
Since 2016, gish&co. has served as Second Harvest Heartland’s marketing partner for Dish: Cuisine for Change, the organization’s signature fundraising gala. From conceiving the creative concept to producing all of the promotional materials and creating donor engagement opportunities—we’ve helped bring the event to life, mix things up a bit, and most importantly—raise funds for our hungry neighbors!
The Dish gala has enjoyed remarkable growth in the more than 15 years since it was dreamed up by a small team at Second Harvest Heartland. The event benefits from the generous support of more than 20 local restaurants each year, and has hosted incredible entertainment such as Louie Anderson, Howie Mandel, Sebastian Maniscalco and more. Attracting more than 1,000 attendees helping support hunger-relief efforts, Dish is a can’t-miss for many Twin Citians each spring.
Creative development
Every spring, around 1,000 people attend Dish: Cuisine for Change to enjoy a fun evening and generously share financial donations to help support Second Harvest Heartland in fighting hunger. As Second Harvest’s premier fundraising event, it’s critical that Dish has its own unique visual identity that is both eye catching and compelling. gish&co. manages all creative components for marketing and promotional materials, from the overall event concept down to individual signage.
Project management
Any event manager knows there are a million moving pieces. gish&co. gladly alleviates the Second Harvest Heartland team from their marketing and promotional project management duties, and handles timelines for all key promotional efforts—leading up to the event in email, website, invitations and more.
Website design and development
A great event needs a great website. The Dish website stands apart from Second Harvest Heartland’s primary domain, and features all unique event elements that help drive ticket sales. From featuring that year’s silent and live auction items, to premiering the entertainment and featured restaurants—the website serves to sell Dish as each spring’s can’t-miss event.
Enagement opportunities
Dish is made possible in part by the support of many sponsors and generous donors. gish&co. supports the Second Harvest Heartland team in developing strategies and tools to engage sponsors in sharing the word about their support of Dish, and encouraging their communities to get involved. For donors, emcees, and other involved parties, gish&co. develops toolkits with language, graphics, and more tools to help them share information about Dish and promote their participation.
Sample work






“gish&co. has been a key partner for our annual Dish gala for several years. They have really considered our target audience and brand to come up with new and fresh creative concepts, marketing recommendations and ways to create a fun and memorable event that engages our guests and keeps them coming back year after year.
The team at gish&co. is experienced, creative, flexible and resourceful. I would recommend them to anyone looking for an expert event marketing partner.”