Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's
2006 Gala

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has been a vital part of the culture of the city, state and region for nearly a century. For over twenty years, the organization has held a season-opening black-tie gala to celebrate the Symphony and to raise important funds for its operation. During that time, the Symphony Gala has been one of the most anticipated events of the Baltimore social calendar. Annually attracting upwards of 800 guests, the affair endeavors to capture the sophistication and energy of the BSO in a special evening for supporters.

2006 was a challenging year for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Facing financial challenges, changes in management, and a publicly scrutinized negotiation of a new contract with its musicians, the BSO turned to Profiles to conceive and execute its season-opening gala. The goal was to craft an event that would maintain the high standards of past affairs, while containing costs to maximize profit and embodying a positive, forward-looking spirit. Profiles was instrumental in overhauling the format of the event, implementing a change from a formal seated dinner to a walk-about dinner reception and making a concert performance by the full orchestra the highlight of the evening’s activity.

The event, themed “The Music & You,” offered guests and hosts the opportunity to greet and mingle with one another while enjoying cocktails, creative, food stations and a variety of musical entertainment. After dining, guests were escorted into the performance hall for the musical program, highlighting the variety of styles in the 2007 BSO season. A lively auction and dessert in the company of BSO musicians followed the performance.

Profiles event planning and public relations services for the 2006 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Gala, “The Music & You,” included:

Creative Services: developing a theme for the event and crafting ways of highlighting and involving musicians and BSO programs at the event

Creation and Management of Event Timeline: identifying and enforcing planning steps, responsible parties and target dates

Logistics Planning and Consultation: managing physical event layout, parking, check-in, catering, seating, etc. and creating appropriate event materials, including event agendas, maps, volunteer instructions and more.

Event Vendor Relations and Negotiations: Serving as a single point of contact for all event components, including design and print, decor, entertainment, catering and more, developing RFPs (requests for proposals) overseeing the bid process, contracting and execution of all event logistics.

Supporter Relations: creating and issuing appropriate sponsorship packages to targets identified by the BSO and the planning committee, confirming and reporting sponsorship commitments, tracking rsvp’s, handling seating and ticketing requests, issuing tickets and event thank-you letters.

Budget Management: creating and managing an appropriate event budget

Creation of Collateral Materials: copywriting, design consultation and supervision of design and print process for event collateral materials including save the date card, invitation, giveaway items, program book, and auction materials.

Committee and Volunteer Management: attending and facilitating event committee meetings, regular communication with event chairs and BSO staff, creation of conference reports, briefing books, staffing plans and other event documentation.

On-Site Event Management: supervision of move-in of vendors, site set-up, decorating, direction of program (ensuring timeliness of agenda, troubleshooting on-site, supervision of clean-up/move-out, interaction with venue management, vendors, and sponsors/donors.

Results: Profiles was successful in executing a creative, elegant and logistically seamless event and worked diligently to preserve the interests of the bottom line- making the affair a dramatic social and financial success. More than 850 guests attended the 2006 Symphony Gala, including media, elected officials, and a record-number of corporate sponsors. The event and format change was well received by all involved and the affair raised in excess of a half-million dollars for the BSO.

In addition, calendar and feature coverage of the 2006 Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Gala appeared in Baltimore magazine, Valley Times, The Baltimore Sun, SmartWoman Magazine, Baltimore Examiner, City Paper, The Daily Record, Baltimore Messenger, and Baltimore Jewish Times and on WHFS, WNST, WVIE, WCBM radio and Comcast and WBFF-TV.