizes and colors had equally different functions from tables to instruments.
The band played drum-heavy festive music the first hour to get things started, and then mellowed out with Latin jazz.
A few congas were turned upside down so that they resembled huge vases, and different colored bamboo was used to hold artificial flowers in place.
Food stations offered fresh fruit kabobs with yogurt dipping sauce, chocolate-dipped strawberries.
