Meet Jason: The Creative Mind Helping Great Performances Events Come to Life
At any Great Performances event, you’ll find beauty in the details—from thoughtful signage to imaginative food displays and custom design elements that transform spaces into immersive experiences. Behind much of that magic is Jason, a member of GP’s in-house design team. We sat down with him to talk about how his team brings events to life, what craftsmanship means in their work, and why collaboration is everything.
Tell us a bit about the design team—who you are and what you do at Great Performances.
GP’s design team is a group of creative individuals that work to help elevate Great Performances’ food, events, and venues through thoughtful and meaningful visuals. We provide events with a large breadth of brand and printed customization, as well as fun ideas to elevate the look and aesthetic of our food presentation when there isn’t another event designer involved.
How do you approach design for each event? What’s your starting point?
Every event is different, and that’s what makes them so fun! As such, the approach often varies as well. When we get an event brief, the first thing we like to do is have a kick-off meeting to make sure we’re all on the same page and have aligned goals and expectations. From there, we go through an ideation phase and try to define the overall feel and aesthetic behind the event. After the vision and mood boards are aligned, we define the design details and make sure all design elements are sorted and accounted for.
What about challenges? Are there any standout events where your team had to get especially creative?
We solve design challenges by dividing and conquering and playing to our strengths. Not everyone can be great at everything, so knowing who should take the lead on which parts of a project is crucial to our success.
How do you collaborate with the Event Directors, Event Producers, and clients?
We utilize forms to get notified about upcoming events and gather preliminary information. Following the initial “event design order,” we embark on a series of conversations—many in person—to capture continued event planning and changes. I find in-person or phone conversations to be so much more productive. There’s so much information that you can get through voice inflection and gestures that can’t be conveyed in an email.
What’s the creative exchange like with the chefs, floral designers, or venue teams? Can you walk us through a recent collaboration that brought a vision to life?
GrowNYC is a nonprofit providing essential sustainability services and opportunities to make NYC a greener city. At their gala this year, we were asked to build a farmer’s market stand that would display and provide the donated vegetables that guests were invited to take home at the end of the evening. It was beautifully photographed and perfectly conveyed the message and atmosphere we aimed to create: an inviting, plentiful, and authentic farmer’s market experience. What made it especially meaningful was the collaborative effort behind it. We were able to take our client’s idea and the beautiful produce of local farmers to create an abundant display of food that perfectly captured GrowNYC’s mission.
What does craftsmanship mean to you in the context of event design?
Craftsmanship means care, intention, and precision in the details—both big and small. It’s the collaboration of going beyond just making something look good; it’s about creating a thoughtful experience that feels unified and elevated from every angle. From fabricating custom pieces, designing signage, or finding a long enough extension cord—it shows up in the quality of execution and the impact it leaves not only on the client, but on the guests and staff.
How do you balance aesthetics with practicality, especially for large-scale or high-pressure events?
Balancing aesthetics with practicality means understanding limitations and knowing when to say no if something isn’t feasible, while always proposing alternative solutions to meet the vision halfway. At the end of the day, we feed people. Our designs must serve the function of getting food into people’s hands. If a design can’t do that, then it needs to be modified. Design must always serve function and work for the benefit of the food, the event, our chefs, and our guests. For large-scale or high-pressure events, we take time to review every detail, plan, and order extra materials to ensure that the overall experience exceeds everyone’s expectations. By thinking beyond just design and focusing on functionality, along with clear communication and collaboration, we ensure the event is a success.
How important are visuals—like sketches, mockups, or renderings—in your process and in telling the story of the event?
Incorporating visuals is a key component, as they clearly communicate how the result will look while ensuring all elements fit and harmonize within the space. They’re also a valuable tool during planning, making it easier to gather feedback from other teams and refine both the functionality and aesthetic of the overall design.
Do you work closely with the photographer or marketing team to capture your work? What kinds of photos make you proudest?
GP has an excellent internal marketing team that works tirelessly to go to and photograph as many of our events as possible, in addition to making sure those photos are of the highest quality. They make sure we have an online presence that visually tells GP’s story and showcases the incredible and vast catalog of events and venues that all of GP’s teams work so hard to create.
How does your team embody the values of Great Performances—creativity, sustainability, and excellence?
Our team brings events to life with creative, thoughtful ideas that leave a lasting wow factor as we stay up-to-date with current trends and personalization. Sustainability is always on our minds, whether it’s choosing eco-friendly materials, reusing elements from past events, or using our scrap paper as sketching and writing materials. We strive for excellence—always thinking about the details and making sure every piece feels intentional and well-executed. We want the work to feel not just beautiful, but meaningful.
