Posts from — March 2009

Hi,  this one is worth a hit of the bullshit buzzer – their lunch prices average $56 INCLUSIVE – INCLUSIVE and you are telling me I can only have it out for 1 hour and each additional hour is $12.00 per person ++.  BULLSHIT!

Dear Claire,
I apologize for not getting in touch with you sooner to tell you you are a JEWEL! The whole group loved the event at Home and i give all the credit to you. I have not forgotten about the t-shirts for Chet Huntley, Chef Mel Toledo and Aaron Russel – I will send them first think next week.
BIG HUG and many thanks again.

Tania Machado
Event Manager / Strategic Events / The Coca-Cola Company

I am doing an event in New Mexico.  Who here knows anything about New Mexico??? anyone? anyone?.  Knowing this I decided to design the opening dinner AROUND the history of New Mexico.  We are doing the cover of the menu with statistics of New Mexico and then inside we are telling the history of New Mexico and every other paragraph have a dish reflecting that bit of history.  I think the guests will find this interesting as we are taking them a culinary history of a state that none are too familiar with.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

I decided to add a new segment to my blog called “Things we hate” andThis one gets a 10 on the things we hate scale as it is SO NOT CUSTOMER ORIENTED.

Thank you.

Hi. One of my biggest pet peeves is that fact that most companies (including hotels) do NOT put fax numbers on event orders…..why is that?

Just when I said I wasn’t going to ask the question to where Liberty got her name – a phone conversation with her assistant Heather lead to just that.  A lovely email from the “Lady” herself. I made YET ANOTHER CHANGE and called Heather to answer some questions.  I told her to please let Liberty know how much I enjoyed dealing with her as she is very thorough and you rarely see that in off premise catering companies.  That in my last news letter I talked about how “loose” off prem caterers work and this is what adds to an event not being successful.  She gave Liberty the message and Liberty went onto my blog to check out what I wrote and saw my note from the day before.  With that being said she very generously wrote me the story of her name. It is really very funny.

Yes, Liberty is my birth given name and there is not some crazy insanely exciting story behind it! basically my mom was watching a movie and was in labor but was dying to see the end and at the end of the movie the guy said to the kid “So what’s your name anyway Kid?” she replied in a very sassy tone “ Liberty”. Mom said that she went to the hospital and now knew what her new baby would be named

The above is Liberty’s story for now and she is sticking to it.

I am doing a small gig in California next Monday night and am working a lady who owns the catering company and her name is Liberty. The name of her company is Lady Liberty Catering. I am on a shoestring budget and I have to say for the most part she has been patient with me and we are working together to “make it work” per se. What I have made a conscientious decision NOT to do is ask the obvious – which would be the origin of her name. I came to the decision that some things are better left unspoken.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

Folks,

Now more than ever it is important to read every fine line of all your contracts and BEO’s.  Because hotels are not making their numbers they are taking it out on the people whoh are giving them business.  For example  I have had a hotel totally change my menu requests because “it didn’t fit into their schedule” .  Marriott is charging service charge on a meeting room rental which is the biggest bunch of bullshit I have ever seen.  What are they it is a rental you shouldn’t be charging more service charge on a rental.  I am seeing it all over the place as we are starting off the year so please folks don’t get caught in a bind.  Remind the hotels that we who are giving you business should not be the ones penalized.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.

Claire

I am working with a client who designed an event thinking that lighting is going to be out of her budget. So she did the correct thing and went with nicer linens and centers and she will use the hotel’s existing outdoor lighting for the event.

 WEEELLLLL  – Surprise – the lighting house came back and to my client with a proposal that can bo doable.  She sent me everything to get my thoughts.  This is what I had to say.  Either give the lighting company a picture of the linen choices as they do have some print on them to make sure their design and gel colors blend with what she is doing OR – go with a simpler lighter (to absore the light) linen.  Just make sure that these 2 pieces are coordinated so the event doesn’t look like it has 2 separate statements.

That is my story for now and I am sticking to it.