Best of 2011: 10 Washington Event Industry Highlights

Hurricane Irene wreaked havoc upon the East Coast in late August, especially in Washington, where the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial had to be postponed. Five days of planned celebrations for 400,000 spectators were cut to just two and a half days, because of the bad weather. Before Irene threatened the weekend, an earthquake shook up plans, forcing the Honoring Global Leaders for Peace gala to be moved from the National Building Museum to the convention center just 24 hours before its planned start. The memorial's rescheduled dedication took place October 16, the 16th anniversary of the Million Man March.

Washington eatery Sweetgreen hosted its fourth annual Sweetlife Festival in May, with big-name acts like Lupe Fiasco, Girl Talk, and headliners the Strokes. The sustainable music festival grew exponentially from 750 people in its Dupont Circle store’s parking lot last year to more than 16,000 people at Merriweather Post Pavilion, despite consistent rain. “Music is a big aspect [of our brand] and something we love personally, so it’s a great avenue for us to reach customers and show you can throw a festival in a sustainable way,” said Jonathan Neman, one of Sweetgreen’s three founders.

In May, the Washington National Opera took its annual Opera Ball fund-raiser to the chancery of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China for the first time. The evening kicked off with three different laser shows, inspired by nightly laser shows in Shanghai and Beijing. With 800 guests, the event marked the highest attendance in the event’s history and raised $2.6 million for the opera, compared with $1.5 million in 2010.

Nearly 2,000 people headed to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in March for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s annual ball. Hosted by the National Capital Area chapter, the organization’s largest fund-raiser of the year experienced a 25 percent increase in sponsorships across three donation levels, leading to the gala raising $2.8 million. Former Supreme Diana Ross served as the night's big-name entertainment, with a 75-minute performance accompanied by a full band on the main stage at the end of the evening.

With construction at the Javits Convention Center in New York, Washington inherited the Summer Fancy Food Show in July. As in previous years, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade attracted a sold-out stable of 2,400 exhibitors—manufacturers, importers, and distributors—who brought in 180,000 new and signature products, including confections, cheese, coffee, sauces, and spices. There was a downside to the move, however. Attendance numbers dropped from 24,000 in 2010 in New York to 18,000 in Washington. Regardless, the show is slated to return to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center next summer.

The Washington Humane Society once again sold out its Fashion for Paws runway show and fund-raiser in April, with nearly 1,700 people in attendance, up 300 from 2010. Previously held at the Italian and French embassies, the fifth-annual event moved to the National Building Museum to meet increased ticket demands. Vitaminwater returned as a sponsor for the third year, this time partnering with the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing to create over-the-top dresses inspired by the brand’s various water flavors. The event raised $520,000—quite a jump from the $70,000 raised in 2007.

Top Chef All-Stars runner-up Mike Isabella left his post as the executive chef of Zaytinya in favor of opening his first restaurant, Graffiato. The 5,000-square-foot, bilevel space opened in June in Chinatown and continues to garner raves (and long lines) six months later. Serving a menu of Italian food made with locally sourced ingredients and accompanying cocktails, the venue is event-friendly, with its second floor available for buyouts for 125.

The National Geographic Society hosted its first Evening of Exploration in June at its Dupont-area campus, where more than 400 people, including actor Chevy Chase, director and honoree James Cameron, and singer Jack Johnson, attended the benefit to toast the newest explorers supported by the organization as part of its Emerging Explorers program. The event capped a two-day symposium for scientific explorers hosted by National Geographic. Wolf Blitzer, host of CNN’s The Situation Room, served as master of ceremonies.

The Bob Woodruff Foundation hosted its inaugural Washington Stand Up for Heroes gala in June at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. After four years in a comedy show format in New York, the event moved to Washington for the first time, bringing along headlining entertainment from The Daily Show's Jon Stewart and Grammy-winning band Train. More than 750 local media, foundation supporters, and current and past servicemen and servicewomen came out to raise money for the foundation's efforts to help veterans after their service.

In March, the 300-room Renaissance Arlington Capital View opened just a mile from Ronald Reagan National Airport with 17,354 square feet of meeting and event space.