Virtual Event Planners

Necessity is the mother of invention — or in our case, of reinvention.

Physical events have always been our dinner rolls and cultured butter at Great Performances and we’re optimistic that we’ll be able to return to those days. But with the restraints imposed by Covid and the need to ensure our clients’, guests’ and staff’s health and safety, we’ve pivoted our business in many different ways.

RDP, our events arm at Great Performances, has more than 40 years of event production experience across 26 countries and 65 cities. With a diverse portfolio including physical and virtual events, we’re delighted to launch the newest iteration, RDP Virtual Events.

Under the aegis of seasoned caterer and event production manager Ronnie Davis, our in house team of experts are ready to provide strategic, consultative and production services for virtual events.

“Virtual events are nothing new to us,” explains Ronnie. “We’ve been doing this for years. The only difference is that now RDP Virtual Events is fully focused on this as a way to continue help our clients strengthen their relationships, engage their guests, and share their vision.”

Learn more about RDP Virtual Events.

CONTACT US

To discuss your event contact us

Call: 212.727.2424

Email: RDPEvents@greatperformances.com

Or complete the form.

Contact Us - Virtual Events

Cover image: Photo by Raul Varzar on Unsplash

More Catering Industry News

Among the many challenges of Covid is how we feed people.

At Great Performances, we take pride in both our delicious, fresh food and our impeccable, thoughtful service.

But what happens during a pandemic when we all have to be much more mindful of health and safety and minimizing contact between people?

Aside from restructuring our food service program with individually packaged meals and contact-free delivery, we’ve explored technology options to support our customers and our venues.

Here are some insights as to what The Future of Food Service from our partners. 

VENDING MACHINES ARE BACK

Vending Machines with Sanitizing Lights

Some of us may remember Automats — food vending machines that were popular during the first half of the 20th century.

The most popular chain, Horn & Hardart, once had 40 automats across New York City but closed the last one in 1991 after years of competition from fast-food restaurants; and a more recent entry, Bamn! in the East Village closed in 2009.

But with current requirements to minimize contact during Covid, automats — or similar technology solutions — are the future of food service.

This time, though, they come complete with automatic sanitation systems using UV technology.

“Covid-19 has taught all of us  many new ways to approach creative food service and innovative hospitality with new lenses.  Teaming up with partners like ViaTouch Media led by CEO Tom Murn whose modern vision of automat named “Vicki” offers guest a complete contactless visitor experience selling items from cold beverages to artist inspired masks. Vicki has built in UV technology to ensure all contact points and products are clean and sanitary between each customer interaction.  Now more than ever the safety of our guests and teams is vital,” comments Gary C. Bedigan, Senior Director Venue Operations who’s been working with ViaTouch Media to bring the automat to Brooklyn Museum.

AMENITIES ENJOYING ONLINE ORDERING

At our amenities spaces like Rockefeller University and The Bankers Club at 120 Broadway, we’re using online ordering tools like Grab and Square so that guests can easily order from our menu and set pickup or delivery times.

Jennifer Elliott, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, along with Brandon Reichert, Director of Technology and Transformation, spearheaded these efforts.

“We needed to create a safe environment for our guests, clients and staff. We quickly determined that in order for us to continue to serve our guests was to implement technology solutions,” Jenn explains.

“The tools we selected are easy for our guests to use and provide our teams with the flexibility to update the menus to reflect our regularly changing menus,” adds Brandon.

ORDER AHEAD, ENJOY THE VIEWS

From curated Afternoon Teas at Wave Hill to a farm-to-pizza pop up featuring Hilltown Hot Pies at Katchkie Farm, technology is helping us create memorable experiences for our guests.

Pre-ordering an Afternoon Tea at Wave Hill (coming soon!) also allows guests entry to the recently reopened Wave Hill Public Garden in The Bronx.

Guests select their preferred Afternoon Tea and have the option to upgrade with a sparkling wine pairing which they will enjoy on the Kate French Terrace adjacent to the cafe.

If you haven’t enjoyed a farm-to-pizza experience yet, make sure you get your orders in now.

Ending in a few weeks, Rafi Bildner from Hilltown Hot Pies has been slinging his Neapolitan-inspired pizza at our wood-burning pizza oven at Katchkie Farm, our organic farm in Kinderhook, NY.

