Tuesday, July 1, 2014

The Holidays



~ A Few Notes for the Holiday Season ~
Brought to you by Rick of The Private Professionals

I can't believe this holiday season marks our fifth years in operation. Averaging around 240 parties / year, we've learned a lot & continue to progress as the months press forward. Indeed, we not only handle parties for our valued clients but have now moved into hosting events of our own.

This past October we held a 3 day event for just under 700: Friday offered a meet & greet cabaret / club night, Saturday presented a full scale pre-party, & Sunday's gala ball featured national talent, top DJ's, dancers, demo's, entertainment, & a fashion show, in a spectacular location downtown with 3 levels of possibility. A hotel suite then closed it all out with a special VIP after party. In the end, it was trumped as a lavish affair & marquee event for the DC Scene. Next year we'll continue this tradition & will be adding special functions for business networking as well.

Just imagine what we can do for you…  

On other fronts, please note that due to a significant increase in the cost of marketing, as of Thanksgiving we've been forced to raise our rate to $36/hour per person working. We will also maintain our 5 hour minimum on all parties. However, The Private Pro's will continue its tradition of offering a premium service for the area & we remain competitive in the market.

As such, this season I'm sticking w/ our core team & will only be staffing up a small degree for the Holidays (it's imperative to me that I only work with quality partners so this requires that I run with a lean staff of TRUE professionals). Consequently, December is booking fast & I'm currently on the cusp of locking out Saturday December 4th. The 11th & 18th will follow soon behind so I wanted to give our valued clients first option on availability.

Something to keep in mind, the holiday's bring a HUGE rush to everyone's schedule, so your guests will often be deciding between 2-3 of several parties at any given time. It might be a good idea to consider something on a Friday or Sunday vs. the traditional Saturday if you can swing it.

Also, there's a LOT going on during the holiday season beyond private parties. So don't forget to check out our City Guide (http://www.theprivateprofessionals.com/11.html). This provides a fantastic listing of various social & professional organizations in the area, all of which list a number of great events going on for the holiday season. I'll try to compile a full calendar just after Thanksgiving for some of the more interesting events & affairs going on around the area.

Finally, I'd like to offer a few helpful notes to make your holiday parties even more special.

I've discovered how flexible Raspberry Lemonade is as a mixer.  It's AWESOME w/ Ciroc Wild Berry Vodka or Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. It also blends well w/ Malibu for something different.

Another fun thing to play with is Lemonata by San Pellegrino (it's basically a sparkling water lemon drink). This makes a blend w/ either V.S. grade Cognac or Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka. Equally well as a nice twist on classic designer martinis.

The classics make for great holiday drinks too - Cosmo's garnished w/ Cranberries & Orange Rind. Apple Martini's make a comeback when garnished w/ a cherry (the green & red elements just look festive). Pomegranate Martini's are always a favorite as well. But hey, it's cold outside so don't forget the hot cider & Capt. Morgan Spiced Rum or Hot cocoa w/ Rumplemintz.

A fun twist is also the Holiday Pain Killer: Pineapple, Coconut, & Orange w/ Rum & Malibu shaken hard served up w' a dash of nutmeg…  Yum!

How about something more festive like Champaign w/ a good splash of Limoncello? Garnish w/ a twist for appearance & appeal.

And on the buffet, nothing sparkles or adds a touch of elegance like a string of white X-mas lights snaking through your favorite dishes. It adds a beautiful glow & touch of festive elegance to any setting. Also, placing small boxes or dishes under the table cloth can add height, depth, & dimension for a more professional look. Toss in some greenery & pinecones for a perfect blend of holiday accent & you've created a beautiful buffet that would perfectly accent your offerings!

Keep in mind that parties with a larger crowd usually translates to limited seating so your best option is for more finger food or items that don't require much work & effort to cut. If you're only offering a dessert buffet then be sure to mention that in your invites. Often people won't eat expecting to grab a bite at your party. 

So if there's anything we can do to be of assistance then please don't hesitate to call. In fact, if you're on Twitter, Facebook, or a regional post board & would be willing to give us a quick recommendation & link then it would be deeply appreciated.

In the meantime, we hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!
Don't eat too much.  ;-)

Rick D~

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