|
|
A Message from the GM
Growing up
in a traditional southern household, the importance of giving back was
instilled in me at an early age. "Each One, Teach One," is a theme that was
repeated at many stages of my youth and adolescence.
I consider
myself fortunate to have worked in the entertainment and event industry for almost
20 years, in different parts of the country. During that time, I've always
tried to find ways be a positive and contributing member of the communities
where I lived and worked. For me, it is that mantra of "Each One, Teach One"
that guides the focus of my energies. For that reason, over the years I've involved
myself with groups such as Big Brothers Big Sister, Junior Achievement, the Boys
& Girls Club, as well as other informal
programs such as simply volunteering to read to elementary school kids in at
risk communities.
At the Lynnwood Convention Center, and with the support
and encouragement from SMG and the Lynnwood PFD, we have taken steps to create formal
community outreach programs. These programs are designed to ensure that not
only are we providing a positive economic impact to the community, but that we
are providing a positive societal impact as well. Our first step is the
development of a mentorship program with Mountlake Terrace High
School. We have dedicated a portion of this
newsletter to that program, so I won't go into detail here.
But what I would
like to do is to highlight two of the many convention center staff members who
have found causes that are important to them, and who regularly volunteer their
time.
Danielle Selvidge, one of our event managers, is a
volunteer with the Childhood Cancer Care Line. This group is focused on
supporting child cancer patients and their parents as they go through such
traumatic life experiences. She has been an active volunteer with this group
for 5 months. "You can't really find a better cause than helping children with
cancer and their families," says Danielle.
 Cassandra
Colony, our resident jack of all trades, has been a volunteer with the Mukilteo Presbyterian Church Food
Bank for over 7 years. The mission of this group is simply to
feed as many families as they can, and they have been doing this for over 25
years. "Volunteering is rewarding in the fact that you know you are helping
families in need, and you get to see a look of hope on their face when they
come through," Cassandra says. "My grandmother actually got me started. But as
time went on, knowing that I was making a difference became its own motivation,
and its own reward."
There are many other staff members who give of their time
and energy to help those who are less fortunate. And I salute them all.
So, as we
all plan our summer vacations, I encourage you to try and find some time to
give back... in any way that you feel appropriate. I promise it will be worth the
time.
|
Event Spotlight
Sample South County
April 29, 2009
 The 1st Annual "Sample South
County" was a big hit! 200 people from every corner of the Puget Sound gathered to sample a wide variety of culinary
offerings from 13 local restaurants, wineries and breweries. Whether it was
Billy McHale's signature seafood chowder, the tiramisu from Buca di Beppo, or
The Keg's baked crostini, there was something for everyone to enjoy!
 "For a first-time event, the evening was an
outstanding success. Not only was the food superb, the warming ambiance and
added talent of the Scott Lindenmuth Group created a memorable atmosphere for
everyone that attended," said Chelsea Looney, Events and Communications Manager
for the South Snohomish County Chamber of Commerce. "We're looking forward to
the growth of Sample
South County
in the coming years, and think it has a lot of potential for local restaurant
owners and the broader community."
"Sample
South County"
is the brainchild of the South Snohomish Chamber of Commerce. Its purpose is to
support and showcase the outstanding local restaurants, wineries and breweries
located in South Snohomish County.
 Participants Included:
· Scott's Bar and
Grill
· Wine 101
· Boston's
Pizza
· Red Hook
Brewery
· Buca di
Beppo
· Sparta's
· Billy McHale's
· The Keg
· Scott's bar and
Grill
· Rose Hill
Chocolates
· Echo Falls
Catering
· Jersey
Mike's
· Lynnwood Convention
Center
|
Community Outreach: Stage One ... the Food!
As part of a
new community outreach initiative, SMG and the Lynnwood
Convention Center are pleased to
announce the development of a culinary mentorship program with Mount Lake
Terrace High
School.
