"May 1 will be a historic day for the Seminole tribe," said chairman Mitchell Cypress. "This is good for our players in Tampa Bay, good for the Seminole Tribe, and good for the state of Florida."
More than 700 of the machines were installed and ready for play at the beginning of the month, with about 1,600 more planned to be ready by the end of June. —E.C.
Splashlight Studios recently announced that it will close its South Beach location on June 1. Reasons for the closure are unknown, although the Splashlight Studios Wynwood location at 167 NE 26th St. remains open. —Erick Cipau
Two geishas greeted guests as they entered the tent. Galina Vitols
A special V.I.P. tent was set up at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove on May 10 for sponsors of the annual Miami Jazz on the Bay concert series to enjoy the music. City planner Julie Mansfield enlisted John Rosetti and his team at 2Taste Catering to design and execute the Japanese-themed event space.
Rosetti began designing the space with the goal of creating an atmosphere where guests could enjoy live jazz while also being entertained by elements of Japanese culture, which has strong ties to the Miami community.
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The aquarium's resident great horned owl, Hootie, mingled with event guests while perched on his handler's arm. Joe Roberts
The seventh annual Sea Grapes Fine Wine and Food Festival was held at the Florida Aquarium on May 3. Amid exhibits of aquatic animals from around the world, attendees enjoyed wines provided by Total Wine & More and samplings from 20 area restaurants, including the Salt Rock Grill and Mise en Place.
Building on the venue's natural aquatic atmosphere, Grand Events of Florida L.L.C. hung sheer voile fabric turquoise panels-along with an elaborate eight-foot crystal beaded chandelier-in the lower lobby, transforming the common area into a sparkling event entrance. Throughout the venue, the sea-themed color scheme continued with black linen-covered tables topped with clear vase centerpieces filled with turquoise and black aquarium pebbles, with red carnations added for a splash of color.
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Anything is Posh-Able transformed a typical gymnasium into a sunny citrus grove with an abundance of lime green, lemon yellow, and sunset orange decor elements. Avian Nobles Curtis for BizBash
It's often said, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." And that was the message the Orlando Union Rescue Mission, a transitional house for women with kids, sought to instill in its residents with a special luncheon. The organization honored more than 40 mothers living in the temporary housing facility with a three-hour celebration designed to entertain and inspire.
Paula Wyatt of Anything is Posh-Able Events transformed a typical gymnasium into a sunny citrus grove featuring abundance of lime green, lemon yellow, and sunset orange decor elements-including the fruits themselves. Each table highlighted one of three citrus goodies with sparkling fruit-patterned linens from Kirby Rentals and featured high-profile, grove-inspired centerpieces using greenery such as bear grass, orange leaves, and willow branches.
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The Florida Hotel and Conference Center recently became a member of WorldHotels' First Class collection of hotels, an honor only seven other central Florida hotels, and 17 statewide, have received. To be admitted, a hotel must meet WorldHotels' specific and strict standards for quality and provide helpful and knowledgeable staff to accommodate guests' needs. WorldHotels is a European-based global group for individual and independent hotels. —Erick Cipau
The Plantation Room, a AAA four-diamond award-winning restaurant at the Celebration Hotel, announced that it is bringing in Zachary Martin as its new executive chef. Martin was previously executive chef at the Boheme, also a AAA four-diamond restaurant, at the Grand Bohemian Hotel. With this move he will join sous chef John Chaknis on the Plantation Room's culinary staff. —E.C.
Chef Mark Militello's chain of restaurants suffered yet another casualty, as Mark's Las Olas recently closed. Mark's CityPlace and Mark's South Beach preceded this most recent and unexpected closure. The last of Militello's restaurants, Mark's at the Park in Boca Raton, however, is still open. —E.C.
Reflecting on the institution's own diverse demographics, Johnson & Wales University's Miami students hosted their second annual Hospitality Diversity Symposium on May 5 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Led by Stacy Stern, a notable South Florida event planner and adjunct professor at the university, approximately 40 students-broken into separate groups to handle production, coordination, marketing, and staffing-worked throughout the spring trimester to bring this community event to fruition.
Over the course of the day, multiple breakout sessions were held throughout the performing arts center, organized by the students for their classmates to attend. Gerry Fernandez, founder and president of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, highlighted the morning sessions as the day's keynote speaker, discussing student-chosen topics.
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The adult dessert buffet included miniature cookies, tarts, and cream puffs. Carol Carnicelli for BizBash
On May 6, the PGA Tour held a special outer-space-themed event for the Players Championship tournament golfers, as well as their friends and family, at the Surf Club at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. The tour recruited Art of the Party L.L.C. to organize and create everything from the decor and lighting to table linens and entertainment.
The event featured two different setups, as one side of the room had tables dressed elegantly for a "Starry Starry Night"-esque dinner, while the other side was made into a children's fun corner with outer space decor.
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