Media Contact: Fred Tibbitts, Jr.
17 November 2011
FRED TIBBITTS & ASSOCIATES TWENTIETH ANNUAL
“A Fall Evening in New York with Very Special
Friends”
The MetLife Building in The Vanderbilt Suites
New York City, 15 November 2011
New York City – The Twentieth Annual FTA “A Fall Evening in
New York with Very Special Friends” at The MetLife Building in The Vanderbilt
Suites proved to be another memorable event for the one hundred-ten guests, who
included the FTA 2011 North America Award Recipients, hotel and restaurant
senior executives, presidents, vice presidents, managing directors, industry
VIP’s, industry press and sponsors.
All guests were formally announced at the reception by
veteran Broadway actor, Osborn Focht, which was trade show style, showcasing the
products and services of the sponsors. Phillips Foods featured many of their
seafood specialties, while Albert Ulster Imports featured many of their
international specialties; FIJI Water offered individual bottles of their water;
DonQ Rums prepared their most popular cocktails; the wines of Trinchero Family
Estates; Gerard Bertrand; Diego Zamora and Wines of Chile (Los Vascos and Koyie)
were poured as well as the craft beers of local favorite, Brooklyn Brewery.
Informative displays with company representatives included Harney & Sons
Fine Teas; CLK CLK, Inc.; Dining Alliance; Zieher Germany; Stolzle glassware;
Luzerne Chinaware; Agilysys; and Concierge by Foodbuy.
The four-course gala dinner brought Fred Tibbitts, Jr.,
President & CEO of Fred Tibbitts & Associates, Inc. to the podium, who welcomed
the guests and within his opening remarks, urged one and all to do more for
those less fortunate. Tibbitts then
called for prayers by the Venerable Khenpo Lama Pema Wangdak, who chanted in
Tibetan with deep abiding serenity.
Robert Thurman, President, Tibet House US and the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of
Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University assisted with an English translation
and elaboration on the subtle meanings of the prayer.
The eleven Loyalty Toasts with Valdo Rose followed by
several of the dinner’s VIP’s, including Cecilia Martinez, Director – New York
Office, United Nations Human Settlements Program; Ronald Robinson, Career
Development Officer for Senior Officers, United States Department; Denise Coll,
President, North America, Starwood Hotels & Resorts; Dick Cattani, CEO, Premier
Hospitality Group, Compass N.A.; Max Pine, President, Aries Associates; Nicholas
Hadgis, Past President, I-CHRIE & Dean, School of Hospitality Management,
Widener University; Grady Colin, Director of Food & Beverage, Hilton Hotel New
York; Humphry Rolleston, External Relations Manager, McKinsey & Company;
Williamson-Noble, Prudential Douglas Elliman; Richard Xu, Editor-in-Chief, New
Western Cuisine (China) Magazine; Jonathan Lek, Managing Director, Luzerne UK
Ltd.
Tibbitts next asked Cecilia Martinez, Director – New York
Office, United Nations Human Settlements
Programme to come forward to be presented with a donation
of $500.00 from a portion of the dinner proceeds to benefit UN-HABITAT.
Tibbitts then asked the Venerable Khenpo Pema Wangdak,
Director of the Vikramasila Foundation and Robert Thurman, President, Tibet
House US to both come forward to be presented by Tibbitts with a donation of
$500.00 from a portion of the dinner proceeds for the benefit of Khenpo Pema’s
work with Tibetan refugee youths in Nepal and India through Tibet House U.S.
The 2011 FTA Hospitality Awards for Excellence were next
announced and presented as follows:
2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an Operator – Asia Pacific
Andreas Stalder, Senior Vice President,
Product & Brand Development – Asia Pacific,
Hyatt International – Asia Pacific
(Previously presented at the 2011 FTA Fall
Awards Dinner at Hong Kong)
2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an IT Innovator
Presented by Fred Tibbitts, Jr.
President & CEO, Fred Tibbitts & Associates,
Inc.
MICROS Systems, Inc.
Accepted by Peter Rogers
Executive Vice President, Officer
Scholarship in the name of Micros Systems,
Inc. to benefit
The School of Hospitality Management at Penn
State University
Presented by John O’Neil, Director, School
of Hospitality Management
at Penn State University
2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as a Humanitarian
Presented by Fred Tibbitts, Jr.
Accepted by Robert Thurman
President, Tibet House US & Jey Tsong Khapa
Professor of
Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Columbia
University
Scholarship in the name of Thurman to
benefit
The Tibetan Children’s Villages School at
Dharmasala, India
2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Excellence as an Operator – North America
Presented by Joe McInerney, President & CEO,
American Hotel & Lodging Association
Brian Abel
Vice President, Food & Beverage, North
America
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Scholarship in the name of Abel to benefit
The School of Hotel Administration at
Cornell University
Presented by Meg Hardie Keilbach, Director
of Alumni Affairs &
Development at the School of Hotel
Administration, Cornell University
Benefitting Student: Gerard (Jerry) McCall
2011 FTA Hospitality Award for Lifetime Excellence
Presented by Joe McInerney
Eric O. Long
General Manager, The Waldorf = Astoria
Scholarship in the name of Long to benefit
The School of Hospitality Business at
Michigan State University
Presented by Ron Cichy, Director & Professor
The School of Hospitality Business, Michigan
State University
Benefiting Student: Jake Dondzila
The menu was superbly crafted and the dinner skillfully
prepared under the supervision of Director, Executive Chef Franck Deletrain,
Patina Restaurant Group. The First
Course was Phillips Crabmeat and Pumpkin Chowder; followed by a Main of Colorado
Rack of Lamb, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Sun Chokes, Au Jus; a Cheese Course of
Tete de Moine, Raclette and Pierre Robert; and a very special treat for Dessert
of Ronnefeldt Earl Grey Infused Crème Caramel, Crisp Tuille, Almond Brittle.
The wines were artfully paired by New York wine educator,
Harriet Lembeck, CEO, Wine & Spirits Program, who was called to the podium
following the Cheese Course to educate the guests on her wine pairing reasoning
as the dinner wound to a close.
To insure the guests an exciting finish,
a Lucky Draw was held that gifted the fortunate many with large and limited
release bottles of fine wines and specialty releases of craft beer; super
premium spirits; specialty teas; limited edition porcelain artwork; limited
release wine glassware; silver serving pieces; and two Apple iPod Touch.
And as each guest approached the dining room exit,
they were wished a fond farewell by Luzerne with a take-home gift of their
beautiful cover plates from the dinner tables.
Fred Tibbitts & Associates is a social entrepreneurship and the leading global
wine, spirits and hospitality services consulting agency for National Account
chain hotels, restaurants and event management, based at Menands, New York and
Bangkok, Thailand..
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Download high-resolutions versions of the photos below by
downloading the full set here:
11nyfall_mediapics.zip
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