One of the new features at this year’s gala was a clear departure from the traditional seated dinner of the past. The gala started with a seated, theatre-style award ceremony in one ballroom and was followed by a buffet dinner and dancing in an adjacent ballroom. The change was made to put more emphasis on the awards and allow each winner to receive the proper recognition, according to Lynne Breaux, R.A.M.W. president. “This event has always had a rowdy crowd, and I think in years past we had too many components happening at the same time. This year everyone can focus on one thing at a time: first the awards and then dinner, networking, and dancing,” she said.
Like the new format, this year also had a new theme, “We’ll always have…restaurants,” a play on the famous line from Casablanca, and many guests took the theme to heart, arriving dressed in 1940s-inspired attire. The decor also got a playful 1940s spin from auxiliary seating areas featuring beaded lamps, white leather couches, and large feathered arrangements.
The menu took on a round-the-world theme with Mexico, Chile, Australia, and Virginia each sponsoring one of the four rectangular dining pavilions that anchored the center and far end of the massive ballroom. Plymouth Gin, Absolut Vodka, Jim Beam Rye, Tres Generaciones Tequila and Mount Gay Rum each sponsored a bar that offered a single cocktail created by a local mixologist.
Shortly after guests had a chance to make their way through each of the buffet stations, the Onyx band (booked through Washington Talent, Photo & Video) turned up the volume and got attendees dancing. Guests looking to satisfy their sweet tooth could choose from three dessert stations created by the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center catering department.
