Olivera Music

“National Geographic Evening of Exploration: Oceans” Inaugural Gala made a splash at the Society’s D.C. headquarters with an ocean-themed event, transforming the cafeteria into an underwater extravaganza.  Guests walked a blue carpet, then found themselves surrounded by coral and seaweed draped from the ceiling and scenes of marine life swimming on the walls.  The evening celebrated the work of its Explorers-in-Residence, Fellows, and Emerging Explorers, and honored three individuals.  Scientists from the International Space Station sent a personal shout-out for their astronauts’ view of the world’s oceans, which cover 70 percent of the earth.  As guests entered for dinner, two herald trumpets sounded the ever-recognizable National Geographic fanfare.  Kudos to Syzygy for the decor, Atmosphere for the lighting, Olivera Music Entertainment for the music, and Gardner Mills Group as executive producers for a spectacular production!

Olivera Music Entertainment was Music Producer for this Holiday Celebration, which included:

“Vaughn Suponatime with the Olivera Orchestra 17-pc. Big Band” with a swinging atmosphere for everyone’s listening and dancing pleasure.  Vaughn Suponatime’s impersonation of Frank Sinatra included such classic hits as “Come Fly With Me”, “Fly Me to the Moon”, “Luck Be a Lady”, and “My Way”.  The Olivera Orchestra provided the dynamic accompaniment, along with features such as “Jumpin’ at the Woodside”, “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To”, “Old Devil Moon”, and “In the Mood”.

In another area of the museum, Olivera provided a combination of Karaoke and Rock Band Karaoke. Guests could showcase their talents as a solo artist or in groups.  Rock Band is the latest trend in Karaoke, allowing instrumentalists to participate as well as vocalists as the featured entertainer.

Olivera Music Entertainment is the only Washington, DC area music entertainment agency to have received three International Special Events Society (ISES) Capital Awards for “Best Entertainment Production”.  These awards were for:
2010     “Evening @ The Hotel California”
2009     “An Addams Family Christmas”
2006     “The President’s Dance”

Each year, numerous event submissions are evaluated by an another ISES chapter.  Nominations are narrowed to four or less per category.

In addition to the award-winning events listed above, Olivera Music Entertainment has received additional nominations as follows:
2010     “EMA – Unmasked/Unveiled”, Best ISES Team
2010     “EMA – Unmasked/Unveiled”, Best Entertainment Production
2002     “Celebrate Your True Colors”, Best ISES Team
2001     “Totally Tubular”, Best ISES Team

ISES was founded in 1987, and the Washington DC Capital Area ISES chapter was founded in 1988.  Today, the DC chapter is the largest chapter in the world, with over 300 local members.  ISES has over 6,000 members worldwide in 50 chapters.  Olivera Music Entertainment has been a member of the DC ISES Chapter since 1992.

The mission of ISES is to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries.  To that end, we strive to:
*  Uphold the integrity of the special events profession to the general public through our “Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics”.
*  Acquire and disseminate useful business information.
*  Foster a spirit of cooperation among its members and other special events professionals.
*  Cultivate high standards of business practices.

ISES “Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics”
*  Promote and encourage the highest level of ethics within the profession of the special events industry while maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct.
*  Strive for excellence in all aspects of our profession by performing consistently at or above acceptable industry standards.
*  Use only legal and ethical means in all industry negotiations and activities.
*  Protect the public against fraud and unfair practices, and promote all practices which bring respect and credit to the profession.
*  Provide truthful and accurate information with respect to the performance of duties.  Use a written contract clearly stating all charges, services, products, performance expectations and other essential information.
*  Maintain industry accepted standards of safety and sanitation.
*  Maintain adequate and appropriate insurance coverage for all business activities.
*  Commit to increase professional growth and knowledge, to attend educational programs and to personally contribute expertise to meetings and journals.
*  Strive to cooperate with colleagues, suppliers, employees, employers and all persons supervised, in order to provide the highest quality service at every level.
*  Subscribe to the ISES Principles of Professional Conduct and Ethics, and abide by the ISES Bylaws and Policies.

This code is a reason why you should hire an ISES member for your next special event!

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The 20th Annual Food & Friends Chef’s Best Dinner & Auction was held on June 14th at the Washington Hilton in DC.  Olivera Music Entertainment was proud to be a Chef de Cuisine Sponsor and Entertainment Assistant.  Our very own “Swing Dixie” 6-piece ensemble performed lively dixieland and swing music as guests enjoyed numerous samplings of food and drink from celebrity chefs.  This event raised $800,000 for the organization.

The mission of Food & Friends is to foster a community caring for men, women, and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-challenging illnesses by preparing and delivering specialized meals and groceries in conjunction with nutrition counseling.

