Last month, the Council of Protocol Executives (COPE) held its Eventpower Salon Series Breakfast on a cold and rainy Thursday morning at Gabriel Kreuther on 42nd Street. The restaurant, a Relais & Chateaux honoree, overlooks Bryant Park in Midtown.
The event’s presenter, Bryan Rafanelli of Rafanelli Events in Boston, New York, DC and Palm Beach, spoke about his life and profession as 60 COPE members enjoyed a breakfast specially prepared by chef Kreuther and his team. On the menu were eggs Florentine and smoked salmon, freshly cut fruit salad seasoned with honey and passion fruit, yogurt parfaits, and an array of pastries such as pain au chocolat, almond croissants, and bite size chouquettes.
As members relaxed in the welcoming space, Rafanelli presented a slideshow of representative events he has done over the course of his career, illustrating, in a before and after format, a topic of great interest to everyone in the room: How to do more with a smaller budget in the art of transforming a space. He advised COPE members to accomplish this by refocusing their budgets. For instance, instead of serving the traditional glass of champagne when guests arrive, consider putting those funds into a dramatic flower arrangement that will enhance the atmosphere of a space, capturing guests’ attention.
“It was the perfect combination of two great artists performing their art with soul and love. Rafanelli’s remarks were useful, with good take away tips while Gabriel’s beautiful breakfast display spoke for itself (beautiful to look at and delicious to boot). My favorite part was when Gabriel recounted the story of his youth in Alsace and how the restaurant is inspired from that part of his life. We felt like we stepped into his private life and he was welcoming us in. Thank you again for such an exclusive event,” said Daniele Menache, COPE, managing director and global head of events and sponsorships.
Co-organizer and COPE president, Jim Cronin added, “COPE was thrilled to hold our spring Eventpower Salon Breakfast at Gabriel Kreuther. Our speaker Bryan Rafanelli talked about the importance of being strategic when selecting your venue and advised paying close attention to the decor and ambience as a starting point when planning your events. The restaurant is gorgeous so it was an ideal match linking speaker and message with place.”
In shopping around for a space, Rafanelli also advised the audience to look for the versatility a room can offer, a tip that was illustrated by the private event space at Gabriel Kreuther. The restaurant’s two private dining rooms can easily be reconfigured into one larger one, and the space comes with its own adjacent dedicated kitchen, coat room, restrooms, and ante room. Round or rectangular tables are included in the room rental fee, with the largest of the rectangular tables able to comfortably seat as many as 40, a rarity in Midtown. The space, combined with Gabriel Kreuther’s outstanding service, make the restaurant an ideal choice for events, both corporate and private.
For Gabriel Kreuther private event inquiries, please contact Colby Lehman, Director of Events: [email protected]
