July is certainly starting with a sizzle. Not only are we enjoying some deliciously hot weather, but we are enjoying record numbers for our Chapter membership. Not that's Hot Stuff!!!
Recently several NACE members and myself enjoyed the National Educational Conference celebrated in Houston, Texas. Not only were we all blown away by all the educational classes they had to offer, but the off premise and awards gala were a sight to behold. This year our chapter submitted five awards and were up against some pretty stiff competition. Although we did not come home with a trophy, we certainly made an impact and I know that 2008 will be our year.
Coming soon we will be celebrating two of my favorite chapter events. The 3rd Annual Tabletop Competition to benefit the Interfaith Food Shuttle, September 11th and our 2007 Chapter Awards ceremony which will be held in November. Both events are a don't miss and details will be sent out shortly.
In the meantime, please keep checking our website for details and announcements.
Best regards,
Diane Tighe, Triangle NACE Chapter President
Community Service:
Starting at the August 14th meeting, we will start collecting one specific item a month for the Interfaith Food Shuttle. Want to get more involved? Volunteer to help fill the backpacks one night this month! Specific items will be listed in the evite and can be brought to the meeting, or if you would like, you can make a donation and NACE will pick up the item and bring it to Interfaith Food Shuttle. Some items that could be asked for:
Peanut butter
Snack packs
Juice boxes
New back packs
Also happening this month: Have a weekend with the family and want to do something for the community? Get involved with Habit for Humanity. Community Service committee is currently working on getting some dates to help with the building of homes with Habitat for Humanity. Since everyone’s schedule is different and fluctuates, we still wanted to get as many NACE members (and the community involved as possible). If you would like to help with Habitate for Humanity they offer tours (with a free lunch) the last Friday of every month. Their information is: HabiTour - Enjoy a complimentary lunch, learn about the history & mission of Habitat for Humanity, meet a homeowner & tour a community & a Habitat home. Last Friday of every month, 12-1:30 p.m. 682-0516 x112, mkeeler@durhamhabitat.org.
Finally, the local Red Cross is looking for people to donate blood. If you are interested please contact the local Red Cross at 1-800-GIVELIFE to make an appointment.
Welcome New Members:
Please make sure to extend a friendly hello to the following new members at our upcoming meeting!
Joy Edwards with With This Ring Weddings and Events
Missy McLamb with Missy McLamb Photography
Kevin Milz with Kevin Milz Photography
Steven Paladino with Catering by Ellyn
Thad Williamson with Special Events Rentals
Angie Wright with With This Ring Weddings and Events
Member Spotlight:
The member spotlight for July is Mark Day from Mark Day Catering Company!
Mark Day, of Mark Day Company, started out in the catering industry 20 years ago. During those years food was his passion. He strived to make his creations not only delicious, but also visually appealing. His love of food took him many places and offered him amazing opportunities. His most life-changing experiences stemmed from a position as a personal chef. Working with a high society couple, Mark was exposed to grand affairs that incorporated beautiful food and so much more. Mark quickly learned that a memorable event needed more than just fabulous cuisine. His eyes were now opened to all the components; décor, sound, lighting and entertainment that melded together to produce an outstanding event.
With this discovery and Mark’s involvement in NACE, he has moved forward with his business’ evolution. A full-time assistant, Niccole Hugg-Suttles and baker, Ginger Brooks joined the company to help Mark with his endeavors. He has always been known for his delicious and diverse food selections, but now he is hoping to be recognized for something more. Creativity and passion have driven Mark to change the industry. His desire to show his clients something better has already offered him his first success. While planning a recent event Mark convinced his client to do something she had never done before. The end result was a set of custom designed Sunbrella patio umbrellas. With the help of Glen Raven, makers of the Sunbrella material, Mark is working on developing better tenting options. He recognizes not only the lack of diversity in this area, but also the supply of clients ready for something new.
Mark hopes this accomplishment is just the beginning of many great things to come for this industry. The ability to come together to share knowledge, ideas, and opinions is invaluable to Mark. Together with the other NACE members he knows big things are in store for this area. The clients are ready and willing to hear new ideas. It is our job to make them dream bigger and demand more. Together, we can make this industry spectacular!
