PROJECT: Oversee event design & all production aspects
Festival Napa Valley, formerly Napa Valley Festival del Sole, blends the world’s finest classical, jazz, opera, theater and dance artists with culinary, wine and fitness pursuits, staged in Napa Valley’s most iconic settings. More than 200 wineries, hotels, resorts, theaters, restaurants and vintners take part in the event every July in the Napa Valley.
EVENT MANAGEMENT & PRODUCTION: It was a great pleasure to work with the talented team of staff and vendors at Festival Napa Valley for three consecutive seasons (2014, 2015 & 2016). We managed and execute more than 30 high profile events during the 10 day festival, and worked with vendors and winery partners to plan each event during the 6 month Festival lead up. The 30 events included multiple lunches, dinners for 120-450 guests and the Festival’s annual fundraising Auction. Nightly dinners featured high profile entertainment including Kevin Spacey, Wayne Brady, Cirque du Soleil, Bandaloop, Dave Koz and Joshua Bell. Vendor management included event designers, Steinway, tenting, lighting, rentals, catering, wine, floral and linens.
Event partners and locations included Meadowood Napa Valley, Far Niente, Solage Calistoga, Opus One, Napa Valley Reserve, Alpha Omega, Quintessa, The Hess Collection, Davis Estates, Cardinale Winery, Castello di Amorosa, Culinary Institute of America, Peju Winery, V Sattui Winery, HALL Wines, Brasswood, Auberge du Soleil and Harvest Table by Charlie Palmer.
SPONSOR ACTIVATION: Throughout the planning and execution it was a pleasure to work directly with luxury sponsors to incorporate to their brand requirements and product placements into the lunches & dinners. Management of sponsor events and product placements included Bulgari, Bentley, Tesla, Tiffany & Co., Neiman Marcus, Passion Roses as well as dozens of wine sponsors.
TASTE OF NAPA: Developed and managed the Festival’s signature tasting event, Taste of Napa for three consecutive seasons. From locations such as COPIA to Brasswood, the Napa Valley’s largest tasting grew during the three seasons, attracting 1,000 consumers, including 200 VIPs. Vendors included more than 80 of the Napa Valley’s leading restaurants, wineries and artisan food vendors. Incorporated a VIP Tasting Salon experience to connect high profile wineries participating including Quintessa, Far Niente, Alpha Omega, with the Festival Patrons.
2016 MARGRIT MONDAVI TRIBUTE: In collaboration with Far Niente Winery managed event design, Lidia Bastianich & Meadowood culinary teams, run of show & speeches, floral wall tribute, and successfully sought video tributes from Jacques Pepin, Piero Antinori, Thomas Keller, Boz Skaggs, Lamberto Frescobaldi, Eleanor Coppola. High profile attendees included Sophia Loren, Lidia Bastianich and Dave Koz.
Mindy has been a vital part of the Festival Napa Valley team since 2013. Working with the Festival’s winery partners and sponsors, Mindy was instrumental in developing our events into extraordinary, one-of-a-kind experiences. Managing dozens of vendors and winery partners in over thirty locations each season, she has proven herself to be a master multi-tasker, directing the Festival’s event production with professionalism and enthusiasm.Rick Walker, President, Festival Napa Valley
