TOP TEAM BUILDING EVENTS AND LOCATIONS
By Great Performances
Part of any smart human resources and executive team’s plan should include team building activities. Team building encourages collaboration, improves communication, builds trust, increases motivation, and heightens morale. Activities include anything from holiday parties, team outings, workshops, and, a growing trend, volunteer days.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite venues and activities for team building that provide a wide variety of events and activities for your teams. Need help finding a venue or planning an event? One of our event planners can help you out (P.S. these are also great for client engagement, welcoming summer associates, or new team member orientation).
Top 12 Team Building Activities
The Situation Room at SPYSCAPE HQ
CityPickle at Wollman Rink
Volunteer Projects with GrowNYC
Exhibit tour at Brooklyn Museum followed by a meal at The Norm
SummerStage Concerts this summer in Central Park
Interactive Experiences at Poster House
A peaceful Retreat at Wave Hill
Amateur Night at Apollo Theater
Bronx Zoo Treetop Adventure
Glamping on Governor’s Island
Rooftop Happy Hour at New York Aquarium
Visit Little Island and then have lunch at Pier 57 featuring the Good to Go kiosk by James Beard Foundation
Our event planners are experts at planning all sorts of events – including team building activities that can fit all group sizes and types. From outdoor sporting events to indoor exhibit tours and everything in between, we can plan an event for your team!
Favorite Venues for Team Building
Wollman Rink
CityPickle is bringing the country’s fastest growing sport to Wollman Rink in Central Park! The rink will house 14 courts – the largest pickleball offering in the Northeast – with 196 hours of pickleball daily. The perfect outdoor casual sport for your group. Refreshments packages are also available for order, catered directly to your group on the court.
Brooklyn Museum & The Norm
From a modern glass and steel pavilion to the grandeur of the Beaux-Arts Court, the Brooklyn Museum has a space to fit your event.
The Brooklyn Museum offers a variety of Special Events perfect for teambuilding including: Pints & Prints, Outdoor Yoga on the Stoop, and Art History Hour in The Norm.
Your group could always take a guided tour of the latest exhibits and end with a delicious lunch at The Norm.
SummerStage at Central Park
This summer marks our third year as the food and beverage partner for Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage located in Central Park. With an amazing line up of performances, it’s a great place to enjoy the best of NYC summer.
Wave Hill
Conveniently located 30 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, Wave Hill’s renowned gardens and spectacular views of the Hudson River provide the perfect setting for team-building retreats, off-site conferences, meetings, and corporate events. Wave Hill House, our historic Hudson River mansion, fully engages your attendees’ senses by “bringing the outside in.”
Regular programming also includes Cooking Demos, Forest Bathing, Yoga on the Lawn, and Concerts on the Great Lawn.
Poster House
An extraordinary venue for design connoisseurs, culture mavens, and everyone who enjoys having fun, Poster House is a hidden gem nestled between the art galleries of Chelsea and the dynamic NoMad and Flatiron districts. The award-winning space offers meeting areas, workshop space, and a conference room, with posters providing color, fun, and inspiration for your team gatherings.
Poster House offers variety of Guided Tours, Interactive Experiences, and – for a more budget-friendly option – First Fridays!
Brooklyn Academy of Music
The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), located in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood, is recognized internationally for its innovative programming of dance, music, theater, musical theater, and opera. Founded in 1861, it is America’s oldest continuously operating performing arts center, and it still recognized worldwide for its bold, contemporary productions and its celebration of international musicians, choreographers, and theater companies.
Group Tickets are available for most seasonal productions. For a more intimate experience, BAMcafe hosts BAMcafe Live every month, featuring free music by artists from around the world.
Caramoor
This 90-acre historic estate in Katonah, NY is home to one of the area’s largest music festivals and one of our top wedding venues, a testament to its beauty. With space for everyone to spread out and enjoy field activities, Caramoor also has intriguing spaces, a reception tent, and areas for formal and informal dining.
