DNC!

Welcome to Charlotte, DNC! Mark, Holly, Stephanie and I attended one of our first Q&A's about the upcoming Democratic National convention this morning, and we, along with many of the other fabulous venues here in Charlotte, are really looking forward to what September of 2012 is going to bring to this town. I was shocked to learn that when it was held in Denver, they ended up hosting upwards of 1200 different events in just a few days. Charlotte is literally going to be "bumping." (That's right, folks, this girl just said bumping!) Not only are the venues going to have a stream of bookings, but area restaurants and shops are probably going to have record weeks. It's going to be an amazing thing to happen to Charlotte in genereal.

We hope to be involved with as many aspects of the DNC as we can, not only with our venue, The Extravaganza Depot, but with helping out at some of the other venues in the area, from The Big Chill to The Ritz, to The Convention Center. Everyone that we had the pleasure of seeing at the meeting this morning seemed to be buzzing about what's coming up in one way or another.

We are especially excited to be a part of such a monumental event here in the Queen City, and look forward to not only what it's going to mean for our city that week, but what it's going to mean for the future of Charlotte's hospitality industry as a whole! Bring on 2012!

-Katy Manson

All I have to say is, "WHEW!" Prom season is officially over! Extravaganza was all over the place this year. Not only did we have approximately four proms in our venue, The Extravaganza Depot, we were also knocking out decor all over town through the months of April in May. Holly did some amazing ones at the Cabarrus Arena and Founders Hall, Stephanie's South Point "Masque-rave" at The Oasis Shrine Temple was unbelievable, and I had a lot of fun with East Meck at The Nascar Hall of Fame. And, that's not even scratching the surface of everything that went on during prom season! Besides doing what felt like a bazillion proms (and trust me, when you have the pleasure of doing as many as we do, bazillion becomes a real word!), we had weddings, special events out at the speedway, and private parties that we provided services for as well. Overwhelming? Yes! Exhausting? Yes! But, fun, fun, fun! Thank you so much to all of the schools that invited us in to be a part of such an exciting day for your students! They are the reason we love doing what we do, and why we will continue to work so hard to make sure that their day is as amazing as it should be! Until next year, prom season, this is Extravaganza saying, "Over and out!"
-Katy Manson, Event Manager

Holy Prom Season Batman!

Holy PROM SEASON Batman! It's the very last weekend of prom madness and our brains are officially Jello. While this prom season has been BY FAR a nuzo-bananas-stress-frenzy-biggest-season-we-ever had hurricane of fabric and glitter, it has also been the most fun year to date! Our favorites? Ties across the board! From a neon "Masquerave" to Candy Land inspired "Sweet Dreams," the students have really stepped up their game creating over the top themes that keep us on our toes!

Lighting and linens and stars - OH MY! We had the joy of working closely with so many great vendors this seasons including Eye Dialogue who developed incredible lighting concepts and brought a whole new spin to some old favorites. From a hot spot atmosphere at Oasis Shrine Temple to star studded ceiling at the Charlotte Convention Center, Paul and crew helped us bring our outlandish ideas full circle.

The linens this year were also a big hit and we certanly couldn't have done it without our girls at Connie Duglin Linen or the fabulous Dori Hirsch with Event Chair Covers!

Stay tuned for the Prom Recap edition of our blog to get a full grasp of what the heck we've been up to since April; you'll be shocked at the unforgettable events we've had the joy of creating!
-Stephanie Auville

This past weekend was awesome. I had two events, which both went amazing. I had the Bernstein Bat Mitzvah at the South Park Marriott, and let me tell you, this girl had taste! We did some fun Caribbean style colors in blue and green and had beautiful matching feather centerpieces on all the tables. It was a lot of fun to plan, and even more fun to see how well it all came together. Thanks to Angela and all of the awesome interns who helped set everything up!

I also had the Gandy/Devine wedding reception in our venue, The Extravaganza Depot, which is easily one of my favorite events that I've done so far. I've been working pretty closely with the bride, Bree, and her beautiful mom, Janice, for the past few months, and I think that all of our hard work paid off, if I do say so myself!

The reception turned out even better than I expected, and the bride was nothing short of an absolute vision. The colors they picked looked great in our room, and the centerpieces were original and adorable. It was definitely a LONG day, but worth every single minute, and I wish Bree and Jim all the luck in the world and just wish I could do a wedding for them every year! Thank you to everyone who helped tie sashes, light candles and keep me calm!

Thanks to David Malament Photography for some of the amazing pictures! You and Vanessa rocked!

And, thanks to Best Impressions Catering, who do an UNBELIEVABLE job every time they come into this building. Nikki - you and your team are the ultimate professionals and your food makes me want to cry, it's so good!

-Katy Manson

Prom Season!

Well, it's my first prom season, and....WOW! Who knew it could be so crazy? We have had jobs all over the city since the first weekend in April, and I must say, the event managers here really know what they're doing! I've had the pleasure of working with a few schools myself, and it's been a lot of fun reliving those fun high school days. When I was on the prom committee (back in '96!), we literally were making everything by hand after school in our biology classroom. This time around, I'm showing people 12' crystal and fabric columns...high schools have really stepped it up a notch! Instead of having the prom in the middle school cafeteria (yes, sadly that's what we did!), schools are going to Bank of America, and the Nascar Hall of Fame. How fun - can I please go to prom again?! Our venue has had quite a few as well, and I would like to send a special thank you out to those that booked with us. Working with these schools in our venue has been a pleasure, and I look forward to prom season next year!
-Katy Manson, Event Manager