Posts Tagged ‘inaugural luncheon’

Jan 1020

Where were you on 1/20/09?

On the anniversary of the Inaugural celebration, we asked our sales team a loaded question: “Where were you on January 20, 2009?”

The memories are priceless! Inner-city hikes, nap time on museum floors and Red Bull addictions….this is what they had to say:

Place setting for a New President

Kathy Valentine, CEO Design Cuisine

“It was 4:30 a.m. and I was riding with our Executive Chef in the passenger seat of a police car that was escorting our food and equipment trucks through the city to the Capitol building. We were just hoping that nothing would happen to keep us from getting there!”

Kent Smith, Creative Director

“I was waking up in Georgetown on an inflatable mattress. It was 4:00 a.m. My core team made the 3.5 mile trek by foot to our downtown event. The walk resembled a pilgrimage as we were among the hundreds that seemed to be pouring out of their homes all at the same time headed towards the Mall. We arrived on site around 7:00 a.m. to begin our long day that lasted until 9 p.m. that night. The cold walk home seemed endless!”

Maggie Conahan, Sales Executive

“I was leaving an event on Pennsylvania Avenue heading onward to Avon Place – continuing my 10+ mile journey that day VIA FOOT and 6.5 months pregnant!”

Rickie Niceta-Lloyd, Sales Executive

“I spent a good hour underneath the head table at Statuary Hall – trying desperately to tape the tablecloth to the floor. The air system in the Capitol kept blowing the linen back, so had the President sat down at that moment, everyone would have seen his feet popping out. It took forever to get the tape to stick to the linen then stick to the floor. We literally finished minutes before guests arrived.”

Ginger Dockery, Sales Associate

“I was sitting in the lunch room of a law firm, checking paperwork for their Inaugural gala dinner and watching the coverage of the luncheon and looking for our waiters so I could tell them that they would be a celebrity once they got to our party. I was deliriously ill, secretly three months pregnant and looking forward to getting home, which was still hours and hours away.”

Erica Fredericks, Sales Executive

A year ago today, I was waking up my boss, who was sleeping on an air mattress in my living room. That morning we walked down Wisconsin Avenue begging tourists to share their taxi with us. On my 20 block walk home through the last remnants of the parade, a streamer landed on my head. I thought, “I am going to be late to work tomorrow.”

Sarah Tigner, Sales Executive

After not sleeping much in three days, I found myself lying on the floor of the Museum trying to catch a 20 minute nap between serving hot chocolate to 5,000 children and setting up our evening event for another 5,000 guests. The office had a window that faced the Mall, so my snooze was interrupted every 30 seconds by a large roar from the crowd as our new President gave his speech. All I could think was, “could you people please keep it down so I can get some sleep”!

Laura Boyd, Sales Associate

“After 12 hours of events, I finally made it to our makeshift sleeping room at the Hirshhorn Museum for a 15 minute nap and as soon as I hit my cot, the whole thing collapsed!”

Would we all do it again? Absolutely! (After a long vacation!)