The Orlando chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) held its third annual Taste of NACE Catering for the Cure event August 25 at the Buena Vista Hotel and Spa in Lake Buena Vista. This year the group invited sponsors and other local event professionals to participate in a tabletop design contest for guests to peruse as they dined.
Produced by the team at NACE Orlando to showcase caterers from local hotels, restaurants, and resorts, the event featured several tasting tables and passed small plates so guests could eat at the different seating areas provided by sponsors such as Room Service Furniture and Event Rentals and Accent Tradeshow and Event Furnishings. Skipping a formal dinner also left guests free to walk around and judge the entries in the tabletop design competition.
Entries in the “Trash to Treasure” contest featured recyclables and repurposed items, as well as pieces in the different rental and design companies’ catalogs. The winning table, a collaboration between Hello Florida! and Julie Ford Designs, used a rowboat as a dining surface.
Twenty percent of each $50 ticket went to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Central Florida, as did all proceeds from the silent auction. A portion of the total profits also went to the Orlando Chapter of NACE Scholarship Fund, which sponsors individuals interested in culinary careers.
Correction: This story was amended to credit Room Service as one of the sponsors that provided the seating areas.