A bearded lady, a contortionist, a snake charmer and a fire eater – just some of the circus inspired acts that will foster the creativity by interior designers when the 7^th Annual Cosmo Couture Fashion & Design event takes place onThursday, September 29^th in Washington, D.C.

The annual event produced by the Washington Metro City Center (WMCC) of the International Interior Design Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter (IIDA-MAC), will pay tribute to the Big Top in grand form in which local architecture and interior design firms and manufacturing partners will create apparel out of interior materials reflecting the given theme. Garments are constructed out of interior materials such as tile, carpet, wood, vinyl, glass and rubber –  materials used in the built environment and finding ways to apply them to haute couture fashion, creating a bridge between fashion and architecture. Each year the theme changes with past themes focusing on D.C. area landmarks, such as the Smithsonian Museums, Embassies, American Presidents and the National Zoo. This year guests of the event will enjoy a fun night under the big top featuring the following circus inspired creations: Acrobat, Bearded Lady, Clown, Contortionist, Dancing Bear, Elephant, Fire Eater, Fortune Teller, Half Man / Half Woman, Harlequin, Horse Dancer, Human Cannonball, Lion Tamer, Magician, Mime, Motorcycle Stunt Driver, Siamese Twins, Snake Charmer, Strong Man, Sword Swallower, Tight-Rope Walker, Trapeze, Uni-cyclist, Ventriloquist and a Ring Master. The event will be co-emceed by WJLA-ABC7’s Meteorologist Steve Rudin and traffic reporter Jamie Sullivan.

Twenty-five design teams will participate in this year’s event. Designs will be judged by an elite panel of judges and awards will be given in various categories such as Most Creative, Audience Favorite, Best Performance, Most Unique Material, Best Interpretation of Theme andHaute Couture to name a few.  IIDA-MAC is pleased to announce this year’s panel of judges which will include Michael McCarthy (Editor-in-Chief of DC Magazine), Jennifer Sergent (Freelance Design Writer & Founder of DC by Design Blog), Maggy Francois (Founder of Fashion Design Firm Maggy Francois LLC), Ashleigh Axios (Former White House Creative Director) and Marty Smith (Momentum Group Director of Northeast Sales).

The 2016 Cosmo Couture beneficiary is Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC (RTDC).  RTDC’s mission is to preserve and revitalize low-income homes and community facilities in our Nation’s Capital.  RTDC makes free home repairs for low-income DC homeowners who are Veterans, elderly, disabled or caring for young children in seriously deteriorating conditions and for nonprofit community centers that serve DC’s most vulnerable citizens of all ages. RTDC’s home repairs enable low-income homeowners to remain in their homes, where they can live in warmth and safety with independence and dignity. To date, the IIDA Mid-Atlantic Chapter has donated over $100,000 to previously selected charities from Cosmo Couture proceeds during the past six years.

Cosmo Couture attracts approximately 800 attendees each year.  Event tickets range from $85-185 and sponsorship and table opportunities are also available online at http://www.cosmocouture.org/tickets.shtml.

EVENT DETAILS
What:  Cosmo Couture 2016 – Fashion & Interior Design Event (7^th Annual)
Presented by:  Washington Metro City Center of the International Interior Design Association – Mid Atlantic Chapter
Beneficiary: Rebuilding Together of Washington, DC

When: Thursday, September 29, 2016
Where:  The Howard Theater, 620 T Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Time:  5:30-10:00PM
Cocktails 5:30-7:30PM, Runway Show 7:30-9:00PM,

Desserts 9:00-10:00PM

Website: www.cosmocouture.org

2015 Event Video Highlight: http://www.cosmocouture.org/eventphotos.shtml

The Colon Cancer Alliance will host the 6th Annual Blue Hope Bash to raise awareness about colon cancer on Thursday, October 20, from 5:30-10:00 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, in Washington, D.C.  In January, the Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation, the creator of this event, and the Colon Cancer Alliance merged to create the nation’s largest colon cancer nonprofit. This union helps accelerate a joint mission focused on increasing screening, and supporting patients and survivors of this disease. This year’s celebration will focus on the non-profit’s new vision around patient support, prevention and research, while elevating awareness and the importance of talking about colorectal cancer.  

