TEP Catering Archives - Business RadioX ®

Special Edition: Atlanta International Special Events Society

August 27, 2014 by angishields

Meeting Pros Radio

Special Edition: Atlanta International Special Events Society

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Lori Harbin / TEP Catering

I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of my job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering.

I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA.

Doc Waltrop / Full Circle Lighting & Productions

Doc Waldrop brings more than 30 years of experience in theatrical lighting and overall technical production to the meetings, special events, convention, motion picture, and association industries.

His lighting designs and installations have gathered praise and awards from international and Fortune 500 companies and have been featured in many industry and related magazines. He has held an executive board position, including Chapter President in 2004-2005, with the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the International Special Events Society and was recently honored with the 2008 Bob Blaesing Lifetime Achievement Award from ISES/NACE Atlanta. Doc is a founding member of Full Circle Lighting and Productions.

In his spare time (what little there is of it), Doc enjoys ripping up mountain roads on his Triumph Speed Triple motorcycle, chasing his son around, NASCAR racing, or playing a competitive game of pool, darts, croquet, or golf (OK, so the golf game could hardly be called competitive). Mr. Waldrop currently resides in Marietta, GA, but can often be found wherever his clients take him.

Lee Stepancik / Proof of the Pudding

Holland Muscio / Balloonacy

Holland’s love affair with flowers started in elementary school thanks to her Mom, the Crown Grant Garden Club, her Nannie and Aunt Nancy. On her way to becoming a floral designer, balloon artist & eventpreneur she made a detour through the arts and ticketing industries. It was while working at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra that she started creating floral designs for her events and worked with the former owners of Balloonacy as one of her vendors.

After Sean’s adventures in the Navy he met Holland in Atlanta. After jobs in the IT and construction industries he was searching for a way to be self-employed. One night after a few libations, the Muscio’s were approached by the former owners with buying Balloonacy. Sean & Holland saw it as an amazing opportunity to collectively use their talents and work for themselves. In 2005 they opened Balloonacy and added floral design to their stable of event décor options. Since then they have decorated thousands events around the Metro Atlanta region. Holland handles much of the design and Sean is the production & installation designer.

Special Edition: Atlanta International Special Events Society

July 23, 2014 by angishields

Meeting Pros Radio

Special Edition: Atlanta International Special Events Society

00:00 /

Lori Harbin / TEP Catering

I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of her job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering.

I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA.

Erica Prewett / A Big To Do Event

Erica Prewett is the President and Lead Planner with A Big To Do Event. Erica serves as VP of Programs & Education with ISES.

Special Edition | Atlanta International Special Events Society

June 26, 2014 by angishields

Meeting Pros Radio

Special Edition | Atlanta International Special Events Society

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Lori Harbin/TEP Catering

I have a passion for good food, helping projects succeed and spending quality time with my loved ones. So it should surprise no one that these passions led me directly into the special events industry. After graduating from Trinity University, I started my career at the UPS Corporate Headquarters where one of my responsibilities was planning departmental meetings and events. My love for this piece of her job led me to seek out a position with a full service special event company and soon she I coordinating corporate picnics and family days for groups up to 20,000 at The Fun Company. However, my passion for sales and marketing, along with a passion for fabulous food, ultimately led to my current position as the Director of Taste Experiences at TEP Catering.

I currently serve as the President-Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and am an active member of MPI, ICA, and WIPA.

Jan Harlin Levie/A Handy Little Company

Jan provides event entertainment, fusing her sense of the off-beat with knowledge, skills, and talents gained working in the performing arts, entertainment, education, corporations, diverse countries, cultures, and different age groups to create beautiful and profound events celebrating great moments in her clients’ lives. On top of that, we just have fun, and so do our clients. We create events that people will talk about for many years to come.

Specialties: Naja Elieva of A Handy Little Company entertains as a fortune teller and psychic, fabulously costumed, for events large and small, corporate and private, and for all ages. Perfect for conventions, trade shows, pre- and post-event cocktail hour, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, client and employee appreciation events, birthday parties, family reunions, dinner parties, wedding and baby showers. Naja Elieva will amaze and delight your guests with her brilliant costuming, wit, humor, and kindness.

We have also introduced Handwriting analysis and LipsReadings™ as on- and off-site forms of event entertainment.

