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5 Years! Cincinnati Prepares to Celebrate a Milestone!

Posted by' Chantal Blanchard on June 02, 2016 | 0 comment

Le Dîner en Blanc became all the rage in the summer of 2011, following the immense success of the New York City premiere. In 2012, Dîner en Blanc International was founded to respond to the great interest other cities expressed in wanting to host a Dîner en Blanc of their own. Everyone wanted to join in on this impromptu elegant picnic, bringing friends together and showcasing their city’s exceptional beauty. Fifteen cities from nine different countries signed on that year.
 
Le Dîner en Blanc – Cincinnati, now headed by hosts Drew McKenzie, Candice Young, Kelly Hornback, and Claire Guappone, was part of this first wave of enthusiasm. As they gear up to celebrate the 5th year of this exceptional event on Saturday, June 18th, we took the opportunity to ask them some questions about their Dîner en Blanc experiences.
 
Over the years, Dîner en Blanc – Cincinnati has inspired wonder and amazement all over the Ohio city. And Hosts continue to showcase their love and passion for their city by keeping guests guessing, year after year. Where will Le Dîner en Blanc take place? That’s always the question! From the inaugural event in the Lytle Park Historic District, to Washington Park, to Fountain Square, to Woodburn Ave in East Walnut last year, mystery and wonder have kept a growing guest list coming back for more.
 
  

When asked what makes planning Dîner en Blanc different from any other event, co-host Drew McKenzie honed in on its social value. Of course, the secret location and the friend-based invitations are always appealing to guests—it’s the fact that “you won’t know the person on your left, but more than likely know the person sitting to your right” that makes Dîner en Blanc unique. “It is so rewarding,” he says, “to watch participants walk away from the event with new friends in their community.”
 
Each production of Le Dîner en Blanc brings a new set of challenges to the table, even though the evening always flows seamlessly. The greatest challenge so far for Cincinnati, says McKenzie, was having to find an alternate venue on a very short timeline last year: “We had worked for about six months to reserve a location, but we found out with only three months before our event date that we actually lost the venue.” Hosts had to use every resource available to secure a new location for their 2,000 guests. But that didn’t stop them. They worked closely “with the city to close down an entire street” at Woodburn Ave, in East Walnut and produce a beautiful event. McKenzie stresses that, year after year, Le Dîner en Blanc – Cincinnati could not go on successfully without help from the Mayor, the City Council, Police, and Fire Departments.
 
  

With organizers setting the bar higher every year, hosts and guests alike continue to rise to the occasion. As always, details are under wraps. But hosts are hinting at a slight increase in attendance this year. They expect “north of 3,000 participants,” says McKenzie, adding to that the fact that Le Dîner en Blanc “is one of the hardest events to get into.” Because so many dedicated members attend every year, hosts take it to heart to make sure that the experience is fabulous. They want guests to return home with the desire to repeat the experience next year and also talk about it with friends and friends of friends to keep the event growing organically over time.
 
Le Dîner en Blanc – Cincinnati Hosts all agree that they’d love to attend Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris someday to see “where it all started.” But for the moment, they’re busy planning their hometown event’s elegant 5th anniversary. Only time will tell exactly where we can expect to find Cincinnati’s next chic picnic…
 
 
For all the latest updates, follow Le Dîner en Blanc – Cincinnati on:
 Diner en Blanc - Cincinnati            @CincyDinerBlanc        dinerenblanccincy

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