This evening of hope, inspiration and celebration will feature a welcome reception, notable VIP’s, dinner, live and silent auctions, and the chance to win a new 2017 Mercedes Benz CLA.   

Through the Blue Hope Bash, the Colon Cancer Alliance aims to raise $750,000 to provide critical funds to support their mission, programs, and the 1.5 million individuals the organization helps each year.

EVENT DETAILS
What:  Colon Cancer Alliance – 6th Annual Blue Hope Bash
Presented by:  Colon Cancer Alliance
When: October 20, 2016
Where:  Fairmont Hotel, 2401 M Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
Time:  5:30-10:00 PM (6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception, 8:00 p.m. Dinner & Program)

Website: www.ccalliance.org/bluehopebash

Social: @ccalliance #bluehopebash

Event Tickets:  Range from $350-$1,000.  Sponsorship opportunities also available.
Attire:  ‘Something Blue’ Cocktail Attire

Josh Phillips and his team at Espita Mezcaleria, the Southern Mexican-inspired restaurant located in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, DC, invite guests to take part in one of Mexico’s great traditions, The Day of the Dead.  On Tuesday, November 1^st, Espita Mezcaleria will offer an honorary cocktail, Los Siete Misterios mezcal tasting and specialty dishes, available exclusively during dinner service.  Face painting and custom temporary tattoos featuring designs from Espita artists will also be available for guests.  Standout dishes available for this exclusive night of celebration include Morcilla Tlayuda, house-made Morcilla blood sausage, served on a crisp oversized tortilla with queso Oaxaca; Cochinita Cookies, pig-shaped cookies with piloncillo and cinnamon, as well as Mole Negro, lamb belly with hoja santa, piloncillo, Mexican oregano, chili ash with heirloom corn tortillas.  The Day of the Dead menu items will range in price from $5 to $25 each.

For the perfect pairing, guests will have the opportunity to sample several varieties of Los Siete Misterios mezcal, along with an innovative cocktail called Flor de Muerto, or Death’s Flower.  Priced at $13, the libation is made from a combination of mezcal, Cruzan Black Strap Rum, pineapple ash, lime juice and coconut syrup, garnished with an edible flower.  “I wanted to find a way to combine life and death into one drink,” says Beverage Director/Partner Megan Barnes.  “The edible flower represents life and the pineapple ash makes the drink completely black, representing death.  This concoction is fairly balanced, leaning on the sweeter side as Day of the Dead is meant to be a day of celebration paying tribute to loved ones who have passed on.”

WHEN:           Tuesday, November 1^st, exclusively during dinner service, from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.

WHERE:         Espita Mezcaleria is located at 1250 9^th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20001.  The restaurant is located two blocks from the Mt Vernon Square, 7^th St-Convention Center Metro Station accessible on the Green and Yellow Lines.  For reservations or additional information, please visit http://espitadc.com.

WHY:             Of pre-Hispanic and pre-Christian origin, the Day of The Dead is one of the most important holidays in Mexican culture.  In rural Mexico, people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried, bringing marigold flowers and candles to decorate gravesites. Toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults are also incorporated.  Families sit on picnic blankets next to gravesites and eat the favorite food of their loved ones. Some families build altars in their homes, dedicating them to the dead.  Altars are set up October 31st through November 2^nd and are covered with offerings to the dead including flowers, fruits, vegetables, candles, incense, statues of saints, and photos of the deceased.

The Metro D.C. Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Foundation will host its second annual Celebrate Every Breath Gala: A Grand Chefs Event Presented by CIM Group at the JW Marriott Washington, D.C. on November 13.  The elegant evening will be one of culinary creativity, interactive dining, fine wines and collaboration among the most talented chefs in D.C. — all for an incredible cause: to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 people nationwide.