We have begun partnering with educational institutions to develop multi-sensory, interactive conference programs. These learning environments provide participants with experiential training or continuing education units which enhance job performance and productivity, but most importantly, personal engagement.

Tasha Jackson/9eighteen Events & Company

Tasha Jackson is the Principal Planner and Owner of 9eighteen Events & Company. 9eighteen Events derived from the day that changed our Principal Planners life, 9/18/2004- her wedding day. Through her vision, we’ve become a team of planners who find the greatest satisfaction in producing life-changing events.

Offering planning and styling services, 9eighteen Events is a boutique event company serving Atlanta and beyond. From concept to coordination, we provide our clients with a unique perspective that only passion and experience can deliver. With a savvy eye for detail, our boutique prides itself in executing custom-tailored affairs that boast quality and Elegance with an Edge. coordination, proposals, personal affairs, vendor management, design and style consulting and much more. Become a part of the 9eighteen family; the family who believes in specifics, is driven by details and boast exceptional organization skills. Allow us to relieve your stress of planning and take your event to places unimaginable, by infusing your personal vision with our uncommon flare.

Special Edition | Atlanta International Special Events Society

April 23, 2014 by angishields

Meeting Pros Radio

Special Edition | Atlanta International Special Events Society

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Today’s episode of Meeting Pros features the Atlanta International Special Events Society (ISES). The President Elect is in the studio along with a few members to discuss Eventeract and the work they are doing.

Eventeract

We had the pleasure of broadcasting live from Eventeract at America’s Mart for our Special Edition of Meeting Pros Radio. A revolutionary event evolving from the DNA of the Meetings Exploration Conference (MEC), Eventeract, April 23-24, is an exciting new experience that will challenge the way the event and hospitality industry relate. Powered by the Southeast’s most influential associations, Eventeract will feature 90,000 square feet of education, innovation and networking covering a variety of disciplines including, but not limited to: Corporate and Association events, Food & Beverage, Meeting Design, Décor & Event Design, Meeting Planning Strategies, Tactics & Design, Technology, Audio Visual, Incentives, Revenue Management, Sales, Revenue Management and DMC Services. General Session, Education and Exhibits are located all in one space designed to provide the attendees a 360 degree comprehensive event experience and to present the exhibitors & sponsors a vast customer base with which to network.

Ashley Miller/Blush Event Company

Blush Event Company strives to create stylish and memorable experiences for their clients. Every event is a blank canvas to build something unique & magnificent.

Ashley Miller has always loved pulling together the details to make an extraordinary event. Blush Event Company was born from years of being the “go-to” force for organizing special events, including weddings and surprise marriage proposals, for friends and family. With a degree in Business and her instinctual organizational talents, she possesses the tools to produce any event with precise execution. Her managerial background enables her to lead her team to develop the event you have always dreamt of.

She has made her mark in the Atlanta event planning market and is contributing greatly to the industry through ISES (International Special Events Society), being an Allie Awards committee member, and other engagements that give back to the industry. The native Georgian is always on top of the new industry trends and constantly building & nurturing her vendor relationships. The Certified Event Planner has a special love for weddings and marriage proposals, but directs all events with grace and sharp execution. She is passionate about what she does and driven to create unforgettable experiences. Ashley’s love for special events makes the planning experience pleasant from the beginning until the last guest leaves the event.

Lori Harbin/TEP Catering

Lori Harbin is Director of Sales with TEP Catering. Experienced sales professional with a proven track record of meeting and exceeding sales goals. 14+ years in the Hospitality industry. Skills include venue sales, catering sales, event planning, meeting planning, fundraising, tradeshow marketing, social media marketing, negotiating and new business development.

Currently serves as President Elect for ISES Greater Atlanta and also as the Marketing and Communications Chairperson for the 2014 Allie Awards. Active participant of MPI and NACE.

Bill Goode/A Celebration with Music!

DJBGoode is the owner and resident Celebration Specialist at A Celebration with Music! and Peachy’s Portable Drive-In in Atlanta. Spinning tunes since his senior year of high school, DJBGoode worked as a mobile and club DJ while also working as the Promotion and Marketing Director for stations in New York and Georgia including WFAS AM/FM in White Plains, NY, WRNN-TV/Regional News Network in New York City, and WGAU/WNGC in Athens, GA. If you are a TV junkie, you will see him in the final episode of I’ll Fly Away and in an episode of In the Heat of the Night, and in a few segments from the early days of Regional News Network!

