Full Switch

"This photograph was taken on the evening of May 19, 2016, at a reception for attendees at my organization's annual regulatory meeting (held at a conference center in Bethesda, MD). This was the first time live music had been featured at this particular event. But what makes this "band" (known as Full Switch) special is that they are actually professionals from three different organizations involved with the self-care industry who have musical talent and volunteered to be a band for the evening. Having these three organizations represented in the band highlighted that collaboration can happen professionally as well as personally. The band members live in a different states (as far away as Michigan and New Jersey), the two members outside the DC metropolitan area actually drove their instruments to MD to perform, and the members didn’t meet in person until their first and only 3-hour rehearsal the night before their inaugural performance. Organizing the band required several phone calls, multiple emails with all parties involved, and an open-minded hotel staff who allowed the band to perform on their terrace without having any clue about the end result…plus one of the first warm, sunny days in the DC metropolitan area in quite some time. But Full Switch was a BIG hit at our event. Because the idea to form a band was not part of our initial conference plans and due to regulatory guidelines, we had to be mindful of creating a t-shirt for Full Switch that would look good but at a reasonable price within the acceptable criteria. The CustomInk staff helped guide me through what options might meet our needs and the end result far exceeded my expectations. We even got requests to purchase the shirts from the guests at the event. The choice of the band’s name and the image used are all related to the self-care industry which might not be obvious to the naked eye but would be to people associated with the field. Fortunately we learned about the “Ink of the Week” competition prior to the performance so we could make sure our professional photographer captured a great shot of Full Switch that would be worthy of entry for the “Ink of the Week” competition. Hopefully this photograph of Full Switch will be chosen for the prize. " - Full Switch (Jun 01, 2016)