The Celebrate Every Breath Gala will be a unique dining experience of tasting rooms filled with the area’s best bites and tableside cuisine prepared by some of the area’s best chefs. The food is sure to be spectacular given the line-up of incredible chefs donating their expertise to the cause. In addition to the evening’s Host Chef, Bart Vandaeleof Belga Café and B Too, the gala will feature Michael Abt of Le Diplomate, Craig Harnden of The British Embassy, Daniel Wilcox Stevens of Mokomandy, Edward Reavis of All Set Restaurant & Bar, Christopher Edwards of Salamander Resort & Spa, Driss Zahidi of Evo Bistro, Ris Lacoste of Ris, Roberto Donna of Al Dente and Alba Osteria, Ilhan Erkek of Ottoman Taverna, Roger Wiles of L’Hommage Bistro and Jonathan Krinn of Clarity.
More information to come.

The sensory adventure will begin at 6 p.m. with an opening reception showcasing hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants, libations, and more. Next, guests will enjoy a delectable three-course meal paired with fine wines. A limited number of top sponsor tables will each be hosted by a personal chef who will prepare his or her cuisine tableside. Meanwhile, Culinary Spotlight Tables will feature menus designed by a collaboration of the volunteer chefs.  The evening will conclude with a dessert reception, where pastry chefs and bakeries such as Amphora Bakery will satisfy every sweet tooth with heavenly desserts, coffee and liqueur.

Throughout the evening, guests can participate in the grand silent auction, featuring exclusive experiences such as trips to Arizona, Hawaii, and California courtesy of Marriott International, among other incredible items. A live auction will feature a weeklong stay in Santorini, Greece, a South Beach Wine and Food Festival package, an exclusive private dinner party hosted by Chef Bart Vandaele, and more.

Kathleen Matthews, former chief communications and public affairs officer for Marriott International and anchor at WJLA-TV, will join as Master of Ceremonies. During the program, the prestigious Hitchcock Humanitarian Award will be presented to Robert J. Beall, Ph.D., former president and CEO of the CF Foundation, for his years of fearless leadership and tireless dedication to the cause and the profound impact he has made on the lives of people with CF.

To purchase individual tickets please visit https://celebrateeverybreath.eventscff.org/

America Abroad Media (AAM) will host its fourth annual “Power of Film” Awards Dinner at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, November 15. The special awards event will honor five outstanding leaders whose work exemplifies the power of media to inform, educate and empower citizens about the critical social and public policy issues of our time.

This year’s honorees include the Showtime hit series Homeland, an American political drama based on the most critical national security issues facing the United States and the world today. To date, the ever-popular show has won 8 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series, 5 Golden Globe Awards, 3 AFI Awards, a George Foster Peabody Award, a Humanitas Prize, a Producers Guild of America Award, 2 Writers Guild of America Awards, a Directors Guild of America Award, 2 People’s Choice Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award and is a Television Academy honoree. The show’s executive producer Howard Gordon will be among the honored guests at the 2016 “Power of Film” Awards.

Aaron Lobel, Founder and President of America Abroad Media, stated, “No series on television has touched as directly, dramatically, and presciently as Homeland on the most critical national security issues facing the United States and the world today. AAM is proud to honor Homeland for its willingness to examine difficult issues, to explore the tough decisions and tradeoffs facing our top policymakers, and to help the public foster a deeper understanding of pressing national security challenges.”

Individual honorees include Saudi TV actor and comedian, Nasser Al Qasabi, who will be honored as one of AAM’s 2016 Media Leaders. Qasabi is one of the Arab world’s best-loved TV satirists, widely recognized for his various roles in the series No Big Deal, as a judge on Arabs Got Talent, and for his anti-ISIS Ramadan comedy series Selfie, which topped ratings region-wide via the pan-Arab MBC network.

