May 25, 2009; Memorial Day.
It is here and more amazing than perhaps many of us had imagined. The first event in the new Conference Center happens today. Awesome!
The event is a dinner with Donny Osmond and the American Festival Chorus and is a benefit dinner for one or more music programs at the university. Several speakers gave praise to the supporters of the music programs who also were the investors, builders and ideas behind the conference center, in particular Dell Loy Hansen, Paul Willie and Darren Child. Many other names were cited and given thanks and appreciation.
John Booth demonstrated amazing versatility -- he cooks, cleans, drives a truck, fixes broken things, supervises construction. I'm not sure what he is supposed to do in the midst of all that. Trevor Booth is similarly versatile and I found him hustling between the kitchen and the big hall.
A large serving staff, well dressed and becoming well organized, practiced methods and serving locations for two hours before the event commenced.
When the time came to serve dinner, everything flowed as smooth as a beehive.
The lights were as well done as could be expected under the circumstances, since nothing can be placed in the cieling the lights were on pedestals. The backdrop worked quite well and proved to be an excellent choice.
The Lightwood Duo provided live music while guests arrived to hors d'ouvres, and they also played during dinner.
The American Festival Chorus provided two amazingly incredible songs, then they headed out to buses, picking up catered lunches (from John Booth's crew, naturally), to a concert up at the university.
In the week preceding this opening event, construction workers and persons not normally employed to work on the conference center were here -- Gabe Lleras and Jesus Lopez display great versatility in doing whatever needs doing. My own tiny bit was fixing the information display panel in the lobby, and of course, taking pictures.
Photos by Michael Gordon. Other photographers were present, one from the Harold Journal (sporting a Nikon D300 and a Nikon D700, my Nikon D200 worked quite well).