Nov
15
2010Now through Thanksgiving, The Special Event (TSE) is offering a 10% discount to all International Special Event Society (ISES) members on all new registrations to the Special Event in Phoenix, Arizona January 25-28, 2011.
In addition, the SEARCH Foundation has teamed up with TSE in order to provide each ISES chapter (including the ISES Cleveland Chapter) the opportunity to submit a single scholarship application for the Full Education Package registration at this year’s TSE conference.
A total of twenty-one scholarships will be awarded by the SEARCH Foundation. After a candidate is selected by their home chapter, their application will be forwarded to SEARCH for approval, as well. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and should be submitted as soon as possible. The final deadline for application submission is Thanksgiving (November 24, 2010).
Though this scholarship does not include airfare, lodging, social events, etc., it does include a full access pass, including free entrance to the TSE exhibit hall, networking opportunities, and your choice of over 100 educational sessions covering the tips, tricks, and trends of 8 different industry tracks.
More information about this event and about applying for a scholarship has been e-mailed to all current members. If you are unable to locate this information, please contact Laura Hoffman of Lake Health or Anna-Jeannine Herman of Something New Entertainment for assistance or contact Corinne Dudine at the SEARCH Foundation directly.
Sep
20
2010Click to view the entire Meet the Board or Member Spotlight Series.
As Lake Health’s coordinator of community and media relations, Laura Cahill is responsible for organizing several community outreach programs, new facility events, responding to public inquiries, coordinating the Lake Health Ambassador program, assisting with ongoing media relations, e-marketing efforts, social media, and is the editor of their internal newsletter Team Talk.
Laura also works with outside non-profit agencies such as the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Medwish, LifeBanc, and the United Way of Lake County to coordinate blood drives and philanthropic programs for the hospital system. Laura is a three time award recipient of the Outstanding ECM Award for the United Way of Lake County and was recently named one of Cleveland’s most interesting Tweeps by Cleveland Metromix.
Laura is the Vice President of Communications for the International Special Events Society (ISES) – Cleveland Chapter board, is Secretary for the Lake Communicators board, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and the Social Media Club. She is also an alumna of the Gamma Psi chapter of Alpha Sigma Alpha. Laura enjoys spending time with her family, networking, cooking, crafting, and running. Follow her on Twitter – @MissLauraC.
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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