Last month, our clients and partners took a trip down the Yellow Brick Road at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center’s annual client appreciation event, Sparkle Lounge. A popular event, this year was especially significant as the building kicked off its 20th Anniversary celebrations – paying homage to the Wizard of Oz and the Emerald City – a nod to the twenty year Emerald Anniversary.
Upon arrival, guests were swept away as they entered elevators with a rustic feel and tornado designs – emulating the famous first scenes of the movie. As the elevator doors opened into the event, they were transported to the start of the Yellow Brick Road, which wound its way through the entire event space. Here, a roadmap of the Reagan Building’s history was dotted with photographs from memorable events hosted throughout the past twenty years and the brick road ended in a spiral at the center of the Pavilion. The main space featured a dramatic, custom-built backdrop with “Sparkle Lounge 20” emblazoned behind the center bar, rich colors of emerald and gold accented the furniture and other décor elements and emerald up-lighting filled the room, truly taking guests to the Land of Oz.
The menu drew inspiration from the look and feel of each room – in the Pavilion Foyer, up-lighting and décor evoked an Over the Rainbow feel and played off of the bright hues of a build-your-own Poke Bowl Station and hand rolled sushi featuring multi-colored ingredients. The Lollipop Guild-themed dessert station encouraged guests to pluck their sweet treats straight from boxwood hedges – flavors included Rainbow Rice Crispy, Whimsy Cones with Chocolate Mousse and Swirled Truffles. The main room of the Pavilion featured tapas-style stations on emerald and gold latticed buffet displays – with rich and decadent dishes including Short Rib with Blue Cheese Polenta, Teriyaki Pork Belly with Purple Potato Mousseline and Beet and Goat Cheese Risotto. The centerpiece of the room was the ever-popular caviar and champagne bar, served atop an ice sculpture; the over-the-top display reflected the luxe feel of the event space.
This year’s event featured multiple photo opportunities and emerging event trends: a floral background with oversized, three-dimensional poppies greeted guests as they left the registration area and a photo/gif wall stationed in the Lollipop Guild provided guests with another opportunity to engage with the event design and share their Sparkle Lounge moments on social media. As guests made their way through each space, the unique sounds of a DJ and live-violinist duo provided the perfect musical backdrop for the evening and showcased a new style of event entertainment.
At the end of the night, guests walked away with a truffle box filled with themed sweets and the feeling that there’s no place like Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center.
View more photos from the event here.
