ISES Dining Spaces 2009- With A Taste

The New Jersey North Chapter of the International Special Events Society held their 6th annual Tabletop Design Competition last night at the Olde Mill Inn, in Basking Ridge.  Members, judges and guests strolled through the Inn which was filled with dazzling table scenes and delicious hors d’oeuvres.

Some of the tabletop highlights included a gorgeous Tuscany setting from Amarayllis, a romantic table for two from Details of I Do, an opulent-chic design from C. Brower & Co., a groovy blast-from-the-past courtesy of  Conroy’s & Something Different, and a spring masterpiece by Touch of Elegance that was a sister-creation to their “M” table from the Meadow Wood Manor’s open house last month.

A few of the cuisine notables that had people talking were the scallops with bacon from Main Street, the organic prosciutto-chicken and spinach pizza from Bolu,  and the mango with custard-creme yellow cake from Roxanna’s.

A personal highlight was pretending to be James Bond in Goldfinger with Michelle D’Anna from Signature Events who I worked with a few weeks back at the Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club.  She brought in the stand-out furniture pieces of the night.  Everyone who passed by stopped and posed for a glam-photo shoot.  Some people thought I was part of the presentation because I happened to wear a gold-colored Zegna and pocket square.

Kudos to everyone that participated and congratulations to all of the winners. The following is a partial list of awards presented.

The Apprentice- Kristin Rockhill and Erin Poles, The Rising Star- Christine Brower & Eileen Daniels, The Connoisseur- Erik Olsson and Mitchell Kolby, Creativity & The People’s Choice- Michael & Lisa Plociniak, & Bang For Your Buck- Conroy’s & Something Different.

Special thanks to my good friend Marien Barker, Social Sales Manager at the Olde Mill Inn, for her hospitality and a guided tour of the festivities.

Encore Gallery: (Click on thumbnail to enlarge photo)

Spring Fashions For A Great Cause

It was an honor to team up again with the MS Center at Holy Name Hospital for their Spring Fashion Show fundraiser at the Glenpoint Marriot in Teaneck, NJ.

Chris Cimino, the always-dapper meteorologist from WNBC’s Today In New York, returned to serve as honorary chairperson and co-emcee along with the  always-radiant event chairperson, Susan Zurndorfer.

The wonder-woman behind the entire production, Lisa Futterman, would give the energizer bunny a run for his money any day of the week.

Speaking of money, each year the MS Center puts 100% of the event proceeds towards patient care and research.

The Guests were treated to a four course lunch, a dazzling show produced by Lord & Taylor, luxurious prizes, huge raffles and a little  half-time entertainment by yours truly.

The highlight of the day was watching the models go down the runway, especially the patients who volunteered to strut their stuff and inspire everyone in attendance.

Kevin McCarthy, the foundation’s VP of Development and Executive Director summed up the day perfectly, ” …The mood this event generated is a testament to the MS Center and the place it has in the hearts of its patients and their families.  The dedication of its staff, physicians and volunteers is truly impressive…”

Special thanks to Patrice and Mika from the Marriot for their hospitality and professionalism.

Onwards and upwards, see you next year.

Carbotti Impresses All at Special Events/Bridal Consultants Dinner

The International Special Events Society (ISES) and the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC) held their annual regional dinner at Hillcrest Gardens, in Paramus, NJ.

Whenever you attend a gathering produced by event professionals, you anticipate a certain level of décor, cuisine, educational content and networking opportunities. As usual, ISES and ABC delivered in fine fashion. The “above and beyond”, “wow factor” moment of the evening came as the evening’s special guest speaker Richard Carbotti,took the stage to serve the icing on the cake before dessert was even served.

Carbotti, owner of Perfect Surroundings Inc., is internationally known for his ability to transform spaces of any scale into detailed thematic and custom-designed environments.  He treated the guests to an hour long presentation which featured magnificent images from his extensive portfolio and invaluable insight from his award winning career.  Among many other prestigious acknowledgments, Carbotti is a three time recipient of the Special Events Magazine Gala Award for Event Design.

A special thank you to Richard for taking the time out of his busy schedule to share his knowledge and passion with us, it was the highlight of the evening.  We wish you continued health, happiness and success.