I Veuve The Polo

So a year has gone by since the last Polo Classic match put on by Veuve Clicquot. Last year was a grueling event, with more than double the guest count turning up. The guests were acting like they have never eaten before, not letting us get to the buffets with the food, people swarming us like they were going to die unless they got some of the cheesecake stuffed strawberries…. It was tough.

This year we were ready.

Jeff Brown from Brown Hot events gave Good Gracious! the call to assist with taming the beast that is the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic event. We sat around our conference room table together, and began to scheme on how we can make this year bigger, better and more efficient.

Everything was “upped” from the number of people in the kitchen, the number of people on the floor, the floor space, the scullery area…. Everything! We had a dedicated champagne team, a dedicated confectionery team… everything just seemed better.

We didn’t want to fall into the same trap as last time.

So once everything was put in place, the fun began. My personal favorite part is when five women ask you to take your clothes off, in the middle of the GG! office, and to slip on a sexy outfit. By sexy I mean the most seductive pair of golf knickers, a strappingly handsome XXL white short sleeve button down shirt, a sensual steamy sweater vest, luscious knee high argyle socks, and finally the biggest, floppiest, sex appealing hat you have ever seen…. Delicious.

That being said, it is always good fun to wear something different for work. It makes a nice change from the traditional black bistro, and not forgetting the fact you get to see all your colleagues wearing similar sexy outfits….

So the day of the event arrives, and everything seems to go like clockwork. Everyone is on time, the weather is looking great, and everything is set up ahead of time. Game on.

Guests begin to arrive, and this time instead of tray passing we used three tiered cake stands; and we placed these throughout the venue wherever a cluster of guests were sitting. This seemed to go down very well, with people enjoying their own selection of appetizers. It really gave off that VIP effect.

As the day went on guests continued to arrive, in fact yet again more than our projected 400 guests turned up... Though this year everyone seemed to be better behaved. Not only that, but we were ready for them. We had Town and Country Event Rentals taking care of scullery for us, so that was a nice treat, we already had the staff in place, and the buffets looking nice and full.

If you recall in my previous blog about this event, I had a slight wardrobe malfunction. Where I went to put down a tray of glasses in a low place, and my trousers (pants) ripped from front to back, revealing the entirety of my English glory…. Well I am pleased to announce that no such event took place, and my English glory was kept hidden for another day.

This is one of my favorite events, and I look forward to it every year. Dressing up, the guests, the food, the champagne… it is such a refreshing event and I know I speak on behalf of Good Gracious! when we say how pleased we are to be part of it.

Jeff Brown said it best…. “In a couple of weeks I’m going to get the call to do this event again, which means you are going to get a call, and together we are going to keep tightening up this monster until its perfect.”

That line made a big impression on me. How two teams from two companies come together, and work harmoniously for the benefit of the client. I guess it is easy when both companies are professional and both want to benefit. Again it is just another refreshing learning point.

Thanks to Blueprint Studios for their amazing furnishings, and Brown Hot events for pulling it all together, and all the other vendors involved for making this a superb success.

So… until next year Veuve Clicquot….. Au revoir.


Key Learning Points:

• Learn from the last event
• Golf knickers ARE sexy….
• When both companies are professional, it makes it a pleasurable working atmosphere.
• Maintain open communication at all times before, during and after the event with the companies involved.
• Veuve Clicquot means Widow Clicquot, which Madame Clicquot became after her husband François Clicquot passed away in 1805, leaving his wife the company that took the world by storm.... (always good to bring up at a cocktail party..... smarty pants)
• It is pronounced Vove (like Love) Click-oh. NOT Voov Click-out
• Having 5 women dress you is as pleasurable as it sounds