What makes the GP design experience different from what clients might find elsewhere?
Our level of collaboration, creativity, and care we bring to every detail is different from the rest. We design beyond looks—we think about the impact, flow, and functionality. Our team works closely with clients and other departments to understand their vision, then brings it to life in a way that feels thoughtful and specifically curated for them.
What do clients most appreciate about the design team’s contributions to their events?
Our clients know that when they hire GP, they will get great food and great service. People love beautiful things, and I think that our clients really appreciate when we can deliver something that is highly visual, impactful, and interesting on top of what they know they are already going to get when working with Great Performances.
What’s inspiring you and your team these days? Are there any new trends or materials that have caught your attention?
I’m very excited about 3D printing and the world of opportunities that that technology unlocks. In addition, the design industry is making so many huge strides in sustainable materials and how to manufacture them in more responsible ways.
What’s one thing you wish more people understood about what goes into exceptional event design?
We wish more people understood how much thought, teamwork, and time go into event design. It’s more than making things look pretty—we are carefully planning, refining, and collaborating behind the scenes. Food and station designs take a lot of time and attention to detail to make sure they not only taste amazing but also look beautiful, fit the theme, and are functional. Every detail is thought out and intentional.
Is there an upcoming project you’re especially excited about?
We’re really excited about some of our upcoming holiday parties. It’s an annual event for most companies, but this year we’ll be choosing new themes and finding ways to bring fresh energy and creativity. The projects will involve collaboration with many vendors and include lots of interactive features designed to engage guests of all ages, making it a fun and memorable experience for everyone.
Stay tuned to see more of Jason’s work at upcoming events, or follow along on our blog and social media to catch the latest behind-the-scenes stories from the Great Performances team.
Each summer, as Katchkie Farm comes into full bloom, we find ourselves asking the same question: how can we hold on to these fleeting flavors just a little longer?
The Katchkie Pantry is our answer.
It’s a collection of handcrafted condiments—each one made with ingredients grown or foraged with care, and preserved using timeless techniques like drying, confiting, fermenting, infusing, and simmering. These recipes reflect our deep connection to the land, our chefs’ creativity, and our belief that a single jar can carry a season’s worth of intention.
Some of these—like our beloved Katchkie Ketchup and Basil Salt—have been with us for years, gracing our cafés and gifting tables. Others, like Ramp Hot Sauce and Garlic Scape Marinade, are newer additions, born of collaboration and culinary curiosity. And our Bronx BBQ Sauce, adapted from a long-standing GP recipe, is a flavorful tribute to our current home in the Bronx.
We’re thrilled to share these recipes with you, and invite you to make them your own. Whether you’re bottling a sauce for your next gathering, sprinkling basil salt on roasted vegetables, or simply browsing for inspiration, we hope the Katchkie Pantry brings a taste of summer to your table.
🍴 Check out our cookbook:
👉 Cooking with Katchkie
Includes even more recipes that showcase these condiments in action.
Explore the Katchkie Pantry
Every summer, our basil grows in vibrant, fragrant abundance at Katchkie Farm. One of our favorite ways to preserve it is also one of the simplest: Basil Salt. This aromatic blend of dried basil and flaky salt is a finishing touch that transforms everything from eggs and tomatoes to grilled meats and cocktails.
Over the years, we’ve created variations with other herbs—thyme, rosemary, even lemon verbena—and gifted them to guests, clients, and friends. But basil remains our classic. It’s the essence of summer in a pinch, and a beautiful reminder that preservation doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Basil Salt is part of the Katchkie Pantry—a collection of handcrafted condiments made with ingredients grown or foraged with care, and preserved with purpose.
Basil Salt
Yield: Approximately 1.5 oz per batch (3 Tbsp salt + 1 tsp dried basil)
Ingredients
3 Tbsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
Ratio: 90% salt / 10% dried herb by volume. Multiply as needed.
Procedure
- If drying your own basil: bundle fresh basil and hang it upside down in a warm, dry place with good airflow. Once completely dry, crumble the leaves finely.
- Combine 3 parts salt with 1 part dried basil and mix well.
- Store in an airtight container.