Produce freshly picked from the fields tended by Farmer Jon are the stars to these pies, supported by Rafi’s exquisite sourdough, local cured meats, and delicious cheeses.

For 40 years, Great Performances has been feeding the people of New York City at corporate events, social gatherings, non-profit fundraisers, and even more critically, during times of crisis and uncertainty.

Today, as we face the threat of Covid-19 we continue to offer our services and support to our New York family.

We’re working with hospitals to support their staff; with city agencies working with at-risk populations; and with businesses unable to release employees with critical functions that cannot be managed from home.

CATERING OFFERINGS DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK

What we can offer:

  • Contactless delivery to designated sites
  • Delicious, nutritious meals from daily breakfasts to packaged, boxed or bagged lunches and dinners
  • Food prepared and packaged in facilities exercising the highest levels of food safety and sanitation

SAFE FOOD SERVICE DURING NEW YORK’S COVID-19 CRISIS

We are committed to the health and safety of our clients, guests and employees and follow the highest levels of food sanitation and safety.

  1. Our commissary is a secure, gated area and there is no access for the general public
  2. All employees are monitored; any employee showing a sign of illness will not be allowed on the premises
  3. We require employees to
    • Wash hands every 20 minutes
    • Sanitize all surfaces every 20 minutes
    • Wear single-use gloves for all food preparation
    • Change into uniforms that are only worn in the kitchens

We have the capacity to provide over 25,000 meals per day; let us know how we can support you.


Learn More

BAGGED BREAKFASTS

Option 1

  • Bread + Fruit + Protein
  • Sample: Muffin, Banana, Yogurt

Option 2

  • Pastries, Fresh Fruit, Boiled Eggs
  • Sample: Bagel, Fresh Berry Cup, Boiled Eggs

BOXED LUNCHES / DINNERS

Boxed meal with roast turkey, brown rice, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans and cottage cheese for the relief food program for the NYC DFTA.

Option 1

Bagged Lunch

  • Salad, Sandwich, Snack
  • Sample: Mixed Green Salad; Ham & Cheese Sandwich; Chips

Boxed Dinner

  • Starch, Protein and Vegetable Bowl
  • Sample: Grilled Chicken with Sauteed Spinach on Polenta Cake

Option 2

Boxed Lunches / Dinners

  • Gourmet Salad, Handcrafted Bowl, or Chef’s Daily Sandwich; Dessert
  • Sample: Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad with Bacon, Blue Cheese, Avocado, Egg, Market Greens & Aged Sherry Vinaigrette; Cherry Pistachio Crumble Bar

BENTO BOXES

Lunches & Dinners

  • Boxed dishes with sides and dessert
  • Sample: Soy Glazed Cod, Zucchini Noodles with Ginger Vinaigrette, Bok Choy, Black Rice Edamame, Coconut Rice Pudding

Minimums apply. To discuss your options, contact our team today at shaun.roberts@greatperformances.com

A Pizza Farm In Upstate New York

Katchkie Farm Pizza Popup

You’ve heard about organic farms, dairy farms, and poultry farms, maybe even wind farms, but have you heard of a pizza farm in Upstate New York?

Up at Katchkie Farm, we’ve got more than just fantastic produce growing in our fields; we’re delighted to announce Rafi Bildner as our chef in residence this summer, slinging artisan sourdough pizzas at a pop-up version of his Hilltown Hot Pies. 

On weekends through September, he’ll be using produce fresh from our fields and locally sourced meats and cheeses to create Neapolitan-style pizzas fired in our wood oven.

The pies are available by pre-order only and can be either picked up or, if there are tables available, enjoyed at the farm.

A portion of the sale of each pie will be donated to The Sylvia Center, the nonprofit dedicated to teaching nutrition and healthy cooking to children and their families in underserved communities in Columbia Co. and New York City, which maintains its Learning Garden at Katchkie Farm.

The flavors are fresh and exciting, including the Beetza, basil pesto, roasted beets, sweet caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella, chevre; the Field & Forest, plum tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, roasted mushrooms, pickled onion and soppressata; and Garlic Goat,  green garlic  sauce, zucchini, chevre, fresh mozzarella, toasted pine nuts, chili flakes.

