Inc. magazine’s 27th annual "Inc. 500/Inc. 5000" conference took place last Thursday and Friday at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at the newly constructed National Harbor complex. The two-day expo culminated in an awards ceremony Saturday evening, honoring the top 5,000 entrepreneurs in the country with a champagne reception, dinner, and gala in Gaylord’s Potomac ballroom.
“Small businesses drive the economy,” said Stephanie Rubin, marketing director of Inc. magazine’s publishing company, Mansueto Ventures. “We thought, 'What better way to celebrate than in the nation's capitol?'" In fact, Inc. magazine signed a deal with Gaylord to host the event there for the next four years. The conference also celebrated the fact that Washington was named the No. 1 Inc. 500 city, with more Inc. 500 companies than any other city in the country.
Mansueto vice president of events and business resources Kelly Winkler and events director Courtney Waters helped produce the gala, which garnered some 1,500 attendees. “We chose the National Harbor on a leap of faith, and it really worked out,” said Waters. At the end of the opening reception, while guests were still busy taking in views of the river, a black drape was raised to welcome attendees to the ballroom. The colorful design scheme (based on Inc. magazine’s new logo colors) lit the room in red, yellow, and blue tones, reflected off of navy linens with white orchid centerpieces by Just Outrageous Events.
Throughout the dinner (comprised of lobster cheesecake and beef sirloin), a video reel depicted some of the attendees' entrepreneurial success stories. All guests received a card of special offers with businesses in attendance. “It allows guests to connect the dots,” said Rubin. “This event is live social networking.”
The recipients—ranging from a college student who started a computer networking business to a father of five who made a career change to follow his dream—delivered speeches emphasizing community. As Waters noted: “The biggest stars tonight are the award winners.”