Suggestions for Use
Sprinkle over sliced tomatoes, roasted vegetables, popcorn, or avocado toast. Use as a rub for grilled meats, or finish baked goods like shortbread or fruity desserts with a savory twist. Explore more pairings in our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
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Garlic scapes—those vibrant green stalks that curl from the tops of garlic bulbs—are one of early summer’s most unique and flavorful offerings. At Katchkie Farm, we harvest them in abundance for just a short window each year. Their bold, fresh flavor makes them perfect for preserving, and this rich, savory marinade is one of our favorite ways to capture that intensity.
This recipe layers two preparations—Garlic Scape Confit and Smoked Garlic Scape Vinegar—into a deeply flavorful base that adds depth to grilled meats, roasted vegetables, and grain bowls. It’s one of the more complex condiments in the Katchkie Pantry, showcasing how preservation methods like confiting and infusion can turn a short-lived ingredient into something that lasts all season long.
Garlic Scape Marinade
Yield: 2½ cups
Ingredients
2 Tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp salt
Procedure
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Suggestions for Use
Use this marinade on grilled chicken, seared tofu, roasted potatoes, or brushed over mushrooms before roasting. It’s also a great way to dress up a simple grain salad. Find more seasonal ideas in our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
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Smoked Garlic Scape Vinegar is a bold, tangy infusion that captures the complexity of early summer and the warmth of an open flame. Made by charring garlic scapes over wood smoke, then steeping them in white vinegar, this ingredient adds depth and character to dressings, sauces, and marinades—especially our signature Garlic Scape Marinade.
This vinegar is a unique example of how preservation can elevate even the most fleeting ingredients. It’s part of the Katchkie Pantry, our collection of handcrafted condiments that celebrate the season and preserve it with purpose.
Smoked Garlic Scape Vinegar
Yield: 1 gallon
Ingredients
1 lb garlic scapes
1 gallon distilled white vinegar
Supplies
Wood chips for smoking
Charcoal grill & charcoal
Procedure
- Prepare the charcoal and add wood chips to generate smoke.
- Place garlic scapes on the grill and char until fully cooked and infused with smoky flavor.
- Transfer charred scapes to a large airtight container and cover with vinegar, making sure scapes are fully submerged.
- Seal and store in a cool, dark place for 6 months before using.
Suggestions for Use
Use in vinaigrettes, marinades, or anywhere you want to add smoky acidity. Try it in our Garlic Scape Marinade, or discover more seasonal inspiration in our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
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Garlic scapes don’t just bring flavor—they bring presence. This garlic scape confit turns early summer’s most striking ingredient into a velvety, deeply aromatic base that’s perfect for marinades, spreads, dressings, or simply smeared on toast. At Katchkie Farm, we harvest garlic scapes in early summer and use confiting—a slow, low-heat preservation method—to hold on to their flavor well beyond the season.
This confit is also a key ingredient in our Garlic Scape Marinade, part of the Katchkie Pantry—a collection of handcrafted condiments made with care, rooted in tradition, and preserved with purpose.
Garlic Scape Confit
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
2 c fresh garlic scapes, roughly chopped
1 c olive oil
2 bay leaves
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
½ tsp thyme leaves
Procedure
- Place the chopped garlic scapes in an ovenproof baking dish.
- Add all remaining ingredients. Cover tightly with foil or a fitted oven-safe lid.
- Bake at 200°F for 2 hours.
- Let cool, then transfer to a lidded jar or other airtight container.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Suggestions for Use
Blend into marinades or dressings, spoon over roasted vegetables, or mix into softened butter for a garlicky spread. Try it in our Garlic Scape Marinade or explore more ideas in our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
Explore Other Recipes in this Collection
Ramps are among the first wild foods to emerge in spring, and their season is as short as it is celebrated. With a bold, garlicky bite, these wild alliums inspire chefs and foragers alike. While ramps can be cultivated, many are still foraged from the woods—so we always stress the importance of sustainable harvesting to protect these plants for seasons to come.
This fiery Ramp Hot Sauce was developed by Stratos Georgedakis, our in-house hot sauce specialist, whose creations have become some of our most flavorful and sought-after condiments. It’s part of an ongoing collaboration with Liz Neumark, who shares a passion for hot sauce and seasonal preservation. Together, they’ve created a punchy, versatile recipe that captures the spirit of spring in a bottle.
It’s part of the Katchkie Pantry—a collection of handcrafted condiments made with ingredients grown or foraged with care, and preserved with purpose.
