Prevue July/August 2013 - (Page 22)

Previous: Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel Right, clockwise from top: Sheraton Wine Hour; Park Hyatt Chicago; Wolfgang Puck Catering L ast year, Park Hyatt Hotels launched its Masters of Food & Wine Series globally, offering special epicurean events that celebrate the individual region. They include top local chefs, wine/craft beer makers and farmers on hand to share their knowledge. This summer, Park Hyatt is expanding the series and inviting your group. Previously, these experiences were available only at certain prescribed times of the year. But Park Hyatt saw the demand from groups for more hyperlocal programming that inspires attendees to be more social during these incredible events. Here’s a sample. Planners can create programs around pickling or dessert-making classes combined with craft beer tastings at Park Hyatt Chicago. Or work with the CSM crew at the new Park Hyatt Sydney to go behind the scenes at the Sydney Opera house followed by dinner onsite. That specific tour is only available through Park Hyatt. Or learn how to cook Armenian cuisine at Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow. “Our Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine program really resonates with guests by providing them a rare and intimate experience that is truly unique and inspired by each location,” says Katherine Melchior Ray, vp of luxury brands. “We realized it could also meet a need for meeting planners by offering regionally-inspired, exclusive activities that planners look for and attendees could not experience otherwise.” Everyone is a foodie these days, it seems, with a more nuanced knowledge of food and wine due to the proliferation of culinary-themed television shows. Suppliers can tap into that interest by taking advantage of turnkey programs like Sheraton Hotels’ wine-themed Social Hour program, showcasing top ranked wines from around the world. It’s basically a sophisticated Happy Hour for executive travelers who want to network with colleagues while learning about fine wine in a comfortable, unpretentious environment. Last month during a Starwood Resorts’ annual sales pow-wow at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, we joined 500+ buyers and Starwood sales/marketing pros in the hotel’s huge lobby for Social Hour. This is an exceptional networking event because attendees are compelled to move from station to station serving different wines ranging from standard favorites to esoterics like gamay and vouvray. Social Hour was designed to provide an approachable way to experience, and more importantly, discuss new wines that many novice drinkers are unlikely to purchase on their own. WOLFGANG PUCK CATERING Whether you want a barbecue in Texas, street food in New York or a high-end gala dinner in Washington, D.C., Wolfgang Puck Catering doesn’t have a typical menu for meeting planners to peruse. Instead, the company “learns from each and every client what is important to them and their guests, and then creates a menu specifically targeting those needs, preferences and expectations,” says Stephanie Edens, vice president, national sales. For instance, the company recently catered a 3,500-pax event for a tech company that featured Indian and vegan cuisines that appealed to a broad range of tastes and a young audience. The dessert station included Pop Rock peanut butter cookie sticks and a liquid nitrogen station. A more common menu theme is regional cuisine at any of the company’s partner venues across the country. “When groups are looking for a unique experience in their city of choice, the location is often the initial driving factor,” says Edens. “Our venues offer opportunities to enjoy performances, experience world class art and exhibits, and enjoy amazing views. We also often incorporate action stations into our events, which allow the guests to interact directly with our chefs and provide not only entertainment but also an educational experience.” Hosting an event at, say, San Francisco’s historic Fillmore Theater—where music greats Jerry Garcia and Jimi Hendrix played—or Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium—the largest in the world—is sure to impress attendees. And so are the innovative menus that the Wolfgang brand creates. “We follow Wolfgang’s lead and direction in providing the best quality ingredients, simply prepared,” says Edens. “This allows us to have some fun and play with new ideas and techniques, such as molecular gastronomy. But it always remains about flavor and peak-of-season ingredients.” NORTHERN CALIFORNIA In Napa, Executive Chef Jeffrey Jake at Silverado Resort & Spa has been a chef in wine country for years. He is considered one of the area’s foremost experts at pairing local, seasonal ingredients with Napa Valley wines. While the resort has done banquets for as many as 1,000 guests, the seasonal Royal Oak restaurant can host groups up to 18 diners. Groups can choose from area specialties such as oysters, artichokes and abalone. Or at The Grill, with private space for 24 pax, they can expect more home-style offerings such as baby back ribs, country fried chicken and Kobe beef burgers. “We have a farm-to-table buffet and we’ve done wine 22 | prevue magazine 20-34_FOOD_COVER.indd 22 7/3/13 12:16 PM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue July/August 2013

Planner's Pick: New Zealand
Fresh Meets: Autograph Collection
Bureau Buzz: Monterey County
Good Business: South Africa
sea Shores: Small Ship cruising
The Local Kitchen
Special Section: Caribbean
Dominican Republic
On Location: Hilton/LXR, Puerto Rico
On Location: The Broadmoor
The South, Florida & Las Vegas
Singapore
On Location: Starwood Resorts, San Diego
On Location: Travaasa Austin
On Location: Moon Palace Cancun
On Location: IRF Cancun
Check Out: Hard Rock Hotel Punta Cana

Prevue July/August 2013