ISES Gala Celebrates 20th Birthday With Hollywood Theme

On Sunday night, the Washington Chapter of the International Special Events Society held its 20th anniversary award gala, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel. With 430 attendees, 100 volunteers, and 40 committee members, the evening took on vintage Hollywood motifs, from the V.I.P. reception with a backstage feel (complete with star-decked dressing-room doors) to the black-and-white dinner decor. 

“We really wanted our 20th to be a tribute to our members and show that Washington is not a town just for politics—it’s a town for events,” said ISES president Kelley Gillespie, who worked on the event with gala chairs Susan Katz, Terri Bergman, and Debra Berkelhammer of Distinctive Events.The event included a 1,500-image slide show of events held in Washington over the last 20 years. Cast of Thousands provided stiltwalkers and vaudeville characters to escort guests from the ceremony to the dinner, which was complete with square-patterned linens from Party Rental and five-foot-tall white feather centerpieces and various floral arrangements from Janet Flowers and Event Design, Amaryllis Inc., and Plants Alive Inc.