A Very Special Event:

LOCATION
Tampa, Florida

ATTENDEES
Convention:
250 Attendees daily including Medal of Honor recipients and their guests

Gala:
1,000 Attendees

DURATION
10-Day, 9-Night Program – highlighted by the Medal of Honor Patriot Award Gala

The Story

The scope of this event was as monumental as the incredible individuals it honored. For six months, from planning to execution, we gave our all. Working alongside the brilliant Anna Lucia Events team we served Medal of Honor recipients and their families with compassion and style as we got them ready for the convention. Volant Events “tasks” were many – from assisting with air bookings and setting up tuxedo fittings and spa appointments prior to the convention, to overseeing transportation and ensuring accommodation and dietary needs were met during the event.

Our 110 guests and the family members joining them at this special event were from different age groups and had varying levels of abilities, and we adapted our communication styles and methods to meet everyone’s needs. Event registration, and most communication with convention attendees, was done by phone. This made it more personal, and the unexpected result was the wonderful bond that formed between us, so that when our guests arrived in Tampa, it was like reuniting with friends.

Medal of Honor recipients and their families combined, we interacted with about 250 people each day at our fully staffed hospitality desk. Meanwhile, in our production office, our behind-the-scenes team made magic in the background so that all events went off without a hitch.

Multiple on- and off-site events each day involving anywhere from 50 to 300 people required quick decision-making, big-picture thinking and a seamless team effort, from transportation to food and beverage and on-site logistics: making sure everyone got where they were going, had a good time, and made it back to home base.

Accessibility was an important factor at every event during the convention, whether on- or off-site, and we had an incredible team of supporters at every level, from transport vehicles to conference rooms – including an amazing group of volunteer military troops from MacDill Air Force Base who were always on standby and jumped in wherever they were needed.

This was definitely a week for the history books, and one that we will never forget.

AT A GLANCE: