GW Event Management Course - Fall 2015

 Joan Hisaoka Gala “Assisting Those Living With Cancer.”

On Saturday, September 19, I had the opportunity to attend the Joan Hisaoka Gala “Assisting Those Living With Cancer.” The event was at The Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. The event was a black-tie gala benefiting programs that help families that have been affected by cancer.

The gala was beautifully put together and was elegant. It catered completely to the higher income demographic they had invited to experience the event. Before we even arrived at the gala, the nonprofit sent a text to all registered attendees to download the BidPal mobile application and review the auction items. When we arrived to the hotel we were greeted by free valet parking and a VIP cocktail reception. There was a step and repeat adjacent to the registration table. The photographer gave us a card with information to obtain our photographs. As you entered the reception you were welcomed with premium champagne and wine. They served seasonal hors d'oeuvres created by the guest celebrity chef. The founder of the nonprofit, Bob Hisaoka, made his way around the reception greeting his guests and taking photo ops.

After the reception we made our way into the silent auction. David Aldo, a jazz artist that was flown in from Beverly Hills, serenaded us. In the center there was an ice structure where bartenders created a fruity signature cocktail and poured it through the structure into your glass. The auction had a large number of great items that took up the large space. The layout created a deal of bottlenecking in the areas with the more popular items.

We moved from the auction room to the main ballroom and the event started promptly. We listened to a heartwarming story of a young boy who has cancer and benefited from the programs that the nonprofit has funded. After touching our hearts, we were urged to help the organization reach their monetary goals. We watched live as people donated through the BidPal mobile application. As soon as we hit our goal, we moved to a seasonally prepared dinner with wine pairings. We ended the gala with a riveting live auction and a glimpse of the amount of money we raised during the night. Afterwards, we were as asked to attend the after party across the hall.

The gala was an elegant experience and had amazing people present. They had plenty of signage and enthusiastic volunteers. The only thing I would have done differently was to have the registration volunteers inform the VIP reception attendees where the reception was located. We walked past the hall where the reception was set, because the signage was situated below our line of sight. Also, there were two circumstances beyond their control. There was a wedding happening at the same time and the attendees blocked signage for the gala. We had to stop and scan the room to locate where we needed to be. At the end of the night both events let out at the same time and created some confusion in valet.