There’s little more satisfying than hard work paying off, and we’re so excited to share in the excitement of AlliedPRA Northern California’s hard-earned “Best Overall Program” win at the 2017 Association of Destination Management Executives International Achievement Awards! Months of tireless planning and coordination resulted in an incredible week-long conference program, including events catered by the Global Gourmet team at The Armory, Bently Reserve and Pier 27.
The AlliedPRA team was tasked with providing an authentic, comprehensive San Francisco experience for more than 1,000 guests coming in from all over the world. Naturally, we jumped at the opportunity to show them the best the Bay has to offer.
Our event designer opted for a Golden Gate-inspired color palette for a formal seated dinner. Photo courtesy of AlliedPRA.
On the penultimate night of the conference executives and partners gathered at The Bently Reserve for an elegant seated dinner. We prepared a custom seven-course menu for the evening, including star dishes like Rock Shrimp Ceviche, handmade Tortelli and Seared A5 Wagyu Strip Loin. Fitting for a San Francisco landmark, the interior space was set with a palette inspired by the Golden Gate Bridge, complete with rich rusty hues and metallic accents. Each course of the meal was also paired with one of Napa Valley’s best wines. Overall, it was an exquisite Bay Area experience.
A fleet of our “Beer Buddies” served local brews from custom trays. Photo courtesy of AlliedPRA.
The next day was a double-header for our teams. After greeting conference-goers for a sunny lunch at The Armory we welcomed roughly 1,500 guests to Pier 27 for closing festivities. We worked with the AlliedPRA team to create an engaging, varied floorplan within the waterfront space and studded it with interactive food stations. Our tray passing staff was also joined by a fleet of “Beer Buddies,” flannel-clad beer connoisseurs from our beverage team sharing their favorite local brews with attendees.
Food as decor: a custom-built ladder display station for our grab-and-go Chips & Dips.
Beer Buddies were just one of a few new ideas we brought to the table for AlliedPRA’s program. Client requests for “food as decor” and interactive elements inspired our in-house Event Designer, Rafael Campos. In addition to pre-setting Pintxos and other small bites within spreads of tabletop decor, we built new display stations like the ladder above. We served Fisherman’s Wharf Crudo from ice bars and found beautiful apothecary jars for self-serve Gazpacho Shooters. And we built the Flavor Train.
Our motorized Flavor Train small plate station. There’s a small kitchen prepping behind that wall!
Flavor Train was inspired loosely by the classic conveyor belt sushi concept, with an even more whimsical bent. Rafael bought a model train kit and tracks, then built a U-turn course elevated to easy grabbing level. A small team worked within the train’s “Station” loading cargo cars with a menu of worldly small plates. The station kept chugging all night long and was a hit with everyone!
Delicate lighting and modern furnishings set lounge spaces apart beautifully. Photo courtesy of AlliedPRA.
The decor that wasn’t food-based was just as great. Hip, ultra-modern lounges emphasized rough wood, aluminum, leather and greenery. The pub tables above were located by one of two premium wine tasting bars, uncorking a little of Napa for our guests. We used every point we could — from the style to the cuisine and service — to embody the San Francisco experience. Not only did the guests love it, we delighted our client and contributed to an ADMEI award win!
We’re very grateful to AlliedPRA Northern California for bringing us on for this incredible program, and can’t wait to create more magic with them moving forward.
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