Top of the Table:
Lots of opportunities to help our chapter raise much needed funds for The Interfaith Food Shuttle:
Register to design a table - contact Donna Ford at donnaford@nc.rr.com
5 Categories: Sweet 16, Autumn Weddings, New Year's Eve, Water, and Morocco
Donate to the Silent Auction - contact Michelle Faber at michelle@scottfaber.com
Offer yourself as a personal chef for a day OR Provide a cooking class for a kid's birthday party OR have a party for adults and teach them your craft OR.......................
Sign up to help during the event - contact Beth Pendergrass at bpendergrass@wdigc.com
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR SEPTEMBER 11 AT KATE FOSTER PRODUCTIONS
Wedding Trends:
Weddings as a Spectator Sport
Couples today want to out do their friends or better yet, have their wedding featured on one of the growing number of television reality wedding shows. Thus the very unpleasant trend that everything is for public consumption. Case in point, the new “trend” of choreographing a wedding dance and making it mandatory for all of the members of the wedding party to be involved it in.
No doubt you have heard about the couple who choreographed a dance to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. The wedding party had no choice but to submit to hours of dance lessons to create a “unique” dance ~ similar to a Broadway production.
Of course, guests at the wedding who were themselves getting married are now feeling challenged to provide something more outlandish than their friends.
Where will it end? While I agree that to be “unique” and “creative” is Important, what is wrong with a simple, heartfelt first dance? Call me sentimental, but I long for the days when a bride & groom simple choose a song that has meaning for them as a couple ~ perhaps a song they heard on the radio on their first date or a song that was playing when the groom proposed. Sometimes tradition is a good thing.
Barbara S. Clark
Accredited Bridal Consultant ™
An Elegant Affair
Calendar of Events:
July found NACE members traveling to the Hilton RTP to learn about the Jewish Market and the specific requests that are common to events such as Bar and Bat Mitzvahs and Wedding Receptions. Guests arrived to wine offerings and butler passed hors d’oeuvres in the foyer while New Music Solutions provided a quartet complete with saxophone (a personal favorite for this author). Cocktail rounds with bright linens and creative centerpieces added to the atmosphere. There was also the option to have a caricature of yourself created. We moved into the ballroom where guests walked under a breathtaking custom designed Chuppah, handcrafted by Triangle NACE member Kristina Hailey of Beau Marriage. The table decor was designed and enhanced with floral centerpieces by Tre Bella, with beautiful linens provided by Chair and Equipment Rental. Initial Tropical Foliage provided accent greens to complete the décor. Total Production Services provided wonderful accent lighting to complete the look of the room. Dinner was Kosher Style and included a delicious Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Challah Bread followed by New York Strip Au Poivre with a Jack Daniels Portabella Mushroom Sauce. Sides for the entrée were Chive Potato Pancakes and Zucchini Fettucini topped with Roasted Red Pepper Puree. Crème Bavaria dessert completed the meal, leaving everyone sated and happy. The panel members took their places after the meal and included Will Kaiser from Events Associates, Cathy from Bon Appetit on the Duke campus, Barbara (mother of a bride from the Jewish community) and Derek Woodward of the Judea Reform Congregation in Durham. In a question and answer format they imparted much information to the room covering a wide range of topics concerning Jewish events. It was interesting to learn the specifics of a kosher kitchen and what is important to the Jewish Community when they are looking for an event location. A
Look Ahead:
August 14th: Carolina Inn Primary and Affiliate Members working together!
September 11th: Events at Newton Square Top of the Table Fundraiser
Triangle NACE Awards are coming in November, keep a watchful eye for award submission forms coming your way soon!!!
Job Openings/Classifieds:
Operations Manager
CE Rental, a boutique party rental company in downtown Raleigh specializing in tabletop décor is seeking a hands on, logistical, professional with managerial and creative skills.
Salary position with opportunities for 401K, profit sharing and health benefits.
We are looking for someone who is highly energetic, extremely motivated with a bubbly personality.