In addition to their famous Concerts on the Lawn, Caramoor also offers Afternoon Tea sessions throughout the Spring & Summer.
Apollo Theater
Established in 1934, the legendary Harlem theater has housed some of music’s most talented performers in the world.
Designated a national landmark, the Apollo has launched the careers of icons such as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Lauryn Hill and continues to maintain its position as the nation’s most popular arena for emerging and established African-American and Latino performers.
Their famous Amateur Nights provide a great outting. They also offer Educational Programming and Workshops for adults.
Central Park Zoo
This tranquil oasis has become one of our favorite spaces. Whether sipping cocktails as our sea lions glide gracefully through the water or strolling through the lush gardens taking in the elegant architecture, your guests will experience an exotic environment set against a classic New York City backdrop.
Governors Island
Easily accessible to NYC via ferry, Governors Island is the perfect spot for an outdoor or indoor team building event. With plenty of outdoor space that can accommodate large event with tents, stages, and more; and indoor space that’s perfect for retreats, workshops, and meetings, there’s a solution for everyone. Governors Island also is home to QC NY Spa, a destination day spa, and Collective Retreats for a luxury glamping experience.
Ready to start planning? Complete the form below and one of our expert event planners will be in touch shortly!
#BLACKVISIONARIES AT THE BROOKLYN MUSEUM
Celebrating the launch of the 2022 #BlackVisionaries program with Instagram and The Brooklyn Museum
By Great Performances
For the third year in a row, Instagram is partnering with the Brooklyn Museum and the curator Antwaun Sargent to invest in emerging creative communities. Building on the 2021 #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program, the 2022 program aims to uplift, center and invest in Black voices and organizations working across both art and design.
Instagram, Antwaun and the Brooklyn Museum believe that impactful ideas happen at the intersection of art and design. This year, with the support of Meta Open Arts, they are opening up their grants to visual artists, as well. The new name, #BlackVisionaries, reflects this expansion. #BlackVisionaries aims to deepen the impact of the grant program, which means expanding access to more Black creative communities. For more information about the #BlackVisionaries program visit this link.
Our team recently had the pleasure of hosting a luncheon party at the Brooklyn Museum to share the announcement of the program with emerging artists and designers. We loved the footage so much that we wanted to share it with you.
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WORKPLACE AND CORPORATE DINING FOOD TRENDS: WHAT EMPLOYEES WANT
By Great Performances
We work across dozens of organizations in the New York area providing food and dining solutions that range from catered events (e.g., breakfasts, lunches, board meetings, cocktail receptions) to creating full-service office dining solutions to keep teams nourished from breakfast through happy hour.
More than that just providing food, we’ve developed a robust amenities program to keep our clients and guests engaged and excited. Gone are the days of the “school lunch” style of food programming with the same set of meals rotated endlessly, regardless of season.
Alongside carefully thought out stations, our amenities include Pop!, events and activations that create special moments throughout the space and the day; Food Festivals, our monthly celebrations of seasonal, local produce; People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program; Embrace: Wellness, our wellness program focusing on food and health; and Katchkie Farm, our NOFA-certified organic farm in upstate New York, a source of inspiration and ingredients for our chefs and provider of our Workplace CSA program.
No solution that we implement is alike, but there are common themes we’re hearing from our clients and our guest through surveys, general feedback, and meetings.
Variety
Our guests have diverse palates and they actively seek out new flavors, dishes, and cuisines. They not interested in the standard “school lunch” style of food service; instead, they’re looking for delicious variety and excitement. From Bowling Greens, our salad station which features seasonal produce, including from Katchkie Farm, our organic farm in upstate New York, to People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program, we bring a wide variety of flavors to our diners.
Our experiences over four decades have also informed our development of the right menu selections for the appropriate group of guests. We set trends and follow them. We are attuned to the range of preferences within a population at a single company or at an event.
Comfort
Like our great city, each body of guests within our workplace partnerships contains a vast number of cultures, tastes, and preferences. Commonly requested cuisines can range from Mexican and Italian to Indian and Kosher, with many of the requested foods being described as “comfort food”. And while that term may not point to the same cuisine for everyone, it drives home a very important point: guests want to be comforted by the food they are served during lunch.
