Location: The Contemporary Jewish Museum
Guest Count: 550

Over four years, starting in 2012, Denise had the pleasure of partnering with The Contemporary Jewish Museum (The CJM) on their annual Family Gala. When Denise took on the project, this rollicking party for kids and adults already had a reputation for creativity, community, and cool, but the Museum knew they could attract more families and fundraising to support The CJM's award-winning education programs.

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Denise got to work that first year executing enhanced personal donor solicitations, big ideas for entertainment, pre-events, and expanding the invitation list. The results were outstanding. The Museum was transformed into a New York-in-winter experience, including an "ice skating" rink inside the museum's main hall (with a snowy Brooklyn backdrop), snow machines at the entry doors, an upgraded dinner of mini-pastrami sandwiches and vegan lox bagel bites, an awesome kids' rock and roll band, live ice sculpting, and snow-globe making. Best of all was the 25% increase in fundraising and attendance!

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The bar was set high that year, but it only made successive years more exciting and challenging. Highlights from other years include a virtual graffiti wall, roving circus performers, indoor rock climbing, a Hanukkah-themed Rube Goldberg machine, a Japanese pika-pika photo booth, onsite personal portraits, and many Pinterest-worthy art projects, not to mention attendance from new families, beautiful marketing materials, and successful fundraising for the Museum's programs.

Now the Family Gala isn't just cool, it's crazy cool.