OPPORTUNITY

From September 29th through October 5th, 2024, San Antonio hosted the annual Congressional Medal of Honor Society Celebration for the first time. This gathering represents a remarkable opportunity to showcase what San Antonio has to offer, culturally and historically, to Medal of Honor Recipients, their families, and American dignitaries.

The CE Group needed to produce 35+ events throughout the week for 160 Medal of Honor Recipients and their families, as well as create a Patriot Awards Gala for 1,500 guests. Our Events team was responsible for event ideation, design, production, hotel logistics, catering management, parking, rentals and décor, entertainment, venue coordination, and registration. Our DMC team handled tours and all transportation concerns, while our Creative team was tasked with collateral, signage, party favors, and website assistance.

SOLUTION

We secured tickets from our partners to local attractions for MOH Recipients and their families. Guests were taken on tours of various establishments, including the Vietnam Army Grunt Museum, the Alamo and the San Antonio Missions. Other events included a Heroes Futures Luncheon at the Witte Museum, a Fiesta Reception at The Quadrangle at Ft. Sam Houston, a Dinner & Charreada at Asociación de Charros San Antonio, and 15+ meals and meetings at the St. Anthony Hotel. To show the spouses of our MOH Recipients extra love, we sent them on a spouse tour of local attractions with a $250 shopping spree gift card. We didn’t stop there – on the day of the Patriot Awards Gala, we provided them a hair and make-up room courtesy of the Central Texas Organizing Committee.

The highlight of the program was the black-tie Patriot Awards Gala, where we entertained 1,500 guests at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center’s Stars at Night Ballroom. We managed rentals and floral arrangements; produced each graphic element from the table programs to the red carpet backdrop, and handled AV and stage production. Our guests were served elegant flavors such as torn burrata, toasted focaccia, porcini mushroom and brown sugar dry rubbed beef tenderloin and apple cider apple pie from world-class chef and military veteran, Robert Irvine. After the awards were presented to each Medal of Honor Recipient, the crowd was treated to a performance by the King of Country himself, George Strait.