Zoolala!

Many of the people in my world are in the events industry like I am.  Because we are all so accustomed to the lifestyle of the industry, it is easy to take for granted how many cool opportunities we get.  This morning I got a reminder from my BFF (yes, I use the term BFF).  She  lives in the suburbs of Chicago and she sent me a text saying she was going to a networking event in downtown Chicago today and that she feels like she's living my life for a day.  I got such a kick out of that.  It was a great reminder of how unique my industry is.  Though I enjoy going to and being a part of so many events, I do take them for granted.  To many people, each one of those events would be a really big deal or at least a super cool reason to get out of the office.  To me, it is the norm.

It's common for me to go to luncheons, networking events, restaurant and venue openings... and on and on.  I regularly get to eat extra delicious food from caterers and restaurants.  Cocktails are often involved as well.  In fact, just yesterday I was at a luncheon for wedding professionals that was held at Indianapolis's newest hotel, The Alexander.  There was wine and a champagne toast followed by a scrumptious meal.

I also must not forget to mention the event industry in Indianapolis allows for great friendships.  In most industries, a networking event calls for a suit and a lot of handshaking.  For us, you wear whatever suits your style and your greetings are typically hugs.  By and large, we are all truly friends.  We know what is going on in everyone's lives, the names of their kids and pets and lots of other fun facts.  It's kind of like a big family.

So in the spirit of being thankful for the fun and friendships I get to have as a result of my career, I want to share an event with you that I got to help with and attend last weekend.

Zoolala is a fundraising event geared toward young professionals and supporting the Indianapolis Zoo.  This was the first year for the event so there was a great deal of excitement surrounding it.  Being that the attendees were largely under 30, it was a very fun crowd for a fundraising event.

The day prior to the event, I had a crew of people bring in some items from our company and begin setting up.  One of the unique opportunities my job often offers is spending time at venues that are closed to the public while we set up.  In this case, it was the dolphin dome.  During setup, our staff and a few others were the only ones in there.  Although we were busy busy busy, it was really cool to have the opportunity to have the dolphins all to ourselves.  One of the guys working on the setup was putting vinyl logos on the glass of the dome and the dolphins found very it very interesting.  He also discovered they would do little tricks when he put his tape measure against the glass.  What a special experience to have the attention of the dolphins for a few moments.

The event itself was so much fun.  There was great entertainment, plenty of booze and the venue looked amazing!

Here are some highlight photos!

Taking a little break from standing in our heels before the event.

Martini Bar

Video game lounge

Sun King?  Yes please!

A fragrance bar.  What a cool idea!

The Champagne girl!

I had lots of fun in this chair. It's like an adult sized sit n spin!

$32,000 raised!

Popcorn Bar