Happy Halloween!

Getting into the spirit at the Seattle Aquarium! 

It's been quite a week here at the fishbowl. Jeff Renner and King 5 News carving jack o lanterns underwater in our Window on Washington Waters Exhibit and the best Halloween Party in all of Seattle!

We want to wish everyone a great and safe Halloween Weekend! 

Summer's Almost Gone

What a fantastic summer it's been here at the Seattle Aquarium. Beautiful weddings, incredible company events and now-Afternoon summer picnics. It's been a fantastic season and we now we're looking forward to fall. Football, Halloween, Squash and Scarves. We've got some wonderful weddings coming up and a couple great surprises in October. Everyone enjoy the rest of the nice weather!

W is for WOAH!

Big shout out to Wild Tangent Games for the best party of the month so far at the Seattle Aquarium! 1400 people, casinos, music and drinks everywhere!

Additionally, this is their third year back here at the Aquarium and they're a fantastic group of people. I'm already looking forward to topping this next year. Can we say 2000 people on the back deck for a moonlight party? 

Keep it up, Wild Tangent!

The Director Has Left the Building

"So long and thanks for all the Diet Coke..."

A lot of changes coming to the Aquarium of late, but one of the biggest has been the departure of our Director, John Braden. John began his retirement on Thursday of last week and we wish him all the best on his future adventures. 

The Aquarium at Night has only had the pleasure of working with John for a few years, but we all know him as an enthusiastic supporter of Aquarium Special Events and all that we do here at night. 

Thanks John!

SPLASH!!!

Today is the big day! 

Exclusive Menu Debut by Betsy Davidson:

Eggplant-Smoked Mozzarella Fritters

Feta Panna Cotta

w mint & watermelon on a phyllo cracker

Stilton, Walnuts and Figs in Phyllo

Duck Confit "Sticks"

BLT Puff

with bacon-tomato jam, micro arugula, cheddar profiterole

Chipotle-Cherry Shortibs

on souffled grits

Rice Cracker Wrapped Ahi Tuna

with ponzu dip

Salmon Pastrami

on pumpernickel crouton, pickled mustard seeds

Dungeness Crab Fritters 

tamarind-citrus dip

Scallop "Porcupine"

in shredded phyllo, green chili chutney

At the bar, an exclusive cocktail by El Gaucho, The Orange Rocktail:

Belvedre L'Orange

Fresh Lemon

Galliano

Angostura

Orange Bitters

Orange Zest

Shaken over ice

Alright, that's all for now folks! Have a great weekend!

Quiet Friday Blues

Happy Friday everyone! It's a calm day in the office here at the Seattle Aquarium. A rare moment of peace and repose for this time of year. Prom season is going extremely well, we're already nearly sold out for Prom next year, which is fantastic.

More proms over the next couple weeks, but more importantly Splash! 2010 is two weeks away! I'll have menu and cocktail recipe updates next week, but suffice to say we're taking an event with a fabulous established reputation and raising the bar even higher. I can't give anything away at this stage but let me say that guests won't believe their eyes at dinner this year.

Have a great weekend everyone and check back soon for updates!

Quatro de Mayo

I'm told its May already, but it's raining and cold outside and freezing in my office so I'm not convinced. The only evidence I have is how busy it's getting at the Aquarium. We're doing roughly an event every other evening here for the next six to eight weeks. Tonight we'll be hosting a national network gathering of COSEE-OLC an organization that promotes marine science in education centers across the globe. On Thursday we'll be hearing from Dr. Rick Keil on how we negatively impact our urban watersheds and what we can do to prevent further damage. As dry as that may sound, these events are engaging and captivating social events where you always meet interesting people and learn something relevant. 


And then it's Proms proms proms...


Here is my honest opinion of these affairs:


They are incredibly fun. First of all, they LOOK fantastic in our venue and for having 4-500 guests in the building at any given time, we maintain a very safe, low impact environment. And the atmosphere is truly jubilant. You can't help but remember your own prom and what it felt like, and so chaperones, teachers, administrators, students, and event planners alike all sort of share in the experience. 


I will say that you know you're getting old when you hear what passes for music these days and you wonder what's gone so badly wrong. :)


Until next time, enjoy the weather. 

Brady Barr Uses His Hands

Dr. Brady Barr was our last featured guest for Sound Conversations and he is captivating. The background photo is him holding a 20 odd foot reticulated python with the help of some locals in Indonesia. Don't miss the next Sound Conversations on May 6th with Rick Keil. More soon...

Sound Indeed

With Spring here in Seattle comes our annual Sound Conversations with Jeff Renner Program here at the Seattle Aquarium. 2010 is our third year of this unique program that features Jeff Renner our local King 5 Meteorologist having a conversation in some way about our own Puget Sound or 'Sound' stewardship of our marine environment. We kicked the program off in March with Philippe Cousteau, grandson to the legendary Jacques Cousteau.

This was a very special event partly because of Philippe's notoriety, but primarily because the Aquarium is such a beautiful and poignant setting to have a serious discussion about the health of our oceans and the importance of reviving and sustaining these precious ecosystems.

As Sound Conversations has matured, it's become such a wonderful event for the community and a pitch perfect use of our space. We couldn't ask for a better forum to highlight our venue and the wonderful conservation work our evening events help to support.

Thanks to all those who came out for Philippe and to all of you who came out last week for Dr. Brady Barr! Please join us on May 6th for a conversation with Dr. Rick Keil. He'll be discussing urban watersheds, their interaction with the Puget Sound and how we can minimize our environmental impact on these important local resources.

Spring Fever?