Vegan pies are also available, changing weekly to reflect the bounty of the farm.

Order your pies early — they sell out quickly!

You can order them online at https://hilltown-hot-pies-at-katchkie-farm.square.site/for pick-up Thursday through Sunday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the outdoor Pizza Pavilion on Katchkie Farm, 745 Fischer Road Extension, Kinderhook, NY 12106.

As you’re waiting for the deliciousness, check out some photos of the farm, the pizza, and Rafi in action!

 

We’re in Phase 4 of reopening New York and it couldn’t come at a more perfect time. As the days get hotter, we have some great ideas for you to cool off at some of our favorite venues.

Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Katonah, NY

Live Concert on the Lawn Series beginning August 1

Caramoor kicks off its four part Concert on the Lawn series with Charles Turner & Uptown Swing. You may recognize them from the late night session at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Upcoming concerts include performances by Latin Grammy® nominee and Latin Grammy Award Winner, Flor de Toloache, the first all-female Mariachi and by Beginner’s Ear, an immersive listening experience. Click here to learn more about Caramoor’s Concert on the Lawn programming.

Looking for musical escapes from the comfort of your home? Caramoor has a series of livestreams featuring a variety of artists and musical styles. Click here to see Caramoor’s upcoming calendar of events.

Wave Hill Public Gardens, The Bronx, NY

Opens July 30

Wave Hill reopened on July 30 and we couldn’t be more excited to visit this hidden gem in The Bronx. Advance ticket reservation is required and begins each Monday, so make sure to make your plans as soon as possible. For the first two weeks, admission is free. You’ll wander across 28-acres which include gardens, greenhouses and woodlands and enjoy more than 4,000 varieties of plants. If you haven’t been to Wave Hill, make sure to add it to your list. Click here to visit this Garden of Wonders nestled in The Bronx.

In between visits, or if you can’t make it in person, make sure to check out their virtual programs. You’ll find Adult Workshops, Garden Notes, and Nature Expeditions. Click here for Branching Out, Wave Hill’s virtual programs.

 

 

Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.

Pam Brown

 

This year, we’re especially thankful for the dads in our lives. They wears so many hats (or ties!): guide, mentor, coach, tutor, sage, shoulder. We’re learning new ways to celebrate dads this year, even if it is a little trickier than setting up the VCR.

And for those whose fathers are no longer with us, we honor them and celebrate their memories. It’s another way of keeping them close to us and passing on their legacy to future generations.

Below, we’ve gathered stories from some of our fathers and sons across Great Performances as they remember their fathers.

Check out more Father’s Day photos and a Father’s Day wish list.

Vincent Palumbo, General Manager, CPS Events at The Plaza

I am extremely fortunate to observe Father’s Day as both a father and son.

As a Son

I’m not sure if it was my dad bringing the old world with him or the insecurity of a new country that seemed so big to him, but whatever the reason,  my father made it a point to keep us close to him and close to each other. This was especially true with dinner. Every night at 6 pm, no matter where we were or what we were doing, we knew to come home and have dinner together as a family. All four of us kids were there. My mother would send one of us to buy the bread (usually a source of contention between the siblings on who would go).  The weeknight dinner always consisted of a pasta (usually with lentils, chickpeas, green beans) and then a protein served family style in the middle of the table. As I got a little older, my dad would pour me  half a glass of the Carlo Rossi jug wine and mix it the other half with sprite (I believe Italian Americans invented the modern wine cooler, but that’s a different story). We would finish up with my dad usually slicing up some fruit and sharing with us. This would be the longest course, usually due to the stories he would tell us about growing up in Italy. This is where he truly shined, with each story leaving us in stitches before he even got to the ending. Throughout the years, we heard some of these stories’ multiple times, but they never got old and always ending with us laughing as if we heard it for the first time.

At that moment, it just looked like we were having a delicious meal,  but it’s dual purpose, intentional or not, was that it set the tone and strengthened the roots that we have as a family. Today, as we lead our own lives with our own families, we are as close as ever. Even now during the occasional Sunday together, we don’t dare show up late to my parent’s house and yes all four adult children still cannot agree on one simple question…..”who is getting the bread?”

