B. B. King Blues Club & Grill

Orchestrating The Right Camaraderie:  Venues & Catering

Jessica grew up knowing she wanted to be involved in the special event industry. Starting her career in hotel catering she has been involved in special events & venue management for over 17 years. As the Director of Sales for BB King Blues Club, the Highline Ballroom & the Blue Note she specializes in providing conception to completion event services by working closely with her sales, operations & culinary teams. Jessica has cultivated long-term relationships resulting in repeat, referral & new business. She personally oversees more than 350 events per year ranging from concerts, fundraisers & group dinners to product launches & Bar Mitzvahs. Extremely active in the hospitality community, Jessica is a member of HSMAI, ISES, NYC & Co, and MPI. Additionally, Jessica is on the board of the National Law Enforcement & Firefighters Children’s Foundation.

 http://www.bbkingblues.com

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Sustainability

Jill Drury is the Co-founder and CEO of Drury Design Dynamics, a full-service strategic communications agency that believes inspired, engaged, and empowered people drive innovation, insight, and advantage. As a result, Drury has become the industry leader in: strategic messaging, corporate communications, and the planning and production of Sales Meetings and Conferences, Product Launches, Leadership Conferences, Media and Special Events, Training Programs and Entertainment.

 

Founded in 1981, Drury has earned over 230 major industry awards from a variety of festivals worldwide. The world’s most respected brands trust Drury with their most important projects, including: IBM, Walmart, J&J, Deloitte and Google, and more than 200 others.

 

Jill is proud that Drury Design Dynamics is certified as a Women's Business Enterprise, working to foster diversity, expand opportunities, and eliminate barriers in the marketplace. Jill’s determination to reach the highest levels of corporate social responsibility is evident: Drury has been named as a Top 500 Women Owned Business, and Top 100 and 500 Diversity Owned Business.

 

As a result of Jill’s deep, personal commitment to sustainability, Drury constantly strives to not only raise awareness and take action within its own four walls, but also to be an industry influencer; creating learning opportunities and encouraging clients, partners, vendors, suppliers, and destinations to adopt ever-higher standards of sustainable behavior.

http://www.drurydesign.com 

Executive Pastry Chef Katzie Guy-Hamilton, formerly of The Ace Hotel’s lauded Breslin, joins the culinary team at New York Central, and is the newest addition in the comprehensive hotel renovation. Prior to entering the Grand Hyatt New York kitchen, Guy-Hamilton shaped the Breslin’s celebrated pastry program. Prior to her time at the Breslin, Guy-Hamilton enjoyed a four-year post at Wolfgang Puck’s famous Spago, learning the trade under Executive Pastry Chef Sherry Yard in Beverly Hills, Guy-Hamilton has enjoyed a rich culinary learning environment.

 

Chef Guy-Hamilton’s respected background allows her to bring a fresh perspective to Grand Hyatt traditions, aiming to reach a higher level of culinary excellence. When she’s not in the kitchen, Guy-Hamilton enjoys teaching a culinary enrichment program at Goal4Kids in Harlem. She also Co-Chairs October Ball, a benefit for the Catholic Big Sisters and Big Brothers of New York.

 

Developing lifestyle content is a passion of Chef Guy-Hamilton’s. She is often working on entertaining concepts and events where unique experiences are created. From food festivals, to pastry pop-ups and dinner parties, she has a talent for making memorable moments. Guy-Hamilton also consults and contributes to Millennial Women panels. A graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award, Chef Guy-Hamilton boasts an inventive style, perfectly blending classic French baking techniques with eclectic New York City taste. Guy-Hamilton’s talents have earned her a spot competing against 13 other chef'testants on Season 2 of Top Chef Just Desserts.

http://www.kghcreativeliving.com

Powered by Professionals

Not-for-Profit:  The Ins and Outs of Fundraising

Arienne is Director of Events at Powered by Professionals where she oversees the successful operations of ten to twelve large fundraising events per year. She has worked in fundraising and non-profit event management since 2001, beginning her career at the New York City consulting firm, Susan Ulin Associates. After three and a half years as a consultant, she became the Manager of Special Projects at the Starlight Children’s Foundation where she managed various events and other fundraising projects in-house. After two years at Starlight, Arienne returned to Susan Ulin Associates as a freelancer for two years managing high-profile, large-scale events with the firm. She then spent an additional year as a freelancer, working on various fundraising events in New York and New Jersey before joining Powered by Professionals in 2009. Arienne graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Art History, after which she spent a year studying French and art history in Paris at l’Université de la Sorbonne. When she returned to the U.S., she spent close to a year as a project manager for an art consulting firm and fine art gallery before deciding to move her career to event management. Arienne has managed all types of events including galas, concerts, corporate dinners and breakfasts, golf outings, walks, junior committee events, kick-off parties, gallery openings and auctions.

http://www.poweredbyprofessionals.com 

Interactivity & Personalization

Patricia Dukofsky Senior Event Planner, Interactive Entertainment Concepts Inc. http://www.interactiveparty.com Patricia Dukofsky has over 15 years of executive management experience in the field of interactive entertainment. A graduate of Pace University with a BS in Psychology and Business, top 5% in her class, Patricia has continually expanded her knowledge about event planning and coordination through participation in numerous industry seminars and workshops. Patricia remains active in the community as a member of numerous charitable organizations and women’s networking organizations. She is also a member of ISES, MPI, and Who’s Who in American Women.

Interactivity & Personalization

Permits and Coordinating with City & Government Agencies

Elliot Winick has been producing special events in the NYC area for over 35 years. He was the co-founder of the Five Boro Bike Tour in 1977 which is now in it's 35th year. His specializes in large-scale, outdoor events which have included the Gates project in Central Park, many Great Lawn concerts in Central Park, the Grammy Awards, Republican National Convention, 7th on Sixth Fashion Shows and the Goodwill Games. His areas of expertise include coordination and permitting with various government agencies, site management and production management.