Jul
06
2011FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ISES Cleveland Announces Upcoming Year’s Schedule of Education and Programs
Cleveland, Ohio, July 6, 2011: The Cleveland Chapter of the International Special Events Society (ISES Cleveland), Cleveland’s premier society for event professionals, announced its upcoming year’s calendar of events following the first Education and Programs Committee meeting of the new membership year on July 5, 2011.
“We are looking forward to another great year with the ISES Cleveland chapter,” said ISES Cleveland Vice President of Education and Programs, Rachael Fuller of the Cleveland Zoological Society. ”Don’t miss these exciting and engaging programs to interact with ISES members and Cleveland’s finest.”
The chapter will host a total of six Educational Programs, as well as four networking events, and a mid-year Membership Drive. The calendar stands as follows:
- Tuesday, August 9, 2011 — Learn How to Become a Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP), featuring Bill Ferguson, CSEP
- Saturday, September 10, 2011 — ISES Cleveland Fun Day at Kalahari Resort
- Tuesday, October 11, 2011 — Cleveland’s Own and Locally Grown
- Tuesday, November 8, 2011 — Jewish Wedding Trends & Traditions
- Tuesday, December 13, 2011 – Mid-Year Membership Drive
- Tuesday, January 10, 2012 – ISES Cleveland Cooking Throw-Down
- Wednesday, February 15, 2012 – Wine Tasting & Education
- Tuesday, March 13, 2012 – Second Annual Technology Showcase
- Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – Event Design on a Budget
- Tuesday, May 8, 2012 – ISES Cleveland Networking Event
- Tuesday, June 12, 2012 – East 4th ISES Pub Crawl
About ISES Cleveland: ISES Cleveland is a chapter of the International Special Events Society, a multi-national professional organization dedicated to educate event professionals of all diciplines and to foster creative excellence in the special events industry. The Mission of ISES is to educate, advance and promote the special events industry and its network of professionals along with related industries. ISES has more than 6,000 members and 40 chapters worldwide, including in Cleveland, Ohio. ISES produces the Eventworld convention, the Espirit Awards, and the Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) certification program. For more information on ISES Cleveland’s calendar of events, or to learn more about upcoming networking events and education opportunities, awards, and membership, please visit http://www.ISESCleveland.com.
Contact: VP of Communications, Anna-Jeannine Herman
Something New Entertainment
330-253-2900
aj9@SomethingNewEntertainment.com
Jan
06
2011The Cleveland Chapter of the International Special Event Society is hosting a technology showcase on Tuesday, February 8, 2011. Presenters are needed to demonstrate steps towards capturing sales using the latest trends in mobile technology, web based software, online collaboration tools, content and strategic meeting management systems, and ROI measurements. This event is open to meeting and event professionals looking to broaden their knowledge and learn new tools to capture, wow, and retain clients.
Presenters must be willing to share and demonstrate their knowledge, service, and/or product to attendees through a visual aid and a question and answer scenario. There are no fees associated with being a presenters.
If you or your company is interested and feel you have something valuable to share, please contact Candice Lopez of Kalahari Resorts at CLopez@kalahariresorts.com by January 7, 2011.
Oct
25
2010Candice Lopez has worked for Kalahari Resort and Convention Center for the past four years. She recently accepted the position of Safari Sales Manager. Candice enjoys volunteering and working with non-profit organizations.
In 2009, she served as the catering chair for the American Cancer Society Cattle Barons Ball, and in 2009 and 2010, she served as the pool leader for Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland’ s Swim for Diabetes. She has also served as a Board Member at Large for the Cleveland Chapter of the International Special Event Society since 2008 and has been an active member of the Programs and Education Committee since 2007. In addition to ISES, Candice is a Board Member for North Coast Young Professionals.
Candice joined the Kalahari team as an intern in the sales office, a few months later, the sales office opened. At the conclusion of the internship, the convention service teamoffered her an administrative position assisting the Director of Convention Servicesand Operations. Together the team opened a 95,000 sq. ft. Convention Center with 25meeting rooms. “ We started from scratch. We did everything from ordering equipment, to hiring and training servers and housemen, to formulating the SOPs.”
As the convention center grew, the conference service manager needed help detailing the high volume of groups that came through the first year the convention center was open. Candice jumped on the opportunity to help, viewing it as a learning opportunity. Slowly, her position evolved from administrator of operations, to administrator for convention services and began to detail and finalize convention center groups. Candice was recently promoted to Safari Express Sales Manager at the resort. She is now responsible for booking and servicing short lead banquet and rooms business while continuing to service corporate meetings and retreats.
Candice is a mother of 3 and spends her free time being mommy. “ I work at balancing my life continuously. My kids are my priority but I love my job too. I feel blessed tohave the best of both worlds.”