As a Father

The Covid-19 pandemic has no doubt effected many families. Times like these have dramatically affected all aspects of our lives. My 15 year old son Domenico is a resident at the Center for Discovery, which is a residence for children with special needs. Due to this pandemic, we have not been able to visit him

Vincent’s son and daughter
Photo credit: Vincent Palumbo

or have him home on weekends since March. While this has been extremely difficult for my wife & I, the steps that the Center and it’s staff have taken to ensure the safety and well-being of our son and it’s other residents has been a source of comfort for all us and for that I am extremely grateful to them. This week they are starting to allow families to visit, which would make a truly special Father’s Day gift for me.

At this stage of my life, with two kids of my own, through the example that my father & my father in law have set…..I’ve learned you never stop being a father even when the children become adults (maybe especially). For that I can only say thank you to both and  propose a toast to all of the dads on a healthy and safe holiday. (Carlo Rossi wine optional.)

Justin Schwartz, Executive Chef – Production, Great Performances

Years ago my father took a job in the city. This was after the great recession and it seemed everything was headed towards recovery, including our family. For Father’s Day that year I got him a wallet, perfect for the city. Small, sleek and really well made with a front pocket for a metro card. He of course loved it, and I would swell with pride every time I saw him use it, and he did use it, every day from that day on until he passed away some years later. He was diagnosed with cancer while I was in college and passed away just after I graduated from culinary school. I can still remember the look on his face when I graduated, pure joy seeing his baby pursuing his passion. What could be better for a father?

 

Justin and his father
Photo credit: Justin Schwartz
Justin and the wallet he gave his father
Photo credit: Justin Schwartz

After everything was over, on an afternoon when my brother and I missed him terribly, we agreed to go through his things. Looking back this was probably the first time we began to mourn him together, as a family. We came across the wallet, still full of the various pieces of his life, and I immediately claimed it  as my own. I still use it today and I think of him every time I hold it in my hand. I even left a card of his inside. Seeing something with his name printed on it, even an old credit card, brings back the look of his face, the smell of his hair. Sometimes I just take it out and hold it in my hand when I miss him.

When I miss him, a trip to the local diner brings me back. I remember on Father’s Day, we would go on outings and he would order—without fail—a chicken salad sandwich on toasted rye with lettuce, onion, a full sour pickle on the side, and a Diet Coke with a slice of lemon. Before coming home, we’d get chocolate and vanilla swirl frozen yogurt with mixed nuts. Now that I have kids, we’ll go to the local diner and I find myself ordering his meal. As my children watch me eat it, I wonder what they are thinking and if this food will do the same for them as it does for me.

Ronnie Davis, Managing Director, Great Performances

Mussels, Clams & Calamari Marinara dish for Father’s Day
Photo credit: Ronnie Davis

I inherited my love of cooking from my father, who was a prominent caterer in my native Philadelphia. Like him—even though I feed people for a living—the most relaxing thing I do in my off-time is cook, especially for others. We loved to cook at home if we had a rare Father’s Day off from doing an event. I loved making Mussels, Clams & Calamari Marinara for him using an old family recipe from our Italian neighbors in South Philly. The secret was in the sauce, which could be made a few days in advance and frozen. Using a heavy pot, like a Dutch oven, the results were always perfect.

 

Some of the fathers on our team have shared their wishes for Father’s Day and photos with them and their kids.

Rob Valencia
Culinary Director, Great Performances

 

As the father of a 19 month old toddler, for Father’s Day, I’d like for him to at least sleep late or go to bed on time.

 

Rob and his toddler Photo courtesy: Rob Valencia

Joel Rivera
Director Of Facilities, Great Performances

Running shoes! I need to get off my cheeks!

Joel Rivera and his kids Photo courtesy: Joel Rivera

Mike Warren
Director Of Catering, CPS Events At The Plaza

Me and my boys at my wedding.  Love wins.  They love me for who I am and I love them unconditionally.

Mike and his sons TJ, Ross, and Elliot Photo courtesy: Mike Warren

Mark Rivera
Purchasing Manager, Great Performances