Please send resume to: michelle@triangle catering.com
Classified Ads
2010-07-20:
Director of Catering – The Carolina Inn
WHO WE ARE:
Destination Hotels & Resorts began in 1972 with the development and management of condominium resorts. Since then, we have grown to become consistently ranked as one of the top ten hospitality management companies in the country (ranked by Hotel Business Magazine) with more than 7,100 employees, over 7,000 hotel rooms and condominium units, and more than $2.2 billion in assets under management. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Los Angeles-based Lowe Enterprises, a privately-held, national real estate organization active in commercial and hospitality property investment, management, and development. Since its inception, Lowe has been responsible for more than $8.5 billion in assets nationwide.
Destination Hotels & Resorts is unique in the lodging industry in that our primary mission is to create value for guests, investors, and associates in each of our hotels and resorts. We do this by developing an innovative, customized business plan for each property we manage and combining it with the sales, marketing, and operating resources of a company many times our size. This lodging industry expertise, together with the real estate savvy of Lowe, has allowed us to bring an owner's perspective to the hotel management business.
Destination Hotels & Resorts is one of the industry's leaders in the management and marketing of high-quality independent properties, many of which we successfully converted from major brand affiliations.
OUR CULTURE:
Destination Hotels & Resorts fosters a creative, entrepreneurial and energetic work environment where people come to work and have fun. We value passionate people who love to be challenged and desire the freedom to contribute to the overall success of the organization. Your role will be integral to the success of our company. We strive to create a work place culture that values family, work life balance and community. We help develop our associates and provide support for them to grow their careers with DH&R. Our associates are proud to work here!
THE CAROLINA INN, CHAPEL HILL, NC:
The Carolina Inn is a historic hotel located in downtown Chapel Hill, NC. Historic charm, modern amenities, gracious service, and memorable food blend beautifully at The Carolina Inn, a AAA Four Diamond Award Winner & Member of Historic Hotels of America.
We are conveniently located on the doorsteps of the University of North Carolina, in the heart of downtown Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The experience is one of world-class service, elegantly appointed guest accommodations, superb dining, outstanding meeting and banquet facilities, and an expert staff. The Carolina Inn is looking for a qualified individual to join our prestigious team as our Director of Catering.
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:
Department leader who fosters a sales culture of driving revenues and maximizing property revenues. Strong focus on selling skills and a sense of customer urgency that meets the goals of the organization and surpasses customer expectations. Directs the day-to-day Catering department to achieve the property mission and revenue and service goals. Meets or exceeds department budgeted revenues, booking pace, and forecasting accuracy.
BASIC JOB FUNCTIONS:
• Guides department in the creation of a marketing plan and its deployment to discover new business opportunities in the social and corporate catering community. Develops tactics to find new customers and retain them. This includes tangible efforts in prospecting, sales calls, entertainment, and site inspections.
• Utilizes the tools of sales productivity reports, post-event surveys and letters, daily banquet event orders/pricing, set-up reports, manages night reports, to measure the effectiveness of training.
• Leader of Catering Sales with assigned markets, and insures both quantity and quality of sales and execution is commensurate with leadership.
• Ensures each member of the department executes all four business cycles (sales, pre-planning, execution, and post-event) at or above standard.
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This Just In...Mark Day Finally Does a Newsworthy Newsletter!!!
2009-06-29:
The Irregardless Café Catering service seeks a Catering Operations Manager who is a self-motivated, high energy, detail oriented and goal driven individual who is experienced in ‘on’ and ‘off-site’ catering. This is an ideal position for a quick learner with good social skills. The Irregardless Café & Catering is a growing catering business.
Successful candidates will have prior experience in Catering and Restaurant Food Service. They will also have
Knowledge of the planning and hands-on execution of on & off site catering;
Experience with catering and event sales;
Skills hiring, training and managing catering staff;
Effective office skills management, to include proposal preparation, financial accountability, and record management;
Ability to network with clientele, as well as establish relationships with vendors.
Compensation will include hourly wages and different pay levels, depending on the work, as well as bonuses. During this current economic downturn, there will be the option to supplement hours with work within the Irregardless Café.
Please submit applications to Irregardless Café’s Catering Director: Anya Gordon anya@irregardless.com
2007-07-20: Operations Manager
CE Rental, a boutique party rental company in downtown Raleigh specializing in tabletop décor is seeking a hands on, logistical, professional with managerial and creative skills.
Salary position with opportunities for 401K, profit sharing and health benefits.
Please forward resume
vickirents@cerental.com
919-669-3492
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