Wednesday, November 15, 2006
The Hotel Show Experience
I am baaaaaaaaaack!! Exhausted and exhilarated, it’s yours truly, Ellsworth returning from the Hotel Show. This weekend I’ve been swamped with business cards,
hors d’oeuvres, and everything hotels. The Hotel Show weekend was quiet a busy time for the HEC board: it donation time, mini-function flow, dinner with the advisors, and of course the CHS Reception at Bryant Park Grille.
We arrived to the city, fairly early on a Saturday afternoon. While some hotelies ventured out on organized hotel tours, some board members took the afternoon to visit the Chocolate Show. Yum! Ms. Israelson, Ms.Wong and Ms. Killam were mixing business with pleasure, browsing and tasting the endless chocolate offerings for ideas. Ms. Killam was excited about her discovery of single origin chocolate, which is organically done and would tie in nicely with this year’s HEC theme of “Sustainability through Innovation”. Saturday night, some of the board and CHS members gathered at BLVD on Bowery for some mocktails and hotelie mingling.
Sunday morning, I had to be up early and in my fresh-pressed suit for the HEC board mini-function flow. Held in the Millenium Hotel, mini-function flow was an opportunity for the board and HEC advisors to share and collaborate on the beginning sketches of HEC. Hearing from each department, I got the sense that the advisors were happy with the work of the board. After giving his famous “soup speech”, Denis Sweeney was pleased with the creative menu design and Richie Petrina suggested looking into using some organic wine for HEC. After mini-function flow, some boardies headed to the Hotel Show at the Javits Center.
The Hotel Show is something that every hotelie should experience at least once. Frankly, I was a little intimidated at first, afraid that I would get lost between the rows of booths and excited hoteliers at the show. From Turkish bathrobes to Hotel magazine, the Hotel Show featured every in and out of the industry. I was a proud representative at the Hotel School booth, greeting alums and answering questions about HEC and the school for interested passerbys. Each board member took the time to walk around and discuss donations or possible connections for their departments. The HOGS team received a warm reception from our long-time friends at Oneida, Bic, Harney and Sons teas. Mr. Manalili and Ms. Beveridge toured MKG production, which produces parties for the likes of P-Diddy, Janet Jackson for some bar set-up and design ideas. And Ms. Roukalova spoke with representatives from Hotels, Hotel Design, and Lodging Magazine about potential press possibilities. Finally, the future Mrs. Chang was wonderful at staffing the Hotel School booth all-weekend long and promoting HEC.
After a long day at the Hotel Show, the board headed for the advisor dinner at “La Mela” on Mulberry Street. Accompanied with live Italian music, I feasted on antipasto plates, cheese-filled pasta dishes, and scrumptious chicken and shrimp platters. Phew, still I made room for tiramisu and ice-cream. Thank you, Abigail Charpentier for a lovely, lovely dinner.
Finally, on Monday the board once again spent time at the Hotel Show until the CHS Reception. Even though it was raining, the Hotel School alumni community was in good spirits at the reception. Enjoying some wild mushroom stuffed ravioli and figs with blue cheese; I mingled with many familiar faces and of course, personally invited them all to join us for HEC. After a whirlwind evening, I boarded the bus at the Millenium heading back to school. All of us came back with many great ideas from the Hotel Show and re-charged from our trip. Now, it is back to prelim time and getting things in order for Thanksgiving break.
Can’t wait for Turkey Day
Ellsworth
8:01 PM | 0 comments
Friday, November 10, 2006
Join HEC Culinary Team!
The HEC Culinary Team will be having its first meeting on Friday, November 17th at 2:30 PM. The Culinary Team is open to all Hotelies who are interested in cooking and becoming involved in HEC. The Team meets on Friday afternoons in the food labs to cook and assist the back-of-house team with putting together all of the cocktails, brunches, and dinners served during HEC weekend.
Weekly Culinary Team meetings give students an idea of what HEC is all about from the kitchen perspective. The Team will spend the remaining time up until April getting to know the food labs, back-of-house function managers, and testing recipes planned for HEC 82 menu items. No previous culinary experience is necessary; there are jobs for every level of experience. The more Hotelies the merrier!