Classic comfort dishes rotate throughout our menus and include standards like Chicken Parmesan and Butter Chicken Curry, and more modern interpretations including Korean Fried Chicken Sandwiches and Eggplant Chermoula.
Guest Chefs
We live and work in a culturally diverse city. Our guests want flavors that represent their backgrounds and cultures and they’re looking for ways to travel to different places through food. And so we’ve developed People’s Kitchen, our guest chef program.
Originally a way to support local businesses and bring new flavors into our spaces, People’s Kitchen, led by Georgette Farkas, our culinary ambassador, has evolved into a comprehensive program through which we partner with chefs and restaurants across the greater New York City area. We feature several each month, sharing not just their food, but their story, background, and restaurant. Through this program we’ve been able to support local restaurants like Thaimee Love, Madame Vo, Hudson Smokehouse BBQ, Mimi Cheng’s, Awadh, Tanoreen, and so many others.
Excitement
An element of fun and excitement were also among our guests’ requests. We’re all familiar with water cooler conversation; imagine how much more buzz and conversation there will be with a more fun central gathering point. With Pop!, we create unique “pop up” experiences designed to give our guests an exciting opportunity to interact with their food. These include chef-manned stations where we offer made-to-order items like omelets or smoothies in the morning; tacos for Taco Tuesday; or even customized popcorn in the afternoon. We also partner with vendors to bring in fresh specialty items like churros by La NewYorkina; custom bubble teas by Yaya Tea; and cotton candy by fluff + fluff. We’ve even built custom candy “shops” and DIY trail mix stations. The possibilities are endless and create a lot of buzz in the office, giving everyone a chance to participate and connect.
Wellness
Guests are becoming increasingly conscious of the foods they put into their bodies. They’re looking for meals that fit within their nutrition preferences and requirements while maintaining the deliciousness for which Great Performances is known.
We created Embrace Wellness, our health and wellness program led by registered dietician nutritionist Emilia Sochovka, MS, RDN, CPT. Working with our workplace venues and our culinary team, Emilia helps ensure that the menu-writing process includes healthy, well-thought dishes designed to nourish our bodies so that our guests can feel healthy, happy, and energized. She also shares content, leads pop ups, and creates recipes for guests to enjoy.
Nourish Employee Engagement
Learn more about Workplace Dining Solutions by Great Performances
LOVE NOTES FROM OUR CLIENTS
By Liz Neumark
We have a passion for serving others. There is nothing predictable (think weather), simple (think complex pre-event emotions) or easy (have you driven a truck in NYC?) for our sales and planning teams. But every day, they get it right!
With thanksgiving in mind, we want to share some of the wonderful notes we receive from our clients. It is a tribute to our GP family but also a reminder of how powerful the written note of thanks can be.
Wedding, Wave Hill, The Bronx, NY
About the Event
- Event: Wedding
- Location: Wave Hill
- GP Planners: Amanda DiUglio, Emily Schreiber
From the Client
Amanda!!! We can’t thank you enough for everything you and the GP team did to make our wedding so perfect on Saturday.
Like…REALLY can’t thank you enough.
At our brunch yesterday morning, the GP food and service was the talk of the town! Everyone was raving about everything they ate (cookie pizza obviously included!!!) and made special note of how amazing the service was and how wonderful the staff was. One of our friends said it was the safest and most “back to normal” she’s felt in 2 years. She said they’d turned down numerous events over the last few months but felt confident we’d have a plan in place for making everyone feel good. She said your team went above and beyond her expectations.
Did I mention people loved the food???? 😂😍 Literally everyone was raving about everything from the fritters and the taco station to the pretzel bread/baguette (um yes! I love pretzels and didn’t know this was gonna be a thing!) to the steak to the incredible perfectly melted-ness but not too melted of the ice cream. (This is an excellent thing, I say that as an ice cream connoisseur.) People were like, “Wait isn’t wedding food supposed to be like..not good??” At our wedding, it was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We really just are amazed at how incredible everything was. The room was electric and people were so happy and we know it’s because they felt SAFE and happy and fittingly full!