Afghan TV executive and head of TOLOnews Lotfullah Najafizada will accept AAM’s 2016 Partner Award on behalf of TOLO TV, as the network is recognized as a special AAM partner. Over the years, TOLO TV has worked with AAM on unique programming, playing a significant role in furthering AAM’s mission and values in a key country where the approach is in high demand. This award comes at a particularly poignant time for TOLO TV, following a January 2016 suicide bombing orchestrated by the Taliban in Kabul, wounding and killing several TOLO staff members.

Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA), one of the nation’s premier representatives to foreign governments and current Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Prior to becoming Chairman of the Committee, Royce served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade and was a member of the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific.

Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY) is currently in his 27th year as a member of Congress and has served as the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee since 2013, making him the top Democrat on the Committee. He also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, including the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Energy and Power.

Royce and Engel will be recognized for their efforts to transform and improve U.S. international broadcasting.

Additionally, the late American-Israeli journalist Steven Joel Sotloff, tragically captured and killed by ISIS in 2014, will be memorialized, as his mentor at The Media Line, Felice Friedson, and his mother, Shirley Sotloff, accept the award in his honor. While working for ABC News affiliates in Israel and Jordan, Steven’s career took off with his coverage of the Arab Spring in 2010. His excellent reporting has been featured on numerous news outlets, including Time magazine, Foreign Policy, The Media Line, The Christian Science Monitor, CNN and FOX. Steven traveled the region, visiting Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Bahrain and Libya, while reporting on Mu’amar Qhaddai, Al-Qa’ida, Bashar Al-Assad, Bengazi and other key flashpoints.

The event’s host committee includes numerous national security and foreign policy experts, among others, former Congressman Mike Rogers, former CIA operative John MacGaffin, former NATO Supreme Commander Admiral James Stavridis, former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michèle Flournoy (co-chair), General John Allen, and former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency General Michael Hayden (co-chair). Among others, past award recipients include Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker), BAFTA recipient Paul Greengrass (Captain Phillips), Al-Arabiya General Manager Turki Aldakhil, UAE Federal National Council Affairs Minister Noura Al Kaabi, Bollywood actor and director Aamir Khan (Lagaan), Best Picture winner Argo, and award-winning documentary Difret.

The event’s sponsors include Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, Etihad Airlines, The John Templeton Foundation, and McLarty Associates, among others.

Tickets to the 2016 AAM Awards Dinner are available for purchase online, here: http://www.eventbee.com/v/2016poweroffilm

ABOUT “THE POWER OF FILM” AWARDS DINNER:

WHEN:
Tuesday, November 15

• 6 to 7pm: Award recipients available to media for interviews and photos*
• 6 to 7pm: VIP Reception
• 6:30 pm: General Admission
• 7 to 10pm: Dinner and program

WHERE: 
Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
1301 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20240

TICKETS:
Producer Tickets for general admission to the reception and dinner are $350 per person. Director Tickets, which include access to the VIP reception, honoree meet-and-greet, dinner, and a listing in the event program, are $1,000 per person. Purchase tickets here.

The Washington Business Hall of Fame recognizes the professional and philanthropic accomplishments of outstanding business leaders in our region who have made significant contributions to the quality of life in Greater Washington. The annual black-tie gala and awards ceremony brings together 1,200 business and civic leaders and raises over $1 million annually to support Junior Achievement of Greater Washington’s innovative financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs for K-12 students. 

More than 100 remarkable laureates have been inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1988 by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, The Greater Washington Board of Trade, andThe Washingtonian. Honorees must be either in the capstone years of their career or retired from the company most closely associated with their business accomplishments. A call for nominations from the general public is made several months in advance of the event. Final selections are made by a nomination committee composed of members from the three founding organizations.

For profiles of this year’s laureates as well as ticket and sponsorship information, please visit www.washingtonbusinesshalloffame.org.