Values of Food & Friends

Accountability: At every level of our organization we are accountable to our clients, donors, volunteers, staff and the public – with unwavering integrity of program services and financial standards.

Community: Partnerships and collaborations are vital to our success, both inside and outside the organization, as we build communities that invest in the welfare of others.

Compassion: With hearts open to the needs of all, we believe friendship, empathy and kindness are as much a part of the sustenance we provide as the meals we prepare.

Dignity: Through confidentiality, respect, and a commitment to quality of life for all, we recognize the dignity of every client, volunteer, donor, staff member, and guest.

Diversity: The caring, loving, fun and dynamic nature of our organization is made possible by the diversity of the people we serve and those who help us serve.

Excellence: At every level of operation and public engagement – from food planning and preparation to nutrition education and workshops, from volunteer coordination to special events – we are committed to the highest standards of quality and excellence.

Reliability: As safety, trustworthiness and dependability in all aspects of our operations are the cornerstones of our services, our clients, volunteers, staff and guests can rely on us to fulfill our mission without fail every day.

On April 11th, the 15th Annual International Special Events Society (ISES) Capital Awards Gala was held at the Gaylord National Resort and Conference Center in the Sunset Room.  The DC Chapter of ISES is the largest in the world, with over 600 members from Virginia, DC, and Maryland, covering all aspects of the special events industry.  Each year, members submit entries for events from the previous year in numerous categories, such as Best Catered Event, Corporate/Public Event, Event Decor, Social Photography, Videography, Tenting Production, etc., which the judges evaluate for the final nominations and award winners.

Olivera Music Entertainment received three nominations in 2010:
1.  Best Entertainment Production, for “Evening @ The Hotel California”,
2.  Best Entertainment Production, for “EMA – Unmasked/Unveiled”, and
3.  Best ISES Team, for “EMA – Unmasked/Unveiled”, for which Olivera Music Entertainment was both Entertainment Producer and Event Producer.

Just being nominated is an honor.  The competition is fierce among the top players in the DC special event field.

Kevin Olivera was thrilled to win the Best Entertainment Production category for “Evening @ The Hotel California.” Working with Don Felder, legendary guitarist and songwriter for “The Eagles”, was a dream come true. It was truly a once in a lifetime event for our client and all of her guests.  A special thanks to the Barns of Wolf Trap, Blue Sky Films, Chuck Fazio Photography and R&R Catering for their outstanding work on this event!

Although we did not win the award for Best ISES Team this year, “EMA – Unmasked/ Unveiled” was also remarkable!  The team members included the Ritz Carlton Pentagon City, A Vista Events, Chuck Fazio Photography, Blue Sky Films and Olivera Music Entertainment.

As event producer, I was continually amazed by the creative and artistic ideas put forward by this wonderful team!  An incredible amount of enthusiastic hard work enhanced the tremendous vision of our client.  It takes a lot to impress a Hollywood star, and Carrie Ann Inaba, Celebrity Judge with Dancing with the Stars, our surprise guest for the evening, was blown away!

“EMA – Unmasked/Unveiled” did win a Capital Award in the videography category.  Blue Sky Films took home the glass for an amazing video production, including a VH1 Behind The Music style retrospective of the client’s 15 years of holiday parties.

The Olivera Trio was honored to play for President Obama on February 4^th, 2010.  The event was an elegant reception and dinner held at the National Museum for Women in the Arts.  180 guests were welcomed with cocktails and delectable hors d’oeuvres served by Avalon Caterers.  Our musicians added the perfect atmosphere to the gathering, including the lively sounds of Gershwin, Porter, Arlen, Ellington, and Presidential favorites, Stevie Wonder and Miles Davis.

An hour into the event, the President arrived.  He greeted a small group of guests separately in a secluded area of the museum.  He then proceeded to a photo op area adjoining the reception.  This photo op area was cordoned off by 10 ft. high pipe and drape.  The buzz in the room was clearly felt when the President arrived.  The sudden increase in Secret Service agents indicated his presence.  All the guests made their way through this area and were greeted by President Obama.

The Olivera Trio was thrilled to be invited through the receiving line to meet the President.  As the last guests cued up, we concluded a song and were escorted to the photo op area.  Slipping behind the pipe and drape you suddenly feel like a little kid again.  The President of the United States is in front of you, and shortly you will shake hands with the most powerful person in the world.  He is 6 feet tall, handsome, gracious and charming.  What a thrill to meet President Obama!

After greeting the President, then posing for photos, everyone proceeded down the elegant staircase to dinner.  After the first course, Governor Tim Kaine proceeded to the podium to introduce the President.  President Obama’s speech was eloquent with touches of humor, yet with strong conviction on his vision for moving the country forward.  This was truly an incredibly gifted speaker, matched in my personal experience, only by Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Colin Powell.  It was a special evening the Olivera Trio will never forget.