We really are just wowed. I want to also give a HUGE shoutout to Tasha who was cool as a cucumber and a wonderful human being. I didn’t realize the GP bridal attendant would be so key to our day (I mean, delivering Diet Cokes is obviously key to the day…but I didn’t realize she would be with me the whole night!!), and I believe it’s a HUGELY marketable part of the GP package. Grateful to Tasha for carrying my chapstick (critical!), helping me with my Saks-disaster of a bustle and sourcing granulated sugar when I got the hiccups! (It DID work, for what it’s worth!)
If I can be a reference for you guys or a website testimony or anything moving forward, I would be ecstatic to be. I’m on a list of 500 women in media/tech/entertainment and plan to send around your email and the GP info when I do a write up of how amazing my wedding vendors were.
Wedding, Glenmere Mansion, Hudson Valley, New York
About the Event
- Event: Wedding
- Location: Glenmere Mansion
- GP Planners: Amanda DiUglio, Emily Schreiber
From the Client
You beat me to it!
Our experience with Great Performances under your leadership was impeccably professional and delightful from start to finish.
GP was the shining light among vendors amidst the roller coaster trajectory of the pandemic.
The quality of your food, service and presentation, second to none.
[We] are grateful to you for helping to make our daughter and son-in-law’s celebration at Glenmere so delicious, beautiful and memorable.
You haven’t seen the last of us!
Conference, The Glasshouse, Manhattan, New York
About the Event
- Event: Technology Conference
- Location: The Glasshouse
- GP Planners: Jill Cole, Sara VanWeichen
From the Client
Thank you to you, Forrest, Ken and the rest of the GP staff for all of your help and support leading up to and during the event.
I’m not sure how the event would have turned out if you weren’t one of our partners as we took on the Glasshouse as a venue. You helped us navigate so much from what you shared and who knows how much more was done behind the scenes. It’s so comforting to know that catering is something you never have to worry about when we do our events with you.
The food and service was top notch as always. Gotta love it when your CEO tells you he gets so many compliments on the food and how we always have the best food at our events.
Again, thank you. I absolutely love working with you all and I hope you pass this along to your bosses! Or if I should share it directly, let me know. I know the past 1.75 years haven’t been the easiest in your industry, but I’m so glad you are all still here.
Good luck with your upcoming weddings!
From the Planner
It has been an absolute pleasure to work together on the [event] this week and throughout the planning process. Your immaculate attention to detail, your poise under pressure, and your creative collaboration are qualities we respect and appreciate so much. Thank you for your time, your heart, and for the laughs along the way (we had to laugh sometimes, didn’t we??).
[…]
Again, from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU! Best of luck with your busy wedding weekend (and to your GP team catering another [one of our events] this evening!). We can’t wait to see more of you and your work very soon.
Nonprofit Gala, Brooklyn, New York
About the Event
- Event: Nonprofit Gala
- Location: Brooklyn, NY
- GP Planners: Jill Cole, Sara VanWeichen
From the Client
Thank you so much for following up – I am still pretty comatose right now, but there is pretty much one thing that I’m happy to reflect on, and that is the greatness of Great Performances.
Everything last week was perfect. We got SO many comments from guests about how good the food was, and how much of it there was… we were never ever concerned about the transition from seated dinner to cocktail and whether people would be full… it was obvious that they were! I also must commend you on the incredible work ethic of your team. Your staff is really astonishing, from the top on down. I remarked to Forrest at some point (and then later Susan) that what your staff really embodies is “hustle” – that’s what you want to see of every single person at an event, and there is not one person on your team who is without purpose, focus, and speed. It’s something that other vendors and event managers should envy. And you know, truly, that I adore Mack and was ecstatic to have him there. He is such a special, hard working person, and I feel lucky to get to work with him, Forrest, and you two.
