Photo: Courtesy of Kaye Willis
As marketing manager for the Washington office of Baker Hostetler, one of the nation’s largest law firms, Kaye Willis has organized parties for U.S. ambassadors, senators, congressmen, journalists, and leading business executives. She orchestrates and manages more than 50 events a year, ranging from quarterly dinners for clients to large galas. Willis has been with Baker Hostetler for eight years.
Photography: “After a great event, what people really want is a gorgeous photograph of themselves and their friends. I keep coming back to these four great photographers in the area: Kyle Samperton of Washington Life magazine has been around a long time. He has a dynamic personality. I hire him for the high-end ‘country club’ events. He’s in the loop, knows all the power players in town, and knows how to pair the players up to get just the right picture. Mark Abraham, an official Senate photographer, has a really serious, no-nonsense attitude. I hire him any time I have senators or congressmen [as guests]. Mark knows everyone on Capitol Hill and demonstrates an unsurpassed professionalism and knowledge of the legislative process. Felix Marquez with Creative 4U Photography is a beautiful Chilean photographer with a warm spirit. He’s an excellent sports photographer; he almost becomes a guest. People just fall in love with him, and he’s great for outdoor events in particular. Vicki Pombo is a wonderful, laid-back photographer. She doesn’t try to take over a party, and people really warm up to her. There’s this bohemian flair about her, and amongst all the serious lawyers, she brings a nice calming effect.”Wine/Spirits: “Jim Arsenault, who runs the Vineyard in McLean, Virginia, is a sommelier who's been around for about 30 years. For really beautiful wines, I don’t order them from the caterer. Jim will take your menu and come out and work with you. His genuine love for wines produces a vision that surpasses anything a caterer would come up with—Jim just gets it. Even if you want an inexpensive wine, he’ll put the time in. If you serve really interesting wine, people remember it.”
"Ace Beverages is also great for big events. They come on the day of and make sure you have everything you need. They’re like Smokey the Bear, putting out fires left and right.”
Catering: “I’ve been working with Lisa Bodager at Design Cuisine for a long time. When you’re dealing with so many creative personalities, she keeps it smooth—she’s a real pro. Lisa knows our lawyers, and she understands that when we've worked with special clients for 20 to 25 years, the event needs to be good. She’s also great at recommending other really good vendors.”
“I use Steve Dunn of Well Dunn Catering for some of the Hill events that I do. He adds a little icing on the cake. You can really see his personality come out in his events. If you’re working with a new crowd, sometimes it’s good to jazz things up and throw in something new and different. He’s been doing political events for about 25 years, and everyone loves him."
Entertainment: “Bob Dodelin of Sidney’s Entertainment comes through like a jewel. You tell him your audience, and he gets it right 95 percent of the time. You can call him at the last minute and a couple hours later have some very memorable entertainment.”
Venue: “As we get into the fall, the Kennedy Center is great. It’s just an extraordinary venue with a beautiful rooftop space. Getting a block of tickets for a great concert—that’s nice high-level entertainment your clients will remember.”
Bakery: “The Heidelberg Pastry Shop does these amazing cakes that look like big posters—which are great if someone is being promoted. They come in with sparklers on the cake, music playing; it’s great. The owner is an amazing cake lady.”
Transportation: “Sunny’s Limousine has these professional but charismatic drivers. If you get an intelligent limo driver that your clients feel comfortable around, it adds a nice touch. A nice smooth ride, nice music, nice wine—sounds good to me.”
Photography: “After a great event, what people really want is a gorgeous photograph of themselves and their friends. I keep coming back to these four great photographers in the area: Kyle Samperton of Washington Life magazine has been around a long time. He has a dynamic personality. I hire him for the high-end ‘country club’ events. He’s in the loop, knows all the power players in town, and knows how to pair the players up to get just the right picture. Mark Abraham, an official Senate photographer, has a really serious, no-nonsense attitude. I hire him any time I have senators or congressmen [as guests]. Mark knows everyone on Capitol Hill and demonstrates an unsurpassed professionalism and knowledge of the legislative process. Felix Marquez with Creative 4U Photography is a beautiful Chilean photographer with a warm spirit. He’s an excellent sports photographer; he almost becomes a guest. People just fall in love with him, and he’s great for outdoor events in particular. Vicki Pombo is a wonderful, laid-back photographer. She doesn’t try to take over a party, and people really warm up to her. There’s this bohemian flair about her, and amongst all the serious lawyers, she brings a nice calming effect.”Wine/Spirits: “Jim Arsenault, who runs the Vineyard in McLean, Virginia, is a sommelier who's been around for about 30 years. For really beautiful wines, I don’t order them from the caterer. Jim will take your menu and come out and work with you. His genuine love for wines produces a vision that surpasses anything a caterer would come up with—Jim just gets it. Even if you want an inexpensive wine, he’ll put the time in. If you serve really interesting wine, people remember it.”
"Ace Beverages is also great for big events. They come on the day of and make sure you have everything you need. They’re like Smokey the Bear, putting out fires left and right.”
Catering: “I’ve been working with Lisa Bodager at Design Cuisine for a long time. When you’re dealing with so many creative personalities, she keeps it smooth—she’s a real pro. Lisa knows our lawyers, and she understands that when we've worked with special clients for 20 to 25 years, the event needs to be good. She’s also great at recommending other really good vendors.”
“I use Steve Dunn of Well Dunn Catering for some of the Hill events that I do. He adds a little icing on the cake. You can really see his personality come out in his events. If you’re working with a new crowd, sometimes it’s good to jazz things up and throw in something new and different. He’s been doing political events for about 25 years, and everyone loves him."
Entertainment: “Bob Dodelin of Sidney’s Entertainment comes through like a jewel. You tell him your audience, and he gets it right 95 percent of the time. You can call him at the last minute and a couple hours later have some very memorable entertainment.”
Venue: “As we get into the fall, the Kennedy Center is great. It’s just an extraordinary venue with a beautiful rooftop space. Getting a block of tickets for a great concert—that’s nice high-level entertainment your clients will remember.”
Bakery: “The Heidelberg Pastry Shop does these amazing cakes that look like big posters—which are great if someone is being promoted. They come in with sparklers on the cake, music playing; it’s great. The owner is an amazing cake lady.”
Transportation: “Sunny’s Limousine has these professional but charismatic drivers. If you get an intelligent limo driver that your clients feel comfortable around, it adds a nice touch. A nice smooth ride, nice music, nice wine—sounds good to me.”