Aug
14
2010International Special Events Society Cleveland (ISES Cleveland) members and friends were the guests of the Cleveland Airport Marriott this past Tuesday evening for a delicious presentation of some of the hotel’s new posh eats from the on-site restaurant and lounge, AMP 150.
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Executive Chef Ellis Cooley photo by Anna-Jeannine Herman
Over the course of the hour, guests enjoyed a small sampling of the restaurant’s fresh fare (including sliced heirloom tomatoes with aioli on toast, sweet beet salad with goat cheese, sausage stuffed peppers skewered with tomatoes, corn pudding with scallops and more) as Executive Chef Ellis Cooley discussed the restaurant’s efforts to support the garden to table movement – not only by buying local as much as possible, but by actually growing vegetables in an impressively-sizeable garden right on-site at the hotel.
This past season, Chef Cooley oversaw the clearing of a large strip of overgrown weeds, brush, and grasses along the back of the Cleveland Airport Marriott’s parking lot. He replaced the useless vegetation with 40 cubic yards of topsoil (that translates to about 4 dump trucks full) and then started planting!
Though he deliberately chose plants well-suited to the area’s climate, he was unprepared for the success of the first year’s crop; nearly every seed planted has produced a plant, and the once-weedy patch is now overflowing with corn, squash, fennel, several types of peppers from mild to unbearably spicy, tomatoes, and more. The kitchen has its hands full with the habanero crop, and there is no shortage of fresh vegetables.
In addition to the restaurant’s efforts to grow their own vegetables, strong consideration is given to local farmers over larger suppliers. Whenever possible, Chef Cooley chooses to keep it simple, fresh and local.
The swearing in of the new board by Chapter President Matt Radicelli. Photo by Anna-Jeannine Herman
After a tour of the gardens, Chapter President Matt Radicelli (Founder, Rock the House Entertainment Group, Inc.) swore in the new year’s board members, including President-Elect Deb Hermann (Chairbabe/CEO, Ghostlight Productions), Vice President of Membership, Scott Pickel (Owner, Everything Tented), Vice President of Education and Programs, Rachael Fuller (Special Event Coordinator Cleveland Zoological Society), Vice President of Communications Laura Cahill (Coordinator, Community and Media Relations Lake Health), and Directors Jim Lottig (Senior Account Representative, Event Source), Candice Lopez (Conference Services, Kalahari Resort), Katrina Marshall (Special Events and Communications Coordinator, Cleveland Food Bank), Barbara Felt (Business Development Representative, Positively Cleveland), and our hostess Mary Frances Ody (Senior Event Manager, Cleveland Airport Marriott).
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Other attendees included Jennifer Thomas (100th Bomb Group Restaurant & Banquet Facility), Aable Rents Director of Business Development Zane Gloer, Facility Rental Associate Brian Hurtt along with Julie Anderson and Paula Coakley from the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Catering Sales Manager Shannon Harris, Jeff Alley, Renee Domaratz, and Bob Megazzini from the Cleveland Marriott at Key Center, COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) Event Manager Heather Dodosh and Katie Stevenson, Bob Javorsky (Rentals Event Sales Lasting Impressions Events), Brenda Kucinski (Event Director, Artistic Events by Catan Fashions), Disc Jockey/Designer Anna-Jeannine Herman and Justin Herman of Something New Entertainment, and of course the rest of the team from the Cleveland Airport Marriott, including Catering Sales Manager Michelle Hodous, Sales Coordinator Heather Double, and Sonja Scully.
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With his simple, straightforward and ingredient driven culinary style, Ellis Cooley combines a lifelong passion for cooking and over ten years spent working in some of the world’s top kitchens under many celebrated chefs. Ellis started his career in Atlanta, his hometown, but quickly found the desire to travel and work under a wider variety of top chefs. His journeys took him through South Florida, Spain, France and Austria before settling down in NYC. Once in New York, his culinary prowess was recognized and he was selected to open the ultra modern Hotel on Rivington on Manhattan’s lower east side. After a very successful opening, Ellis focused on larger properties and landed himself the job of restaurant chef at the New York Palace hotel in midtown Manhattan. After his time in New York, and with his sights set on warmer climates, he sold his winter coats and moved to Miami where he did consulting work for private condominiums.
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When the opportunity presented itself to move to Cleveland and open a farm to table restaurant he jumped at it…and bought back those old winter coats. “What better place than Cleveland to work alongside so many up and coming chefs and be surrounded by farms.” Ellis is excited to be in a city with such heart and love of good food along with having such a diverse and engaged population. He truly believes there is no better food scene in the country than right here in Cleveland.“I love to show our guests the variety of wonderful dishes we can make for them through our tasting menus. I get really excited when the wait staff brings back an order for them! I like to go out and introduce myself to the table and find out a little bit about what they’re interested in. Then I go back to the kitchen and put together a dining experience they won’t forget!”
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-Chef Ellis Cooley
-Chef Ellis Cooley
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