So long short, everyone was very happy. Thank you so much again for everything!!!
It was one of those beautiful NYC days. You know the kind of day that gently falls in a very small window between the extreme seasons of hot and cold. The sun was out, the air was right, and I was crossing a strangely barren Sheep’s Meadow in Central Park en route to an actual gathering.
On a day like this, Sheep’s Meadow would typically be host to an obstacle course of city residents sunning, of nannies minding children, and of occasional lovebirds stealing not so private kisses. Today there was none of that; the field was nearly empty. And across the expanse of the field (I had mistakenly entered from the wrong side), was an oasis of white round circles, 20 or so, polka-dotted against a vividly green lawn and nestled under the trees.
As I made my way to the perfectly spaced blankets, each anchored with gift bags featuring the names of the participating hotels and hospitality groups and filled with swag, a few of the attendees started to come into view.
I heard the gentle bop of the lone singer and her back up guitarist, both bedecked in 1930s swing garb.
Continuing the 1930s theme, I was greeted with delicious (park) contraband of the bubbly sort — a chilled mini-can bearing the name of an auteur’s daughter, I peered at half-masked faces, trying to decipher identities and find any sort of familiarity.
I quickly realized that this gathering would be an interesting experiment of addressing people that I may or may not know, and mentally prepared conversational gambits for a live action Guess Who with everyone changed by six months of stay at home.
Fortunately, our common interests, including a deep and almost desperate desire for connection made it easy. For networkers and event planners, it’s been an incredibly long seven months.
By the beverages, I found Great Performances’ contribution to the event: our newly designed bento boxes, beautifully packaged, safely prepared, and perfect for this type of dining.
Not far from our bento boxes, I spotted my dear colleague Linda Abbey, who I had only seen from the chin-up since March, and I was so grateful for this in person reunion. We shared a moment, and then made our way to the other guests.
There were about 35 guests, and it began to feel like a party. I made my way to Travis Pham, who orchestrated the whole evening with his company 360 Destination Management, and thanked him for bringing us all together again.
As I discussed the challenges and attributes of online meetings with a client from a financial institution (she had just produced a virtual gathering of 11,000 people from her company!), I saw Linda engaging guests with the bento boxes. They shared her excitement about the boxes, and groups splintered off to the polka dots to enjoy their meals. Across the lawn, I heard the celebration of the food and the packaging. One guest determined to take the empty package home for research, which I took as a high compliment.
The event concluded and I was thankful for the beautiful evening, the opportunity to see familiar faces, and the slight exhaustion I felt from standing around for hours chatting. Linda and I walked away from the park, happy with the outcome and hopeful for more events.
By Amanda DiUglio
Nothing says summer like a weekend in the Hamptons, and nobody does it quite like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bumble BFF. They took over Hero Beach Club for “Saks by the Sea, a Saks and Bumble BFF Bee-Treat,” an amazing weekend retreat for some very VIP guests. We worked with IMG to create an unforgettable weekend with R+R by the beach and pool, specially curated experiences, and of course, incredible local fare. From the Strawberry Basil Prosecco Pops and Charcuterie Plates that greeted each guest, each and every detail was designed to capture the spirit of a weekend in the Hamptons.
Guests relaxed in the sun by the pool or on the beach, made more luxe with the contents of their curated gift bags. There were also opportunities to stretch with a yoga lesson from Hilaria Baldwin, to de-stress with Happy Not Perfect, a meditation session with Poppy Jamie, or to hang ten in a surfing class at Montauk native Austin Avery Eckardt’s Surf Camp.
Dinners each night were focused on community and featured local foods. One night we held a farm-to-table family-style meal which encouraged guests to interact with and over the food, followed by a movie night projected onto the sail of a boat. The following night we held a magical clam bake with Duryea’s Lobsters. Of course, we closed with s’mores made with branded graham crackers as guests relaxed around a bonfire, watched fire dancers perform, and listened to live music.
