Chasing the Dream

 It gives me great pleasure to announce that we have come home from Nationals with a WIN!   The Triangle Chapter has won   " Chapter Program of  the Year"  2007 with April's program "Stir".  Congratulations to all of our chapter members who dedicated their time and service to hosting this event.

Congratulations to Beth Pendergrass,  Mark Day and Samantha Dockery.  All three were honored with the "Presidents List" award.

 New News from our National Board

1.   We will no longer have categories of members.  (primary or affiliates)  we will all be under one classification.   Event Professionals!   

2.  The change in ownership for membership has shifted.  Now when a company purchases a NACE membership it will remain with the company if the employee should move on.  Previously the membership would remain with the person who the company appointed as their NACE member.  Now if that person leaves the company the company will retain the membership and the member will have a 90 day extension to rejoin with their new place of employment.    

3. There will be additional discounts offered to our student membership to join our organization.    ( This will allow us to offer  the benefits of NACE  to our newest generation of event professionals.)

  Triangle NACE hosts North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival to an Oscar-winning Gala

Triangle NACE transformed the Carolina Theater’s Connie Moses Ballroom into a sleek Hollywood Gala.  Imagine a gilded chandeliered ballroom washed in blue light, accented with Le Corbusier inspired white leather furniture, stealth-like contemporary florals, driving house beats, creative cuisine, and you begin to get an idea of the fabulous party members of Triangle NACE provided for the NCGLFF Friday, August 15, 2008.

Special thanks go to American Furniture Rentals, American Party Rentals, Floral Dimensions, Good Taste Cake Design, Party Tables, The Art of Motion, Total Production Services, Triangle Catering, Washington Duke Inn, Mark Day Company, and Carolina Theater’s Cora Bryant for showing local and international guests that Triangle Entertaining is World Class.

Welcome to our newest members! 

Cami Blackwelder from Highland Country Club

Todd Cromer with Mez Contemporary Mexican Restaurant

Rick Freeman with The Tent Rental Company

Carrie Peele with Blue Diamond Limousines & Sedans

Trish Tulensa with American Furniture Rentals

Thomas Tully with American Furniture Rentals

Top of the Table is coming to Bay 7

On   September 3 the Triangle's most savvy catering professionals will go head-to-head in a tabletop design competition. The displays will dazzle, the setting will be sumptuous and the fighting will be fierce as the Triangle Chapter hosts the 2008 top of the Table Design Competition and Silent Auction starting at 6pm at Bay 7 in the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.

Invite your friends, family, and co-workers to join us.  All proceeds from the silent auction will go to the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. It's an event NOT TO BE MISSED!

Appetizers needed for Top of Table   September 03, 2008

Triangle NACE is still accepting one or two bite appetizers for our members and guests to enjoy during the Top of the Table competition at Bay 7, Wednesday September 3^rd.  Please contact Mark Day at        919-932-3031 or email him at daymarkb@bellsouth.net and become an active part of the premier Triangle NACE fundraiser benefitting less fortunate children through Backpack Buddies.  Your contribution and commitment can and will make a difference.

            With the 2008 Top of the Table Fundraiser quickly approaching, we would like to remind everyone that we still have a need for donations.  Several NACE members have already donated generously to the event.

            Triangle Catering will provide a staffed action station serving shrimp and grits.  Sage and Swift will be donating several hors d’oeuvres that include chicken skewers, arranchini, mini BLTs, salmon skewers and cupcakes.  Interfaith Food Shuttle and Aqueduct Conference Center will also provide a hors d’oeuvre.  Mark Day Company has committed to providing a heavy hors d’oeuvre, along with 10 servers to staff the food stations.  American Party Rentals will handle all rentals for the food displays.

Event Professional of the Month

As premier photojournalists in the Southeast, Kristine Dittmer and Mel Nathanson, of Kristine Dittmer Photography, are nationally recognized wedding and lifestyle photographers. Their work has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, National Geographic, USA Today, The Knot and Weddings Unveiled. Working as husband and wife team, Kristine and Mel and their talented staff share a tremendous passion for documenting celebrations in a fresh and spontaneous style.

Events on the Horizon

September 3rd 2008   -   4th Annual Top of the Table Design Competition                     benefiting  Interfaith Food Shelter hosted at Bay 7

October 14th 2008  -  Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue.  
hosted by Mark Day Catering

November 11th  - Triangle Chapter Awards Gala                                                                         hosted by Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club

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!!!

Please submit applications to Irregardless Café’s Catering Director: Anya Gordon anya@irregardless.com