Team AFR is LIVE at the Democratic National Convention!

Being a vendor during the DNC and working on multiple events every day has been a great experience to say the least. With all of our months of organizing, planning, and creating timelines; we thought we were ready for anything, but as each day passed we ran into the unexpected. What I mean is, we had challenges with last minute schedule changes, street closures, security credentials, and logistics.

Speaking of security. It has been ever changing. As the week has gone by, the security has gotten stronger and more stringent. We started out with police on bicycles, then came horseback and motorcycle officers, followed by state troopers, and then came the SWAT trucks, Homeland Security and now today, the Secret Service. It has been very challenging getting around Charlotte to make our deliveries, but with patient determination, we have succeeded each and every time.

At day five we are more than halfway through the DNC Convention and so far so good at overcoming each obstacle that has unfolded. We’ve quickly learned to take one minute at a time. As we take on each day we can see our events unfold and come to life, and it makes all of the long days, hot weather, torrential downpours, last minute changes and deliveries, well worth it.

Changes can be challenging, but we go above and beyond to accommodate each and every one of them. On Sunday, we had a client for a Delegate Reception request specific colored pillows at the last minute, just hours before the event. We made it happen after two hours of rushed shopping at six different stores, walking eighteen blocks, and clearing through police barricades, security checkpoints, and then running through a parade of protesters, we finally made it back to the venue in time to finish the setup and ultimately satisfy our client. Satisfaction is simply how we define success.

A few other highlights this week for the AFR Team were meeting the Mayor of Charlotte, Anthony Fox, and having a photo with him, seeing the MSNBC Live interviews with former Governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The air is charged with excitement, and the experience is cool, no matter how you look at it.

In addition to having fun, we have learned our lessons this week and the biggest one is that no matter how prepared you think you are - when the Secret Service and the high-ranking government officials are involved - all bets are off. Things can and WILL change from moment to moment. But if you roll with the punches you will get through each day as we have - very successfully. We have a strong team that works seamlessly together and I’m happy to say we have managed to spotlight AFR Event Furnishings all over Charlotte as well on the National stage. There are still three days of events left to produce and we are excited that there will be more memorable experiences this week. We are sure that the stories that will go with them will provide memories of a lifetime.

Check back with us at the end of the week with more photos and success stories!

Live from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, this is Team AFR!

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art		Wadsworth Estates
Rosedale Estates		Google Experience

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