Our Cajun Fais Do Do: A 2015 ADMEI Award Winner
On February 14, 2015 BBC won ADMEI’s Most Innovative Event Award ($200,001-$500,000) for our Cajun Fais Do Do on the Bayou executed last May. We so are excited about this award because it highlights a challenging event that proved to be a success for our client, event partners, and our staff. We love when clients have high hopes for a jaw-dropping event that steers from the norm because we love to dream!
Since most of our client’s guests had previously been to New Orleans, we were tasked with showing a new side of the city’s culture. We created a down home South Louisiana experience – a night dedicated to Cajun cooking, cocktails, and customs—an authentic Cajun Fais Do Do on the Bayou. The event took place at a rustic swamp-tour terminal in the forested wetlands that outskirt New Orleans. Although the venue had never been utilized for an event of this caliber, it was the most authentic space imaginable with a private bayou surrounded by palms, ferns, moss covered cypress, and wildlife.
Décor was simple to focus on the bayou beauty. Simply fashioned catering stations with checkered tablecloths, Spanish moss, candlelit vintage jars, chalkboard menus, and butcher-block/cast-iron serving platters were arranged around the venue. Farm tables were simply styled with candlelit mason jars and moss down the table center with rustic wooden chairs. Swamp boats sat docked on the bayou, lit with festoon lighting. Torches lined the bayou creating a beautiful candlelit reflection and spooky ambiance for the moon-lit boat rides.
Outdoor events in the Spring are always a little risky. However, our client’s heart was set on the picturesque bayou. Even after a week of rain, we knew they would not want to settle for the back-up indoor venue on hold. We had to find a way to make the swamp work!
Between the large tent order, squeegee-ing, and wet-vac rental (yes, we actually wet-vac-ed the wetlands) – the venue was still fairly soggy. After an emergency BBC brainstorm session the morning of the event, a light bulb struck – WHAT ABOUT RAIN BOOTS? Not only was this idea practical, it was fitting with the traditional Cajun swamp experience as “shrimp boots” are found on the feet of boat captains all over South Louisiana.
After the client’s enthusiastic approval, our team quickly gathered every rain boot in the greater New Orleans area. Within a few hours, we unloaded, organized, and labeled 300 pairs of boots. Guests chose their boots of choice and stored their footwear at the shoe check. It was a hit! Most kept their shrimp boots as party favors. All leftover boots were donated to fishermen hit hard by hurricanes the previous year in Laffite, LA.
