Independence Gay: Week 6

Welcome to Independence Gay, Bryan Blanchard's weekly blog about his experience being a summer intern for BRAVO!. We love our intern blogs and hope you enjoy following Bryan!

Week 6

July 6-July 10 , 2015

Hey guys! It's been a super busy week in the office and the events life couldn't be better. This week we were invited to a networking event and tour of National’s stadium, including admission to the game! Despite the torrential downpour, the BRAVO team braved the rain to attend the event. Fun fact: I've never been to a baseball game. Surprise! But I was so excited to get to see the Nats play and to get some insight on stadium events management. I had no idea how many great spaces the park had to offer, from conference rooms to concourses you could rent, the stadium turned out to be so on point in terms of venues. Shoutout to Kat and Colin for be awesome hosts of the event! The experience was amazing and the food was delicious. Best buffalo mac and cheese ever! While I was there, I was able to speak in-depth with both Kat and Colin about logistics for planning a trade show event at the stadium and I think it would be such a perfect venue for the project we've been researching, so fingers crossed! It was a fun tour, but the rain ruined the game and it was postponed to another date. Disappointing, right? However, we still were able to hang out in the home plate suites before we headed out.

It was also a bit of a sad week in the office because our senior project manager, Kensey, will begin working from home and her last in-office day was on Thursday. We showered her with gifts and I photoshopped her into the cast picture from Big Brother 16, one of her favorite reality shows. Even though it was her day, she brought in delicious doughnuts from District Doughnut down the street. Let me say the Goodfellow donut is a must if you like bacon and chocolate! For lunch, Nancy took the team out to Osteria Morini in the Navy Yard. It was such a great way to spend time together before Kensey left. We’re probably going to be on a constant Skype call with her, but the office won’t feel the same.

On the client front, we’ve been working hard to ensure all of Whitman-Walker‘s upcoming events are on track and ready to roll. I know I'm a little bias, but they definitely are my favorite client to work with. From the Going the Extra Mile to the Walk to End HIV, I feel like the events I'm working on are not only a visionary experience, but help to make a difference in the community.

These weeks seem to fly by so fast, but I don’t want this summer to end! D.C. has given me life and pushed my ambitions far beyond what they have ever been. My eyes are open to a whole new world (no Disney pun intended) and I don’t want to leave the city! Well, it looks like I should wrap this up and prepare myself for some weekend fun with my friends. So until next time, stay fab!