On Friday June 21, 2019 I had the wonderful pleasure of attending the 8th Annual Richard Wright Black Tie Gala at the University of the District of Columbia. I was invited by a wonderful friend and at the time I had no idea how important this event was.
About the School
The Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media Arts is a public charter high school located in Washington, DC, that focuses on developing skills in journalism and media arts, real world application and having a focus in the community. (www.richardwrightpcs.org) The Richard Wright Public Charter High School enrolls students grades 8-12. Their aim is to transform their students into well-versed media contributors by providing a student-centered environment that connects them to a wide variety of clubs, sport activities and other opportunities that will richly enhance their lives and open up doors for them. (www.richardwrightpcs.org)
I had no idea what I was in store for when I arrived at 5:30pm on Friday June 21.
Location:
The 8th Annual Richard Wright Black Tie Gala was held at the Student Center on the campus of The University of the District of Columbia. With it's extravagant space this venue was a great choice for this type of event. When I arrived I was greeted by a grand RED CAPET and STEP & REPEAT for the event. The staff at the registration table were very attentive and professional. The theme for the evening's event was "The New Orleans Experience" so when you checked in you were given the choice of picking up items, like the beads, headwear, fur, etc. Everything from the Bar Ticket stand, the Cash bar both outside and inside and the passed appetizers on the inside were great.
The cocktail event took place in the lobby of the student center. With the number of chairs and cocktail tables provided for the guest in this area, this was a great area for guests to hang out and listen to the entertainment.
TIP
When planning events it is always important that you consider the number of guests that will attend and consider and the ease of how guests can get to your event venue.
Entertainment:
The JukeBox Band from Atlanta, GA played during the cocktail event. They were AMAZING! This band played for about 2.5 hours. They kept the crowd dancing, playing songs such as Love TKO, Casanova, Juicy Fruit and songs by artists such as Babyface, Luther Vandross and Biggie Smalls. The singer, keyboardist, drummer and guitarist was a hit and really had amazing chemistry together. (See Stephanie White Events, instagram for video from the Juke Box band)
The Comedian:
Comedian Stacey Carver from New Jersey took the stage after the band and he was hilarious. His jokes had you reminiscing and they had you holding your stomach because of too much laughing. The entertainment for the Cocktail event was a real hit!
TIP
Entertainment is everything!! As a host of an event you always want to consider how your guests could be entertainment. How do you keep people engaged? Great entertainment makes for a great event.
Dinner:
After all of the Cocktail Event festivities had finished we headed upstairs to the 2nd floor for dinner. Guests had 3 choices for dinner; Chicken, Fish or Vegan.
Excellent choice on how to handle guests and their food selection. Each guest either received a Green coin, a Yellow coin or a Purple coin, depending on what their dinner choice was.
The food was delicious!!!! During dinner, there were several video presentations that were shown. Each video was put together by the students from the Richard Wright Public Charter School. The students did a phenomenal job!!! The videos depicted real life situations that many youth encounter on a regular bases. The video presentations were very informative and allowed guests a chance to see some of the students, though not in person, but on the screen.
TIP
When selecting food for your guest variety is good. Remember to think about your guests and what they may or may not eat. There are so many vegan, vegetarians and none pork eaters that attend events and it is always important to have a little something for each person to consume.
Attendees:
This event was attended by former Major Vincent Gray of Washington DC, several other council members, several media outlets including the Washington Informer. Artist Singer & Songwriter Tonyaa also was on the scene that evening! There were so many big name people in attendees, too many to name. People arrived dressed in their finest gowns, dresses and tuxedos, all attending for a great cause! By the time I left that evening I was in awe of all I experienced and all the wonderful people that I encountered. A great time was had by all and a great event was planned and executed!!!!
THE SAVVY EVENT GURU
The inside area of the 3rd Floor space is complete with a smaller stage, a bar and plenty of tables and chairs for guests. This space can be reserved for events and is more ideal for intimate gatherings opposed to the space on the 2nd and 3rd floor. This space has the potential use for a music recital, a rehearsal dinner, a bridal shower, small wedding ceremonies and receptions, a birthday party, a fashion show, a bridal show, a vendor event, book signings and a CD release party. 