WHEN:                Wednesday, November 30, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

WHERE:              National Building Museum

                           440 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

WHO:                  Ed Grenier, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington

James Schenck, President and CEO, PenFed Credit Union, and

Chair, 2016 Washington Business Hall of Fame

2016 Laureates:

Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO, Gensler

1. M. (Tony) Nicely, Chairman and CEO, GEICO

Kenneth A. Samet, President and CEO, MedStar Health

Gary H. Tabach, Managing Partner, Greater Washington, Deloitte & Touche LLP

Presenting Sponsor:

Capital One

PHOTO OPPS: All laureates will be available for photos along with the more than 1,200 business and elected leaders who will be in attendance.

About Junior Achievement of Greater Washington

Since 1965, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington (JAGW) has inspired the next generation to be financially capable and tenacious, equipped with the tools to solve problems creatively, manage risk effectively, and welcome opportunity. Through our experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship K-12 programs and capstone experiences taught by volunteer role models from the community, JA® inspires the next generation to answer the demands of the 21^st century with “I can.”

During the 2015-2016 academic year, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington delivered its programs to more than 65,000 students in over 20 counties and independent cities in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia through more than 700,000 instructional hours of in-classroom and after-school programs taught by nearly 5,400 volunteer role models from the community. JAGW and its partners provide middle school students a real-world experience of finance and the modern economy through Junior Achievement Finance Parks in Fairfax, VA, and Prince George’s County, MD, with a third JA Finance Park slated to open in Montgomery County, MD in 2018. Over the past 50 years, JAGW has impacted the lives of more than 800,000 young people throughout the region.

Learn more at www.myJA.org. Follow JAGW on Facebook, Instagram @juniorachievementdc, and Twitter @JA_GW.

The Washington Business Hall of Fame recognizes the professional and philanthropic accomplishments of outstanding business leaders in our region who have made significant contributions to the quality of life in Greater Washington. The annual black-tie gala and awards ceremony brings together 1,200 business and civic leaders and raises over $1 million annually to support Junior Achievement of Greater Washington’s innovative financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship programs for K-12 students.

More than 100 remarkable laureates have been inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1988 by Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, The Greater Washington Board of Trade, and The Washingtonian. Honorees must be either in the capstone years of their career or retired from the company most closely associated with their business accomplishments. A call for nominations from the general public is made several months in advance of the event. Final selections are made by a nomination committee composed of members from the three founding organizations.

For profiles of this year’s laureates as well as ticket and sponsorship information, please visit www.washingtonbusinesshalloffame.org.

WHEN:                Wednesday, November 30, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

WHERE:              National Building Museum

                           440 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001

WHO:                  Ed Grenier, President and CEO, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington

James Schenck, President and CEO, PenFed Credit Union, and

Chair, 2016 Washington Business Hall of Fame

2016 Laureates:

Diane Hoskins, Co-CEO, Gensler

1. M. (Tony) Nicely, Chairman and CEO, GEICO

Kenneth A. Samet, President and CEO, MedStar Health

Gary H. Tabach, Managing Partner, Greater Washington, Deloitte & Touche LLP

Presenting Sponsor:

Capital One

The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC) is hosting the 5^th annual embassy showcase, Winternational, from 11 AM – 2 PM, Wednesday, December 7, 2016. Over 35 embassies will be participating in this year’s event.

Last year more than 2,500 guests attended this lively midday celebration of international culture, travel, tourism and trade. This year, there will be many opportunities for 1:1 interviews with diplomats, embassy exhibitors, sponsors and attendees. This festival has the atmosphere of a bustling global marketplace with each embassy promoting their country through vibrant displays of visual art, food, handcrafts, as well as travel and tourism exhibits. Free and open to the public, guests have the opportunity to travel the different continents and do some holiday shopping—all during the lunch hour!

The RRB/ITC is a preeminent forum in the heart of the nation’s capital advancing international commerce and cross-cultural dialogue. As a seamless, unifying framework, the ITC provides a platform for building connections, fostering diplomacy, growing businesses, and creating a more prosperous U.S. and global economy. The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored by Trade Center Management Associates.

Watch scenes from last year’s Winternational here.