Hi All-

Well Octopus Week was a smashing success, we had a fruitful union between male and female, so to speak. We had about 25,000 visitors over the week participating in Octopus discussions, dissections and even children's games!

Some great press from Komo 4 here:

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/84383762.html

Lets see....

We recently wrapped our Annual Presidents Dinner. It was a great success and we were delighted to welcome Governor Gregoire as our featured speaker.

The menu for this event was simply outrageous. Our supremely gifted Chef Betsy put together the following for our guests:

Sweet Potato Turnover, Chipotle-Bourbon Dip

Warm Sea stack Cheese, Fig Chutney, Fennel Cracker

Spoon Canapé of Crab and Meyer Lemon Salad, artichoke dip

Chicken Wontons with Green Chili-ginger dip

Baby Romaine with Parmesan Flan, melted tomatoes and salsa verde (without anchovies)

Sliced Beef Tenderloin and Short Ribs Bourguignon with layered root veggies, roasted carrots, pickled

Roasted Sablefish with piquillo pepper-almond-olive relish, chevre potatoes, golden raisin emulsion

Roasted Delicatta Squash Blintz with mushroom ragout

PB&J (chocolate peanut butter cream w/ geleed grape, honeyed strawberries & salted peanut caramel)

Chocolate Almond Meringue Snowball

That's it for now. I'll be back soon with reports of our Finding Nemo night this Friday!

Octo-Love

Hi Everyone, Happy Octopus Week!

I don't know if you all caught the game last night but it was a thriller. One of the best Superbowls in recent memory and I can't think of a team who deserved it more. Now that the Holidays and the Superbowl are behind us, things are starting to rev up once again at the Seattle Aquarium.

We're just about to head into Octopus week which is seven days of special exhibits, Octopus interaction and games. We even let them get romantic on Valentines day which isn't quite as weird as it sounds, but...nonetheless. :)

And even though it's only February, I think a lot of us can feel Spring coming around the corner. I've got about six local high schools all talking to me about their proms, and all kinds of NW companies calling about summer picnics so I know we can't be that far away. The summer calendar is filling up fast though so let us know if you're considering a summer event with great sunset views in spectacular venue. Don't forget to ask us about special offers for folks that book an event by the end of the February. That's all for now. Have a great month and come down for Octopus week!

First Weddings of the Decade

Hi Everyone-

Just a heads up that the Seattle Aquarium will be at the Seattle Wedding Show this weekend at the Seattle Convention Center. We're excited to get out and talk to you all about our Summer Weddings. Since our renovation in 2007 our wedding business has grown year over year and its no surprise the secret's getting out. With one of Seattle's best waterfront decks for spectacular sunset ceremonies combined with the renowned Puget Sound Great Hall for dinner, dancing and entertainment and even all of the touching pools, and exhibits for the kids-we're establishing ourselves as not only the most unique and jaw droppingly beautiful; but also the most seamless, natural venue around as well.

One of the things we’re most proud of in our wedding business is the relationships we’ve developed with new couples and their families. Planning a wedding is a long process the requires a lot of face time and we’ve come to see our couples less as clients than as lifelong Aquarium Friends that are able to come back again and again to a friendly face and place.

If you're planning on checking out the Wedding Show, stop by our booth(#1437) because we're offering some outstanding discounts for couples we meet through the wedding show.

What a Wonderful Winter!

Hi Again Everyone-

I must apologize for the infrequent posts as of late, but we're just finishing up an incredible Holiday Season. What started with 1100 people dancing and reveling from Seattle University ended with 1000 people bringing in the new decade.

November saw more events here than years past and some very exciting parties. Our annual Finding Vino wine tasting was the best we'd ever had, with about 300 donors and close friends of the Aquarium.

And with the new addition of a suspended lighting truss, our space has become even more stunning than before.

One of the events we were most excited about was the MLS Host Party we hosted for Major League Soccer and the Seattle Sounders. This was a SMASH! Guests entered along a red carpet and mugged for photos against a backdrop of all national soccer jerseys, flags and the official MLS Cup Trophy!

Our Puget Sound Great Hall was re-imagined as a Seattle Sounders Den. Beautiful blues and greens were washed all along the walls, floors and ceiling with a Seattle Sounders diver in the underwater exhibit kicking around a soccer ball and mugging for photos with guests and players.

Many of the guests were more keen to have their photo taken with our diver than with the star MLS players or the trophies!

When December rolled around we barely had time to sleep around here and in the current environment, we were happy for it! We hosted lovely Holiday parties for some of the area's most notorious companies. Boeing, Amazon, Nordstroms, etc. Many were repeat clients and we've come to value and respect these clients and view them as friends under the ever growing Aquarium Umbrella.

Holiday Parties are great because you get a sense of the company as any personality you might work with to produce events and because of the relationship you develop you're able to produce a unique, personalized, and memorable event for all involved. I think one of my favorite highlights from the season was having an intra company Rolling Stones cover band play Rolling Stones music all night with all the Mick Jagger swagger and Keith Richards surl. All of this while a diver danced in the tank in a tongue and lips Rolling Stones tour T-shirt.

We ended the year with Seattle's Best New Year's Party. We pulled out all the stops for this one...

a 17 piece, big brass jazz orchestra, DJs throughout the Aquarium, Dancers, Burlesque, Palm and Tarot readers, Massage, several ice bars, Veuve and Dom flowing freely. Guests were dressed to kill in Black Tie/Cocktail Gown attire. This was a stunningly beautiful event and a group of people that really knew how to ring in the new year. We had 18 odd cases of Belvedere Vodka alone!

An incredible amount of work goes into these events, but when you stand back and look at such a massive group of people so happy and in the moment, it's all worthwhile.