If you're interested in joining the Culinary Team, please attend its first meeting on November 17 at 2:30 PM in the food labs. The Team will start by baking cookies (who doesn't love cookies?). If you can't make it to the first meeting, just send an e-mail to Jackie Quinlan (jaq3@cornell.edu) and she will add you to the listserv so you can receive information about future meetings. You can also e-mail Jackie or Liz Longstreet (egl5@cornell.edu) with any questions you may have.
We hope to see you there!
6:11 PM | 1 comments
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
A Preview of Coming Attractions: Hotel Show November 10-13, 2006
Hello! It’s your favorite Ellsworth here reporting about the upcoming Hotel Show. In less than one week, I will be gallivanting around New York City with some of my favorite Hotelies! This upcoming weekend, Friday, November 10th through Monday, November 13th, is the 2006 Cornell Hotel Show. Excited? You bet! I’ve already packed my suitcase, complete with my suit, concept boards, press kit, menus, business cards, guest list, and party money. I can’t wait to mingle with industry leaders, alumni, and fellow Hotelies!
I am excited to dress up in my freshly pressed suit and hear about the ongoing in the industry from fellow hoteliers, as well as distribute press kits made by my fellow public relations team. In addition, I am looking forward to dressing up in some of my spiffy bear clothes and having a cocktail or two, as well as exploring this upbeat city. All in all, I don’t plan on sleeping much at the Hotel Show. With so much to see and do, what Hotelie would want to miss out? With all this mingling, I may even find myself an internship in public relations (what Hotelie can resist hiring a cuddly, fluffy bear?).
To prepare for the Hotel Show, I decided to interview the board members to see what each team will be doing for this eventful weekend. Here are my results!
Guest Services – Tanya Wong
Miss Wong and her fellow board managers will be visiting exhibitors at the Hotel Show to solicit donations from the companies. She plans to visit Mr. David Sank at Oneida, who is “a great and continuous supporter of HEC. [Oneida] donated the plates last year.” In addition, Miss Wong plans to see Mr. Michael Harney from Harney and Sons Teas, “another incredible, annual supporter of HEC.” What a great way to keep in touch! Miss Wong is also excited about the Monday night CHS reception, where she plans to socialize with alumni.
Program Director – Tekla Israelson
Miss Israelson will be attending educational events at the Hotel Show such as "Is Sustainable Attainable?" in order to get insight on what is currently going on in the industry in regards to sustainability. While some departments of HEC have clear goals during Hotel Show, the Program Department is set out to learn as much as it can about holding a large conference.
In addition, Miss Israelson will be attending the Chocolate Show to make contacts and get ideas for the leisure event currently scheduled for Saturday afternoon of HEC. This event is yet to be planned, but will feature a chocolate tasting and demonstration. “The ideas we get from the Chocolate Show will help to shape this event,” she proposes. Mmm, chocolate. Yum!
Food & Beverage Service Director – Karl Manalili
Mr. Manalili will be visiting Food & Beverage related vendors at the Hotel Show to solicit donations. “This will mark my first time visiting the Hotel Show, so I’m excited to experience what it’s all about.” You’re in for a treat, Mr. Manalili! In addition, he will be volunteering to work the HEC booth on Sunday and encourages all Hotelies to stop by. Furthermore, the F&B department will also be holding its Mini Function Flow at Millennium Hotel for industry advisors; this is where a lot of the Board, Function Manager, and Board Assistant’s work will be unveiled. “And finally, I'm excited to top off the weekend with the CHS Reception at the Bryant Park Grille, where I'm sure to find Ellsworth schmoozing and making the rounds.” I wouldn’t miss it for the world!
I hope to see all of my fellow Hotelies at this year’s Hotel Show! It is a great experience for those newcomers, and a mix of fun and memories for all Hotelies alike!
Leaving On a Jet Plane to New York,
Ellsworth
6:23 PM | 1 comments