PDA is blazing the presidential campaign trail once again. Since our conception more than 20 years ago, we have maintained a positive presence in the political process. In the beginning, our involvement was minor. We focused primarily on small events for local politicians including press conferences, town hall meetings and small gatherings. Our big break came in December 2001 when we were approached by the White House Communications Agency to produce a nationally televised speech given by President Bush at the Citadel. President Bush’s address to the nation was the event that really pushed us into the political production scene.
Over the years, we have been fortunate to play a major role in the staging and production for an abundance of political events. This season’s political race has
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to take a look back at some of the nonprofit organizations that we have been lucky enough to have partnered with through the years.
When people in our home town of Charleston, SC gear up for an outdoor adventure, Half-Moon Outfitters is front of mind.
But Half-Moon Outfitters is not just a Lowcountry institution; its also one of the leading adventure retailers in the country.* Our working relationship began when Half-Moon reached out to us to help them produce a customer service training video.* As we near completion of that project, we are excited to also be producing customer-facing content that will highlight in-store events, festivals, races and gear reviews by Half-Moon staff.
Below is a quick video recap of the Golden Nugget SUP that attracted a combination of local recreational paddlers and nationally recognized racers.
It was a fun day on the water working for one of our favorite clients.* We are looking forward to getting outside and following Half-Moon’s next adventure.
For PDA that knock came from the proverbial top of the food chain. In his first nationally televised speech about 9/11 outside of Washington DC, then President George Bush chose The Citadel as his venue. PDA got the call to provide production support for the event and the rest, as they say, is history.
Almost 10 years later, PDA has helped produce over 100 events for two sitting Presidents, two past Presidents and three Vice Presidents. Every one of these events has been an honor and a challenge, while at the same time providing a unique glimpse of the Office from behind-the-scenes. Whether it’s standing on the South Lawn of the White House at 7 a.m. watching President George Bush start his work day, or standing amidst 3,000 US Army soldiers while President Obama thanks them for their
You’ve heard of LED lighting, but you might be wondering…what’s all the hoopla?
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) were originally used in the 1960’s by the military and NASA, but have since moved into our everyday lives.* They were red, dim and mainly used for controllers, machines and consoles as indicator lights.
In recent years, LED technology has skyrocketed, as they have continued to become brighter and available in a variety of colors.
But, again you may be asking “why LEDs?” Well, they use less energy and because there is no filament, they emit very little heat.* Heat is a by-product of incandescent light, which is wasted energy.
LEDs also last much longer than a typical bulb.* A typical one watt LED is rated at 50,000 to 100,000 hours – you could leave it on for 24 hours a day and it would last for more than 11 years.
In July 2005, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a new $632 million dollar investment, linking Charleston and Mount Pleasant on US Highway 17 was slated to open.* The bridge with its diamond-shaped towers replaced the two old cantilever bridges.* With its pedestrian and bike lanes, the bridge was a much awaited addition to the Lowcountry.
To celebrate the opening of the bridge, the city planned a one week celebration with a black-tie gala on the bridge and a firework extravaganza.
When we first heard that the city was thinking of doing a gala in the middle of the new Ravenel Bridge, we knew that PDA should be involved. We thought, this is the only time this will ever happen. The old bridge could still be used for traffic during the gala and we knew the city would never again have the opportunity to close the new bridge to cars, except once a year for the bridge run – of course.
PDA had an excellent time at the 2011 Family Circle Cup on Daniel Island.* We had high expectations after Charleston, SC was voted “Best Tennis Town in America,” and Family Circle Cup delivered them.* It was an action-packed nine days filled with tennis and related activities that lived up to the tournament’s mantra “The Best Tennis is in Charleston.”
This was the first time we’ve ever worked with a tennis tournament and it was quite an experience.* We certainly know a thing or two more about tennis and picked up some lingo along the way. We’re excited to continue this relationship and learning adventure into 2012 as the Family Circle Cup turns 40 years-old.
PDA Video filmed two commercials for the 2011 event:* a local one focusing on the tennis tournament and a regional one focusing on everything Charleston has to offer its tennis visitors.
Below is my seafood recipe for Rustic Pesto Pizza With Crab Surimi, Fresh Mozzarella, and Tomatoes from About.Com Fish and Seafood Cooking, where each week I share my newest seafood recipes and tips.
The words pizza and the words party naturally go together. When I was growing up in the NY Metro area, pizza was the one food that was never far from my thoughts (and in a place where salt
Below is my seafood recipe for Curried Tuna Salad With Cashews and Raisins from About.Com Fish and Seafood Cooking, where each week I share my newest seafood recipes and tips.
This week’s recipe for Curried Tuna Salad With Cashews and Raisins, isn’t exactly the classic tuna salad recipe that many of us have enjoyed since we were little.
Once upon a time, in the B.B. (Before Barilla) era, you could actually buy dried tortellini, but you probably didn’t buy them twice because they were just about as appetizing as eating a bowlful of pale, vaguely cheese-flavored erasers.
But, as with all dried pasta, Barilla was the game-changer. Their little blue bags of dried tortellini cook up eggy-golden, with an impossibly-delicate-yet-firm texture and a creamily distinctive cheese flavor.
Yet another Charleston Fashion Week has come and gone.* It’s fun to look back on our involvement over the last five years, so let’s take a trip down memory lane….
Production Design Associates has been involved with Charleston Fashion Week (CFW) since its inception five years ago.* When we were first approached by Charleston Magazine about helping with Charleston Fashion Week and heard the entire idea – we wondered if something like this could even work in Charleston.* When we found out they really meant a week long event, we thought she had lost her mind.
But, after the initial shock wore off, PDA jumped on board to help turn this dream into a reality.* And, needless to say, it worked!* In five short years, CFW has grown into something much bigger than anyone could have ever expected – with celebrity guests, innovative ideas and high-level production design.* It is now the South East’s premiere fashion event.* When we look back at pictures and compare them to the event now, you can instantly see how
As every oyster lover knows, whether you prefer to bake, boil, broil, fry, stew, steam, smoke, pickle, or serve them raw, oysters are a very tasty and versatile food indeed.
High in Vitamin B12 and purported to be an aphrodisiac, to paraphrase Jonathan Swift, it may have been, “a brave man indeed that ‘et the first oyster”, but I’ll bet once he did he was a very happy one too.
Below are 10 delicious links to resources to help you enjoy the oysters you cook at home, eat in restaurants, or gorge on at local oyster roasts.
Here in Charleston, oyster roasts are to coastal South Carolina what crawfish boils are to Louisiana; a treasured if slightly intimidating local institution that should not be
Here’s a look back at the food, cooking, and recipe posts that appeared earlier in the week here on HuggingtheCoast.Com…please join us tomorrow for the start of next week’s exciting food features!
Below is my seafood recipe for Pan Seared Masala Salmon With Apricot Chutney from About.Com Fish and Seafood Cooking, where each week I share my newest seafood recipes and tips.
The weather has been very strange this year. However, this week’s recipe for Pan Seared Masala Salmon With Apricot Chutney is like a peachy taste of sunshine after a long, hard winter.
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