The result of mutual interests from Mount Lake Terrace High School
teacher, Patti Webber, and SMG's Executive Chef at the Lynnwood Convention
Center, Michael Felsenstein, the program was developed with the objective of
providing the school's culinary students an opportunity to get an up close and
personal view of life as a hospitality culinary professional.
 The
program's spring activities included a field trip by the students to the
convention center. While there, they were able to witness the hustle and bustle
of a busy event facility. During the back of house portion of the field trip,
they observed the kitchen staff preparing meals for that day's events. The field
trip concluded with a Q&A session with the Chef Michael and SMG's Catering Operations Manager, Naomi
Carrier. They had lots of questions. And Michael and Naomi
were only too happy to provide the students with lots of words of wisdom.
For the second
component of the program's spring activities, Chef Michael and Naomi visited
the high school to talk to the students about the variety of services provided
by the Lynnwood Convention Center catering staff and the
types of culinary opportunities that are available in the hospitality industry
in general. Afterwards, the class split into groups and worked side by side
with both Chef Michael and Naomi to create dishes from the convention center's Summer Fresh Menu.
"It is very rewarding to be able to reach out to students at this
age," says Chef Michael. "I love to share my experiences in the
culinary world and to be able to inspire them to find their own way in the food
and beverage industry."
"Optimally,
we want to grow the culinary mentorship program to include more high school and
college students," says Kelvin D. Moore, CMP, SMG's general manager at the Lynnwood Convention Center. "We are working towards developing formal
internship opportunities in our facility that will provide real world
experience to students."
Since the
programs initiation, Chef Michael and Naomi have participated in local events
and have reached out to other schools with the goal of growing the program.
"It's all part of being good citizens, good neighbors, and giving back," says
Naomi. "What's not to love?"
|
New Man on Campus...
SMG is
proud to announce the addition of Will Christison to the management team at the
Lynnwood Convention Center as Director of Operations
& Event Services.
Having served in various capacities with Chrysalis Events, the Seattle Mariners
and the NW Yacht Brokers Association (Seattle Boat Show), Will brings over 7
years of quality industry experience to Lynnwood.
"In addition to his background in event management, AV production and food
& beverage, Will brings a unique perspective to the job, having worn the
hats of both the venue and the event planner," said Kelvin D. Moore, CMP,
SMG's general manager for the Lynnwood Convention Center. "The most
important thing that he brings to our team is a focus on delivering outstanding
customer experiences."
Welcome to
the Team, Will!!!
|
Recipe by Chef Michael
Summer time is the perfect time to share good times and good food with friends. I hope this recipe will help to add some zest to your outdoor summer get togethers!
Michael's World Famous Barbecue Sauce
Onions, ¼ "dice 1.5
lbs
Garlic, minced 1/4 cup
Ketchup 3 cups
Molasses 3/4 cup
Apple cider vinegar 1/4
cup
Soy sauce 2 Tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce 1Tablespoon
Tabasco
sauce 2 Teaspoon
Brown sugar 3 tablespoon
Chili powder, ancho 2 Teaspoon
Chili powder, Pasilla 2 Teaspoon
Cayenne
pepper 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger, ground 1 Teaspoon
Allspice, ground 1/4Teaspoon
Bayleaf 1 each
Salt and pepper to taste
Water 1
cup
Cornstarch 1 cup
Sweet onions, garlic and spices together about 10 minutes.
Deglaze with cider vinegar and reduce for 5 minutes over low heat. Add all remaining ingredients except for salt, pepper, cornstarch and water. Bring to a
boil and turn down to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Make slurry
with the cornstarch and water and whisk into the sauce. Bring back to a boil
and turn down to medium high heat for 7- 10 minutes or until sauce is properly
thickened and cornstarch is cooked out. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
|
Tips for Planning an Auction from the:
START EARLY: Early
planning leads to smooth auction events.
Contact your venue, volunteers, auctioneer, and outside vendors as soon
as you can to begin planning and secure the date.
THEME: A successful auction will revolve around a
central theme. Determining your theme early on will make the rest of the
planning process much, much easier.
