Derby Behind-The-Scenes

We have survived yet another Derby season.  Despite the rain, I had a blast at all of the events that I attended.  It started Thursday night with all of the parties, and ended Sunday morning when all I wanted to do was sleep.  I’m in training for my next competition, so for half of the weekend I had barely any carbs.  No BBQ parties, no nibbling on the free food at many of the parties.  Nope, it was just me and my protein bars.  (Note to self: never enter a competition three weeks after Derby!)
Working with OnyxLouisville has introduced me to a lot of people to help make Derby the experience that we all enjoy.  The promoters work many months in advance to make the party run smoothly.  Elliott Horne, one of the organizers of the Goodtimers Party, worked non-stop over the past year to bring urban professionals a successful Friday night event.  Everyone wondered where ‘The Pointe’ was, but driving downtown, you saw the huge spotlight directing everyone to the location.  From the rented furniture, to the themed rooms, to DJ E Feezy spinning high up in the sky – every detail was carefully thought out.   It’s a large venture to create an exciting atmosphere for 4,000 people, but Elliott made sure it was done!
For those that don’t know George Williams, he is an amazing guy.  He is the photographer for OnyxLouisville and he and his pal Kenny hit most of the events taking photos.  Not only is George skilled at photography, but he is definitely a people person.  Over the next several weeks we’ll be downloading pics from the various events.  If you’re captured in any of them and want a copy, give George a call and he’ll hook you up.
Lastly, but definitely not least, is the lady I like to call the Derby Diva.  Without Sherlene Shanklin, Derby would not be the same.   If you need any media coverage for any event, she’s the queen!  When TheSlice was being organized, Sherlene kept me informed of the celebrities that would be attending and supplied information about the history and significance of the event.  She even threw her own party on Thursday night at Glassworks (I am not sure if she ever sleeps!) For the Grand Gala, she was the one to reach out to in order to make sure OnyxLouisville could cover the event.
Not only does she help promote the events in advance, she never stop moving while there.  Every time you see Sherlene, she is running around making sure that everything is running smoothly.  Even if she’s standing in one place, you can tell her mind is still thinking about her next move.  If she is stressed, she doesn’t show it on her face – instead she just gives you a smile.  I saw Sherlene standing at the red carpet at the Grand Gala.  She was waiting for one of the celebrities to finishing walking and taking photos.  I caught Sherlene’s eye glancing at everyone in attendance.  You could see the sparkle in her eye as she saw the smile on guests’ faces and realized that once again, she made things happen!
If you attended any events this Derby season, don’t forget to take time to thank those that put the events together.  We’ve been fortunate to have a choice of events to select from each night.  If you went somewhere and enjoyed it, please let them know.

M.Y.  May 2009