CoBank Olympic Reception
An Olympic-themed corporate reception in the Center Courtyard of the Grand America Hotel — gold, silver, and bronze throughout, built and struck in a single evening.
A medal palette, carried through every surface in the room.
CoBank's evening reception at the Grand America Hotel's Center Courtyard called for an Olympic theme — and In The Event built it as a complete color system rather than a decoration concept. Gold crush, silver crush, and bronze crush linens were distributed across the three table types, each color tied to its purpose in the room. Every centerpiece, every votive, every accent piece was chosen to reinforce the same palette.
The courtyard came together in a single afternoon. By the time guests arrived at 6pm, 54 tables were dressed, 16 wireless wireless light tubes lined the stone pathways, four natural plank bars with whiskey barrel bases were stocked, and Olympic flags stood at every dining table. It ran for two and a half hours and was cleared by 10pm.
The Brief
An outdoor evening reception at the Grand America requires every element to work together — linens, lighting, centerpieces, and bar setups all contributing to the same visual story in a compressed production window. The Center Courtyard is a stunning setting, and the Olympic theme gave In The Event a clear creative direction to build from.
The Olympic theme gave In The Event a clear creative direction: the gold/silver/bronze medal color system. High tops got silver crush linens. Cocktail rounds got bronze. Dining tables got gold. The centerpieces echoed it — Olympic flags, gold starbursts in three sizes, gold speckle votives, chandelier-style table pieces, and small torches at every table. Champion medals were placed as accent decor throughout the space.
- 54 tables across three types — all linen-dressed
- Gold, silver, and bronze crush color system
- 28 dining table centerpieces with Olympic flags
- Gold starburst arrangements — 3 sizes
- 11 short table chandeliers
- Bronze and gold curtain backdrops
- 16 wireless wireless light tubes
- 4 natural plank bars with whiskey barrels
Services Delivered
Every element built to reinforce the same Olympic palette — from the crush linens to the starburst centerpieces to the whiskey barrel bars.
The Execution
In The Event loaded into the Center Courtyard at noon on August 27th. Five hours to set 54 tables, build four bars, place 28 centerpieces, hang three circle curtains, position 16 wireless light tubes along the stone pathways, and have the full environment dressed and ready before the first guests arrived at 6pm.
The courtyard ran for two and a half hours. Strike began at 9pm and everything was cleared by 10pm. From the first truck to the last case — one crew, one afternoon, one evening.
- 54 tables dressed across 3 linen colors
- 28 Olympic flag centerpieces built and placed
- Gold starbursts in 3 sizes throughout the space
- 3 bronze/gold 12' circle curtain backdrops
- 16 wireless wireless light tubes — no cabling
- 4 natural plank bars on whiskey barrel bases
- Olympic ring pedestals with torches as focal points
- Set noon to 5pm · Run 6pm to 8:30pm · Strike by 10pm
From the Courtyard
A look at the centerpieces, lighting, bars, and Olympic theme details In The Event built for CoBank at the Grand America Hotel.
Centerpiece Detail
A short table chandelier over gold crush linen, surrounded by amber votive candles — the centerpiece system up close against the Grand America's manicured lawn.
Courtyard Lighting
Sixteen wireless battery-powered wireless light tubes lining the stone pathways — no cables, no rigging, placed and controlled entirely from a tablet remote.
Olympic Theme
A white acrylic pedestal displaying the Olympic rings with a large torch — one of two focal installations anchoring the Olympic theme throughout the courtyard.
Natural Plank Bar
One of four custom bars built from natural wood planks on whiskey barrel bases — a warm, handcrafted contrast to the metallic palette of the room.
Medal Display
Assorted champion medals on red, white, and blue ribbons displayed on a rustic wooden board — a tactile reference to the Olympic theme that guests could interact with.
The Courtyard
The full Center Courtyard at run — 54 dressed tables, wireless tube lighting along the paths, four bars in position, and the Grand America's fountain as a natural centerpiece.
How We Built It
One courtyard. One crew. Ten hours from first truck to last case.
54 tables dressed across three linen colors. 28 centerpieces built and placed. Four natural plank bars assembled on whiskey barrel bases. Three bronze and gold circle curtains hung. 16 wireless wireless light tubes positioned along the stone pathways. Full environment ready before the first guest arrived.
Two and a half hours of live reception in the Center Courtyard. Guests moved through the Olympic-themed environment — gold starbursts, medal displays, torch installations, and lit pathways — while In The Event crew managed the room from setup through close.
Full teardown completed in one hour. All linens, centerpieces, bars, curtains, and lighting cleared from the Grand America courtyard — the space returned to baseline by 10pm the same evening.
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