CREATE AMBIANCE: Specialty linens,
enhanced lighting and creative décor can transform any venue to meet your
specific theme. Creating the right ambiance can lead to lots of happy
guests and a flurry of generous bids.
DETAILS: Don't be afraid to give too much information
to your venue and vendors. The more information you can provide, the
better your vendors will be able to assist you.
TIME MANAGEMENT:
Make sure to build extra time into your event day set up schedule.
Completing your set up early is much more fun that scrambling at the last
minute.
THE AUCTIONEER: Remember the
auctioneer is working for you. Find one that fits well with your
organization and will enhance your event. A good auctioneer will get your guest
involved at the beginning of the auction with an interactive wake up exercise
and will keep the evening fun, lively and on time.
AUCTION ITEMS:
Auction off specialty items that fit the theme of your event.
DOUBLE DOWN:
Let your auctioneer know if there are items he or she can double on the
fly. That way, if there are competing bidders for a single item, the
auctioneer can get twice the proceeds by awarding the item to both of the
bidders at the end of their bidding war.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR
GUESTS: Be creative with solutions to challenges
such as long lines at check out. For example, obtain your guests, payment
method at registration and run the card after the event so they don't have to
wait in line after the auction... Or... have a VIP check out for your big contributors
... Or... give out "move to the front of the checkout line" as a bonus
with certain live auction items.
LET US HELP YOU:
Don't hesitate to ask questions. We are in the business of producing
memorable experiences through event production. So we've been there and done
that a few times. Let us use our experience and expertise to help you make your
auction the best it can be.
RELAX & HAVE FUN:
At the end of the day, auctions should be about raising money for worthy
causes, and having fun I the process. So make sure you allow yourself to relax
and have a little fun as well.
|
Thank You!
 The Lynnwood
Convention Center would
like to bid a fond farewell to Nichole Brown, the facility's Director of the
Office of First Impressions. Nichole has done an outstanding job for the
facility and its guests. Always greeting every guest with a big bright smile
and warm "Welcome," Nichole has indeed made quite an impact on the convention
center. She also has been instrumental in the development of our new marketing
and public relations efforts, providing all of the creative and design work for
this very newsletter and countless other pieces of marketing collateral.
In July,
Nichole and her husband, Mark, will be moving to Ames, Iowa
where Mark will pursue his PHD in Biological and Chemical Engineering. Yes, he
is THAT smart. Nichole's last day is July 2, 2009.
Nichole,
thank you for all you've done. We will all miss you!
 We would also like to bid a belated farewell to
Mohnie Mangat, our former Director of Operations & Event Services. Mohnie
was part of the original Lynnwood
Convention Center team,
and was instrumental in developing and implementing most of the facility's
original systems. Mohnie and his family have relocated to Houston,
Texas and where he has joined the SMG Houston management team at Reliant
Park as the Director of
Maintenance.
Thank you,
Mohnie for all of the work you put into this facility. The SMG team in Houston is lucky to have
you.
We wish you and your family continued success. We know you will do a great
job!
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
Pacific NW Mouse
MeetAugust 15
Ricki Tims Quilt
SeminarAugust 20-22
American Contract
Bridge TournamentAugust 24-30
NW Bead
ShowSept 11-13
Brides Club Wedding
ExpoSept 26-27Brides Club Website |
What Our Clients Are Saying About Us
"Your staff was very accommodating
with last minute changes and being so flexible - thank
you"!
- Debra French
Washington State
Dairy Council
-----
"We love the service we've always
received in using the Convention Center"!
-Tonya Malvestuto
Edward Jones
Investments
-----
"Outstanding service and a great
venue - thank you very much"!
-Joe Blumenzweig
Food Services
of America
-----
"I appreciate your ability to work
with both my corporate meeting planner at Kroger and myself locally. The
flexibility is very important to QFC".
- Erik Hovey
The Kroger
Company
|
It's Good to be Green
To add to the Convention Center's extensive recycling program already in place, the center now uses biodegradable cups for all of its water bubblers that are located inside the event rooms.
|
|
