Food & Beverage

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COLORADO CONVENTION CENTER, DENVER denverconvention.com At the Colorado Convention Center (CCC), food and beverage isn’t just about what tastes good — rather, it reflects a commitment to the environ- ment and the local community. “I have always felt Denver was ahead of its time in environmental issues,” said Debbie Richardt, CMP, who held her annual meeting at CCC in 2011 when she worked for the American Thoracic Society. “This is [an] area that makes them stand out and be recognized by meeting planners that take these issues seriously.” CCC’s hospitality partner Centerplate started the Blue Bear Farm, a 5,000-square-foot urban farm that supplies the center’s kitchen with fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey. “They are setting a good example of providing healthy foods and helping the environment at the same time,”

Richardt said, “and at no additional cost to the meeting planner.”

FOUR SEASONS RESORT CHIANG MAI, THAILAND fourseasons.com/chiangmai For an Amway Japan group that held an incentive program for 300 people in 2012, the Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

— which specializes in themed events for groups — rolled out an impressive gala dinner. The theme was “Full Moon Party: Gazing Up at the Sky,” and guests enjoyed a five-course, Italian-fusion dinner, including an exclusive dessert created for the group called “Otsukimi Fantasy” — a reference to a Japanese festival that honors the autumn moon. “The chef made an Oriental mango des- sert with rice cake and a chocolate rabbit on the plate,” said Takami Yoshida, who is with Amway Japan’s company events group. “All factors combined and made a fantastic night!”

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AUGUST 2013 PCMA CONVENE

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