What about those nightclubs and restaurants? They include Desperados in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Georgio’s in Elmwood Park, NJ; Mickey Mantle’s in Manhattan, NY; Irish Bred Pub in Rex, GA; and the legendary 57th Fighter Group Restaurant and Nightclub in Atlanta, GA.

DJBGoode has major DJ experience spinning and entertaining for thousands of happy clients throughout the southeast and northeast. Weddings, schools, and corporate events are the niche for his company, A Celebration with Music!

Spinning and entertaining is not all he does. DJBGoode is an accomplished author and blogger about weddings, events, and DJ-related issues at start.mobilebeat.com, where he serves as the Formal Events moderator, and at djbgoode.com. His articles on how to DJ a wedding are published at Disc Jockey University (dju.mobilebeat.com).

DJBGoode also serves other event professionals in the metro Atlanta area as a Director for the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the International Special Events Society.

Cindy Brown/Cindy and Sharon | Same Sex Weddings Photographers

Cindy Brown CEO of Same Sex Weddings Photographers honed her photographic story telling skills as a photojournalist and picture editor for major daily newspapers and as a professor of photojournalism. She has won numerous awards for her photojournalism and wedding photojournalism. She shares her home with her wife and business partner, Sharon, and their animals Roux, Candler and Ferron.

Meeting Pros: Helen Taffet with Sensational Baskets, Inc., Eric Wolff with TEP Catering

April 10, 2013 by angishields

Meeting Pros Radio

Meeting Pros: Helen Taffet with Sensational Baskets, Inc., Eric Wolff with TEP Catering

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On this Episode of Meeting Pros:

Helen Taffet with Sensational Baskets, Inc.

Since 1988, Helen Taffet has served as owner of Sensational Baskets, one of the largest gift basket companies in Georgia. Prior to starting her own company, Helen served as Director of Public Relations and held other marketing positions at Peachtree Software, a leading supplier of business accounting software. With a focus on service,creativity and the corporate and hospitality markets, she started Sensational Baskets in the basement of her home. In an effort to grow her business, last year Helen bought Dolce, Inc. another gourmet gift basket company headquartered in Dunwoody, Georgia.

Eric Wolff with TEP Catering

Eric was born and raised in Franklin, LA. Franklin is a small town in South Louisiana about 30 minutes north of the Gulf of Mexico/Louisiana coastline and nestled between Lafayette and Morgan City. Being raised by the people of south Louisiana instilled a core understanding of what it means to live life to its fullest. He developed a great appreciation for family, fine food sand hospitality.

Eric contributes his love for entertaining to the “Laissez Les Bon Temp Rouler” mentality of South Louisiana. Eric says “these folks will form a second line parade to celebrate the life of a loved one or host a festival for a catfish”. My maw maw Susie was a school cafeteria cook in a very rural area of Louisiana, so I credit her for being a bit of my inspiration to cook for a living. Her yeast rolls and monkey bread were to die for.

Eric tried the four year traditional college and never found that fulfillment that he was looking for. Early one morning he sat straight up in his bed and he had his answer, he would go to culinary school and become classically trained in the culinary arts. At that time, Atlanta was in the running, but still too far away from his home town, so he decided to attend The Arts Institute of Houston.

Upon graduating from culinary school, Eric began working with EatZi’s Market & Bakery. This would be how he ended up in the great city of Atlanta, where he was a member of the opening team that opened EatZi’s in Buckhead.

After opening several store for EatZi’s, Eric began looking to experience more in his culinary journey. This is when he would be introduced to the off-premise catering industry. And as anyone in this industry knows, you either fall in love with it or you don’t. Well we all know how this story goes, Eric found his labor of love. He began his catering career with Bold American Catering, then on to A Legendary Event and finally on to Dennis Dean Catering. While working with these caterers, Eric would learn what it means to create high quality food, operate efficiently and maintain attention to detail in a catering environment.

In 2004, Eric began putting all of that acquired knowledge in place as the conception of TEP Catering would begin. Eric has built TEP Catering on a couple simple concepts, prepare his food from scratch, flawless execution, always listen to the client’s needs and anticipate the details that they did not think of. Eric is proud to say that they are going into their ninth year and experiencing great growth.