This was no ordinary party.
On Dec. 18, the Westfields Marriott hosted its largest reception ever. The Chantilly hotel received 6,500 individuals for AOL's corporate holiday party — more than double the Westfields Marriott's previous record. More than 600 hotel employees were needed for the event, from cooks and servers to valets and security. These included the hotel's entire staff as well as 100 employees from other area Marriott hotels.
"It was definitely a team effort," said Executive Chef K. Michael Sullivan. "The satisfaction comes in organizing an event like that, being very professional with it, and getting a group of people to go in a unified direction."
Sullivan said that only 23 workers prepared a staggering amount of food in a short amount of time. The event called for 35,000 hot hors d'oeuvres and 28,000 pieces of sushi and nori rolls. The kitchen staff had to prepare, among other things, 100 pounds of imported olives, 800 pounds of diced tomato, and over a ton each of New York striploin and turkey breast. Also needed were nearly 8,000 assorted cookies and macaroons, 3,000 rolls and 5,000 brownies.
The 23 kitchen employees on hand for the preparation and event included eight temporary workers from other Marriotts. Twelve-hour shifts were the routine in the days leading up to the holiday party.
SAID SULLIVAN: "I had one temporary guy who must have done a hundred pounds of Portabello mushrooms. He worked two shifts, so it took him probably about 24 hours to clean and dice those Portabellos. I'm amazed by that."
Marriott representatives said that AOL bought out the entire hotel for the occasion. In addition to 80,000 square feet of hotel space, four outdoor tents were erected on hotel grounds to help deal with the crowd. A full-size refrigerator truck was rented for on-site food storage. Musical groups were secured for entertainment, including the rock band the Smithereens.
Detailed planning for the party began several months prior. Ira Schoonhoven, Director of Event Management, led the committee that held weekly meetings with AOL representatives. Said Schoonhoven, "This was the single largest event that many of us had ever done." He said that while it was a challenge, some of the hotel's executive staff had experience with events of this magnitude and were able to provide guidance.
SAID PAUL SHARP, Westfields Marriott's Director of Marketing, "Anytime you execute something of this size, it's important that you're organized. You want to break it down into certain portions, from arrival to departure. For example, we had 600-plus spaces for parking but 6,500 people arriving, so we worked with several transportation companies and had shuttles coming from AOL's headquarters. Then when people are coming into the building, we had a 10,000 square foot tent that attached to the front of the building that was just registration and coat check." Sharp says hotel staff checked 3,400 coats that night.
Sullivan said the preparation and execution were the most intense of his career. "I ended up doing a 37-hour shift. I came in Wednesday morning and left Thursday night."
Preparations for the food began two weeks prior to the event itself, with warnings sent to vendors about the massive amounts of food Westfields Marriott would need. The in-house preparation began two days prior to the party, and lasted for 48 hours straight.
THE NIGHT of the party, the guests arrived in waves beginning at 5 p.m. Once arrival was complete, the staff worked hard and managed to keep up with the needs of the 6,500 holiday partygoers. In the end, the party was a success. Sharp said the plan was executed flawlessly.
"From a teamwork standpoint, you can't beat it. It's a great thing to experience. The way we designed the building and buffets and certain areas, it really provided a great flow. It's an event we can definitely hang our hat on."