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Ah, The Best-Laid Schemes Of Mice And Men and Event Organizers

Dallas event organizers for outdoor events know from the start that they’re playing a game of Russian roulette with Mother Nature. The good folks involved with last night’s 2009 Dinner in the Wild Construction Zone gala recognized that a gala at the new site of the Perot Museum of Nature and Science was tempting fate in November, so mammoth adjoining tents were erected just to be on the safe side. And smart the organizers were. Because as the days got closer, rain and chilly temperatures were in the forecast for the Thursday night soiree. No doubt, they counted their lucky stars for the decision to proceed with the tents. But then, great news! The rain would not hit until after the party. Whew! Missed that bullet, so let’s proceed with the action. 

6:00 p.m. — As the early bird arrivals of the 1,200 guests check in, a few notice a handful of large floor fans (pictured) being positioned around the silent auction/bar tent. Strange. It’s chilly, why the fans?

6:30 p.m. — More and more people start arriving. Goodness, it’s getting a little crowded. . . and a tad bit warm. But that’s okay. Everyone’s having a jolly good time with the food and drinks flowing seamlessly.

7:00 p.m. — Things are getting a little dicey. Instead of sliding through the crowd, people are having to wedge themselves through walls of people like the party scene from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Let’s be grateful that people aren’t smoking. But people are starting to glisten. No, wait. That’s  perspiration. It’s getting steamy. Putting over 1,000 people in a tent with a few floor fans around the edges just isn’t cutting it.

Word starts circulating among a very few to head to the bathroom. That seems strange. Why are all these people heading to portable powder rooms? What’s that? Why it’s an oasis!  Seems that there’s a very small, open-air courtyard with tables and chairs between the tent and the mobile potties. Only problem is that squatter’s rights are in place and those folks aren’t moving.  Even now, the courtyard is taking on the feeling of the party pass situation at the debut of Cowboys Stadium.

7:15 p.m. — It’s really getting stifling for some in the big tent. But heck, when you’re with a bunch of fun folks, who really notices? For instance, Ross and Margot Perot are showing Sydney Hall (pictured center with Ross and Margot Perot) how to work computerized bidding. . . . The silent auction items are in abundance and getting a once- and twice-over. . . .Natalie and Michael Waldman are giving their buddies Joe and Lauren Savariego a hard time. Lauren is due to have her child in the next couple of weeks. There is fear of an early arrival. Joe and Lauren are opting to wait til the birth to learn if it’s a boy or a girl, so don’t bother asking. BTW, Lauren exemplifies the idea of pregnancy is beautiful. . . . Betty and John Crawford seem to know absolutely everyone in sight and are inviting all to Friday night’s Christmas lights event at Neiman’s and Main Street Garden.  . . . Pamela Clymer-Neves, a dead ringer for Annette Benning, has dressed up her black outfit with a mile-long (okay, so we exaggerate) taupe silk embroidered scarf. She is having a great time with Greg Traylor. . Nancy Halbreich is wearing a smashing necklace (“I can’t remember the designer”) and confesses that on the way to the party, she stopped by to see her Dad Ted Strauss, who thought the necklace was awful. Ah, taste! . . . J. Collin Chleback is keeping company with Kelly Donohue and Mallory Fosdick. . . .Power table group: Political princess Carol Reed is holding court with Craig Holcomb, City Councilperson Pauline Medrano and checking in with Dr. Gail Thomas (pictured from the left, Pauline, Carol, Craig, and Gail).

7:30 p.m. — Someone finally takes mercy on the crowd that is now moving at iceberg speed and starts opening some of the sides of the tents. Guests start congregating near the openings. They stare at the valets who are bundled up in windbreakers because of the outdoor breeze and chill.  Dinner isn’t scheduled til 8 in the adjoining tent. Can the wilting members of the party hold out that long?

7:35 p.m. — The decision is made to open the adjoining tent and let the guests in. A big voice over the PA systems announces that the dining room is open, but the silent auction continues. The servers are lined up and ready to provide care for those in need. It’s cooler a bit in the second tent, but there’s more room even with the tables and chairs. The decorations are in keeping with the construction theme — paint splattered table clothes, toolboxes with flowers, paint trays filled with lime green flowers, and gargantuan glass tubular vases with flowers.

8:15 p.m. — People aren’t sitting down. The big voice over the PA is sounding a little more forceful in encouraging people to sit down, but the guests are happy in their new surroundings. Some of the guests near the edge of tent are having visual issues due to the blinding floor lights, which are also starting to act like heat lamps. Finally, seats are taken and someone is on the boxing-ring-like stage in the center of the room.  Despite four video screens hovering over the stage, he can’t be heard. He must have said something important because guests near the stage are cheering and applauding. The outer tables are becoming more like Pluto in the solar system. They’re there, but they’re not really a part of the activities.

8:30 p.m. — The big voice is now sounding like an irritated junior high principal and orders everyone to sit down. Obedience is rewarded with food and it’s delicious. Yum, yum! Mayor Tom Leppert makes a video appearance welcoming the group and congratulating them. He’s still in China. One guest notes that he’s wearing the same outfit that he wore in his video remarks the day before at the groundbreaking. What can you expect? He probably taped the remarks before he left and had already packed all his clothes for the trip. It’s hard to hear what he’s saying. Where is big voice when you need his PA system?

Event co-chair Ka Cotter (pictured) is speaking. Doesn’t she look great? Can anyone hear what she’s saying? It’s probably gracious because that’s just what Ka is like.

Ross Perot Jr. is about to speak. People start tapping their glasses for silence at the tables. It works! You can hear him. He talks about his parents coming to Dallas and how happy the family is to be involved with the creation of the new museum. It is going to be a real eye catcher.

9:00 p.m. — The sides of the big tent are now being opened. It’s so much better. Museum CEO Nicole Small (pictured) is looking quite adorable and table hopping making sure that everyone is cooling off and happy.

9:15 p.m. — The live auction starts. Despite the fact that a number of people are bailing, the bids are getting healthier and healthier.

3:00 a.m. — It finally rains.

All of which goes to show that even the best of backup plans still need to be managed.