GP Ramp Hot Sauce
Yield: 2 quarts
Ingredients
672 g ramps, cleaned and chopped
450 g jalapeño, stem removed and chopped
100 g habanero, stem removed and chopped
34 g salt
650 g distilled white vinegar
Procedure
- Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Suggestions for Use
Add a few drops to eggs, tacos, roasted sweet potatoes, or grilled meats. Try stirring it into aioli or using it as a fiery finish for soups and stews. Find more ways to use it in our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
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This bold, smoky sauce is our love letter to the Bronx—a place that’s welcomed us with open arms and inspired this latest twist on a classic from our kitchens. Adapted from one of our GP kitchen classics, Bronx BBQ Sauce brings together rich tomatoes, molasses, and warming spices in a flavor that feels both familiar and full of character.
While the recipe pays tribute to our current home, its roots go back to our earliest summers at Katchkie Farm, when we began preserving tomatoes at the height of ripeness to use in our cooking year-round. That tradition continues here, in a sauce that bridges seasons and stories.
GP Bronx BBQ Sauce is part of the Katchkie Pantry—a collection of handcrafted condiments made with care, rooted in tradition, and preserved with purpose.
GP Bronx BBQ Sauce
Yield: 1.5 Gallons
Ingredients
1150 g sugar
2400 g red wine vinegar
397 g tomato paste
3000 g canned tomatoes
400 g dijon mustard
75 g liquid smoke
18 g ground cumin
25 g smoked paprika
8 g red chili flakes
15 g cayenne
75 g garlic powder
75 g onion powder
250 g molasses
25 g salt
Procedure
- Add all ingredients to a large saucepan or stockpot and stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a slow simmer.
- Cook uncovered for 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and cover until cool.
- Refrigerate in a sealed jar or container.
Suggestions for Use
GP Bronx BBQ Sauce is delicious on grilled chicken, pulled pork, roasted veggies, or BBQ tofu. It’s also delicious swirled into baked beans or brushed over cauliflower steaks. For more inspiration, check out our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
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We’ve grown a lot of tomatoes at Katchkie Farm over the years—and we’re not exaggerating when we say they’re some of the best around. They’ve starred in our eponymous Katchkie Tomato Soup, been transformed into a wood-fired pizza sauce by pizzaiolo Rafi Bildner during a memorable farm pop-up, and—perhaps most enduringly—found their way into this rich, tangy, farm-fresh ketchup.
Katchkie Ketchup has been a beloved staple at our cafés and events for years, and now you can make it at home. It’s part of the Katchkie Pantry—a handcrafted summer collection made with ingredients grown or foraged with care, and preserved with purpose to celebrate the bounty of the farm.
Katchkie Ketchup
Yield: 1 Quart
Ingredients
2 ¼ c tomato paste
¾ c honey
1 ½ c white vinegar
¾ c water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 ¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp onion powder
⅜ tsp garlic powder
Procedure
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often.
- Remove from heat and cover until cool.
- Refrigerate in a sealed jar or container.
Suggestions for Use
Katchkie Ketchup is the perfect condiment for your meal (try it with our Veggie Burgers), fries, hot dogs, or chicken tenders; as an ingredient in meatloaf or baked beans; or in a sauce like our cocktail sauce or 1000-Island dressing from our Cooking with Katchkie cookbook!
Explore Other Recipes in this Collection
We’ve partnered with Pier 36 (Basketball City) to cater some truly unforgettable events—and we’re just getting started. If you’re looking for a bold, flexible, and spacious NYC event venue with serious wow factor, this waterfront event space delivers on every level.
Located at Pier 36 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the venue offers over 70,000 square feet of raw, versatile space. Originally known as a state-of-the-art basketball facility, it’s now one of New York City’s most in-demand venues for corporate events, galas, brand activations, fashion shows, concerts, and more.
With seven regulation courts, high ceilings, and stunning East River views, it’s a venue that can transform from a tournament space to a candlelit dinner to a full-scale product launch—all in a single day.
We love working here because it allows for limitless creativity. The space is a true blank canvas: ideal for large-scale events in NYC, yet intimate enough for experiences that feel personal and customized. The venue team is collaborative, the logistics are seamless (yes, there’s on-site parking!), and the backdrop—iconic NYC bridges and waterfront views—is unmatched.
Built for Impact, Rooted in Community
Beyond its flexibility and scale, Pier 36 has a strong foundation in community engagement, hosting NBA events, youth clinics, and nonprofit galas that give back. It’s a venue that doesn’t just host events—it creates lasting impact.
If you’re ready to plan your next event at one of the most exciting event venues in New York City, let’s talk. From elegant seated dinners to high-energy basketball tournaments, Great Performances will help you bring your vision to life at Pier 36 (Basketball City).