By Great Performances
the Sylvia Center
12th Annual Farm Dinner: Where Cooking Grows
Saturday, July 13, 2019
In the fields of Katchkie Farm, The Sylvia Center hosted its 12th annual Farm Dinner: Where Cooking Grows that shares the fresh and local ingredients of the summer’s bounty. New and old friends enjoyed delectable hor d’oeuvres, refreshing cocktails and a stunning dinner curated by Great Performances. During cocktail hour, The Sylvia Center’s teens from Philmont Cooperative presented their bruschetta recipes in the Learning Garden. The bruschetta recipes, made by the teens, highlighted their culinary and nutrition skills from the 12-week program that explored various ingredients and cooking methods.
Zoë Jansen, a teen student from the Sylvia Center, took the stage and spoke about her experience with the program. The classes not only offered nutrition and healthy eating lessons, but they also explored activities and topics beyond cooking. She was able to learn about important topics such as food access and food security, teach a sample class with her peers and create recipes for the event. She spoke about her change in attitude for food preparation and how inspirational it is to try new dishes, techniques and ingredients.
Farm Dinner is a wonderful summer event that supports nutrition education and youth development for children, teenagers and families in Columbia County so that they can be inspired and inspire others to eat healthily and lead positive lives.
Brooklyn Museum
Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion
July 20, 2019 – January 5, 2020
In July, The Norm at Brooklyn Museum unveiled its newest experience, Maxim’s at The Norm, as part of the Pierre Cardin: Future Fashion exhibit. The menu, designed by executive chef and Michelin-star recipient Saul Bolton and chef de cuisine Andy Mejias, features seasonal dishes inspired by the food at Maxim’s de Paris, Pierre Cardin’s restaurant in Paris. Guests can also enjoy a 3-course prix fixe meal featuring modern interpretations of French classics from the Maxim’s de Paris cookbook.
Custom hand-crafted cocktails designed by Loriana Sanabria take their inspiration from the art of Pierre Cardin and pay homage to different stages of Pierre Cardin’s life, from his time as a tailor at House of Dior with Tailor’s White Sangria, to his work designing for NASA with the non-alcoholic Fashionable Astronaut.
The restaurant, which has been redecorated in the style of Maxim’s de Paris with deep burgundy and gold, opened to positive reviews by the press.
Photo Credits: ©Georgi Richardson, ©Chip Klose
By Sarah Prawl
With the official arrival of summer, The Council of Fashion Designers of America and Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts pulled out all the stops to create memorable experiences for their guests.
The Council of Fashion Designers of America
2019 CFDA Fashion Awards
Monday, June 3, 2019
The night started with an indoor/outdoor cocktail party where guests enjoyed Goat Cheese Bon Bons and Toasted Tomato Tarts. Once inside, they enjoyed a delicious dinner featuring Salad Shirazi with Cucumber, Beet-Pickled Red Onion, Mint, Parsley and Lemon Vinaigrette; Eggplant Chermoula with Agave Roasted Eggplant, Cauliflower Couscous, Cherry Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives and Crispy Chickpeas. During the award ceremony, guests enjoyed Champagne Truffles, Raspberry Hibiscus Cheesecake and Lemon Drop Bretons for dessert.
CARAMOOR
Caramoor Opening Night Gala 2019
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Caramoor celebrated the start of their 2019 season with gorgeous weather, delicious food and amazing entertainment. The Gala’s 400 guests were greeted with “Loopy Doopy” Ice Pop cocktails and delicious food stations, which include our Growing Season Vegetable Crudité and Cheese for the Growing Season stations. After the reception, Susan and Peter Gottsegen were honored for their long time dedication and contributions to Caramoor’s programs, followed by a delicious three-course dinner. The meal featured Spinach and Pink Lentil Salad with Radish and Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette; Grilled Branzino with Cured Tomato Relish and Tuscan Olive Oil; and a Chocolate Caramelia Parfait with Chocolate Crunch, Dark Chocolate Mousse and Caramelia Soft Ganache.
