Events DC Prepares to Dazzle Guests at the 33rd Annual RAMMY Awards Gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center

Events DC Prepares to Dazzle Guests at the 33rd Annual RAMMY Awards Gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Sunday, June 7
The Convention Center Will Welcome More Than 1,800 Top Restaurant Industry Professionals and Their Fans
 
Washington, DC [June 5, 2015] – Events DC sets the stage to the host the much-anticipated 33rd annual RAMMY Awards Gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center this Sunday, June 7 for its second consecutive year.  The Walter E. Washington Convention Center expects to dazzle and delight more than 1,800 attendees of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s (RAWM) signature event with a celebration honoring the best of the region’s food and drink. 
 
“Without a doubt, Washington, DC is now one of the nation’s hottest restaurant destinations, and Events DC is excited to host the RAMMY Awards Gala for a second consecutive year,” said Gregory A. O’Dell, president and chief executive officer of Events DC, the District of Columbia’s official convention and sports authority.  “What’s more, we have worked with RAMW as they redefined this type of event experience for their attendees, partnering to create a format that not only engages, excites and entertains foodies from across the region, but also celebrates one of the most important parts of our hospitality industry in a fitting style.”
 
The Convention Center, an extraordinary 2.3 million-square-foot conventions, meetings and special events venue managed by Events DC, is large enough to accommodate the 2015 bigger-than-ever audience of talented culinary professionals, sponsors and guests, and it allows RAMW to experiment with fresh and dynamic new event activations to highlight sponsors and engage with guests.
 
“We are thrilled to return to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and to have Events DC as our official sponsor of the RAMMYS,” said RAMW President and Chief Executive Officer Kathy E. Hollinger. “The RAMMYS finalists and the full RAMW membership are primarily unique and home-grown restaurant and food service concepts that are very rooted in the Washington, DC region. It is so fitting to celebrate them at a venue that is such a part of the heartbeat of Downtown DC.”
 
The décor at the 2015 RAMMY Awards Gala will include RAMMYS IN FOCUS, a FotoDC project that showcases the people and faces of the DC area’s restaurant community, presented by Pepco. The unveiling of RAMMYS IN FOCUS, designed as an innovative exhibit exclusively for the RAMMYS, will spotlight more than 2,000 photos throughout the ballroom setting.  Photographs were selected among hundreds of entries from some of the region’s top photographers and are currently online in a digital gallery hosted by FotoDC. 
 
During the evening, the RAMW will present 21 awards that represent the finest and most innovative in the region’s vibrant restaurant industry.  Favorite RAMMY Awards categories include Best New Restaurant, Chef of the Year, Restauranteur of the Year and more. 
 
In addition, Events DC’s exclusive catering partner Centerplate/NBSE will host students from DC Central Kitchen’s Culinary Job Training program to help support the event prep leading up to the RAMMYS.  Students from the organization’s 100th class will gain valuable in-kitchen learning opportunities alongside talented Centerplate chefs. 
 
“If not for the amazing support and endless generosity of the hospitality industry, who were the first to really embrace what we were doing 26 years ago, I don’t know that DC Central Kitchen would be what we are today,” said DC Central Kitchen CEO, Michael F. Curtin, Jr. “We are incredibly grateful for our partners at RAMW, the Hotel Association and Events DC whose members continue to provide not only valuable learning opportunities for our students, but good jobs for graduates of our Culinary Job Training program. Our relationship with the industry is a true partnership that continues to make our community stronger every day.”
 
DC Central Kitchen’s renowned Culinary Job Training program equips unemployed, underemployed and previously incarcerated persons and homeless adults for careers in the food service industry. The rigorous 14-week program includes in-kitchen programming and training, job-readiness skills and self-empowerment sessions that provide a holistic approach to furthering a student’s personal growth.
 
The RAMMY Awards Gala is the signature annual fundraiser for RAMW that recognizes the best and brightest in the region’s thriving restaurant industry. Events DC proudly serves as the official “Event Sponsor” of the 2015 RAMMY Awards Gala.  Guests can expect a lively awards ceremony preceding a bountiful dinner reception presented by key foodservice sponsors and prepared by Centerplate/NBSE.  
 
Centerplate will service 56 bars ― more than half of them with specialty cocktails ― as well as five custom lounges and eight major food and beverage pavilions, each with a different menu and inspiration pulled from international and embassy sponsors at Embassy of Argentina; Meat and Livestock Australia; ProChile, which promotes the export of products and services from Chile; and Peru’s Trade and Investment Office in DC.
 
The RAMMYS
Presented by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), The RAMMY Awards Gala honors the exceptional ability and accomplishments of the hard-working individuals and organizations of the region’s restaurants and foodservice community. Named the #1 Food & Restaurant event by BIZBASH Magazine for four consecutive years, The RAMMYS celebrate one of Metropolitan Washington’s greatest assets: its restaurants.
 
Events DC
Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District of Columbia, delivers premier event services and flexible venues across the nation's capital. Leveraging the power of a world-class destination and creating amazing attendee experiences, Events DC generates economic and community benefits through the attraction and promotion of business, athletic, entertainment and cultural activities. Events DC oversees the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, an anchor of the District's hospitality and tourism economy that generates over $400 million annually in total economic impact, and the historic Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square. Events DC manages the Stadium-Armory campus, which includes Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and surrounding Festival Grounds, the non-military functions of the DC Armory and Maloof Skate Park at RFK Stadium. Events DC also built and now serves as landlord for Nationals Park, the first LEED-certified major professional sports stadium in the United States. For more information, please visit www.eventsdc.com.
 
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW)
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is the regional trade association representing restaurants and the foodservice industry in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Established in 1920, RAMW is an advocate, resource and community for its members. The Association works to promote and sustain the growth and development of the industry while providing its members legislative and regulatory representation, marketing and small business support, programming and events. RAMW strives to serve its members with professionalism and integrity, and provide them the training, education and support they need to grow a successful business.
 
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