After dinner, guests made their way to the Venetian theater for a premium concert, featuring the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, followed by an After Dark post-performance party, and dancing under the stars.
Check out their calendar and enjoy the magic of Caramoor with their incredible line up of music, festivals and events.
On December 5th Great Performances had the privilege of producing a remarkable evening with the top three chefs in the world: Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy; Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain; and Mauro Colagreco of Restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France. We orchestrated this on behalf of the GR8 Group from Miami and the event, dubbed “Once Upon a Kitchen”, was held at one of our partner venues, Gotham Hall. This was our second time working with GR8 Group, as we supported Chef Massimo last year at his Great Arrival Saturday Dinner at Ellis Island. Coordinating three chefs was extremely challenging but also absurdly rewarding. As if that weren’t daunting enough, the great pastry chef Christina Tosi of Milk Bar in New York City prepared the dessert. Not only did we provide and source all of the ingredients at our kitchen for three days of preparation, but our culinary team stayed in sync with them during preparation and serve out. We also directed the show flow and called the timing of all three chefs, taking a turn on stage plating one of their courses in front of three hundred guests (including our Founder & CEO Liz Neumark and our President Dean Martinus).
I’ve never been more proud to be part of Great Performances. There we were working side by side with Massimo, Mauro and Joan along with their respective culinary teams, pairing up for each of the seven courses with five of their chefs and five of ours. There is no greater affirmation than when you are recognized by world class professionals. The great chefs could not have been more complimentary to our team. I have served presidents, kings and queens as well as thousands of clients over five decades as a chef, caterer and producer. But for me, personally, to collaborate and scheme with the undisputed top culinary minds in the world is unquestionably one of the highlights of my more than 50-year career in hospitality. – Ronnie Davis, Managing Director, Great Performances
As a chef striving to be great, the ability to catch a glimpse of greatness from the world’s top chefs required my attendance. It turned out to be the inspiration I needed to stay on this course and continue to push harder. Watching the top chefs manage their respective teams was magical. Everyone worked seamlessly together with an amazing flow. The food spoke for itself, simply tasting. You didn’t want to take the last bite. That night lit a spark in me that was much needed in my development: to strive for greatness everyday with no exceptions. – Corey Samuel, Chef De Cuisine, Dizzy’s Club
While the preparation in the days leading up to the event were challenging to the kitchen and facility itself, the event itself saw our chefs on a world stage, performing a tightly choreographed ballet with these world titans.
As the chef coordinating the event for Ronnie Davis, Managing Director at Great Performances, it was impressive to see our chefs Lauren, Shaquay, Justin, Jon, Corey, Aaron and Veronica maneuvering with finesse alongside cooks from around the world.
It is rewarding to hear from Massimo that he trusts us to control his food over anyone else in the city. – Robert Valencia, Executive Chef of Catering Production, Great Performances
It was amazing seeing and being a part of an event with four of the most acclaimed chefs in the world. Even though they are each from a different country, they had a common language and passion in a love for cuisine. – John Roode, Director of Purchasing, Great Performances
I have worked in the service industry for my entire professional career. In that time I have grown accustomed to making others’ dreams come true. Food service at this level is about creating once in a lifetime experiences every day of the week, but for the cook it is easy to fall into thinking that this is just a job and events are just another service. It is strange that a back of the house cook’s relationship to these events is so rarely considered. I found it ironic that for this event, by providing a once in a lifetime service for our guests, I, in turn, was receiving one. I was afforded the opportunity to work along side three world renowned Michelin Star Chefs with restaurants spread across Europe all in a single evening. The experience was surreal and wonderful.
As an aside, it was gratifying to face a difficult high volume service with a calm that I have earned through experience that our Michelin Star partners did not entirely share. And after working along side them, it was clear that we were every bit as good as they. Their world class technique married with our New York attitude and battle-hardened know-how truly did create a Great Performance. – Justin Schwartz, Production Sous Chef, Great Performances
Photo Credits: Ben Hider Images, Sarah Prawl