Friday, December 05, 2008

When it rains it pours! The expression has never been as appropriate as it is this time of year in the event business. Despite an economy that has seen better days and a stock market (well let's not even go there), our holiday season has been a busy one.

Of course people are being more careful about how they spend their hard earned money, but we've always been well aware that every event has a budget. Sometimes those budgets are 'the sky's the limit' and we sure do love those opportunities to go all-out, but for the most part every client has a realistic budget to maintain, and our job it to get them the best event for whatever their budget. So when our clients look to continue doing events but want more value than ever it becomes our job to find ways to make that happen.

Despite being as busy as we are I recently have had a number of emails and postings asking for two things.

1- A Step By Step Guide to planning a party starting several weeks out.

AND

2- We are constantly being asked how much someone might need of ice, wine, canapés, mixes, etc, etc, etc...

So to help with these two items I am pleased to offer the following:

Click here for a step by step guide to planning your party up to 5 weeks out

Click here for our new spin-wheel calculator to help plan how much you need for your next party.

Consider them our gift for the holiday season!

Have a safe and happy holiday season, and despite what may be going on with the economy, entertain often (but get some great value)!!!!!

Sebastien

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Friday, December 05, 2008 11:21 AM

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

I recently joined the Eatertainment team in September and I wanted to share some of my experiences with all of you.

I came from a hotel background where I worked at the front desk doing the same thing for 5 years, checking-in and checking-out guests.  Well I don’t have to tell you how repetitive that can be.  I decided I needed a change and Sebastien was kind enough to take me in.  Well what a difference!!!  Nothing is ever the same in the events business, things change quickly here, and you have to be able to roll with the punches.  It’s an amazing business where you always have something to do and are never lacking in challenges.

My first few months were hectic to say the least from helping Sebastien with an ET Canada shoot to serving 450 people a plated dinner at the Carlu to keeping up with all of those all important details that make an event memorable, and keep them coming back for more.  

Its sink or swim in this business and as luck has it, I’m an excellent swimmer!!!

Beth

Posted by Beth Groen on Tuesday, April 01, 2008 4:37 PM

Monday, March 31, 2008

I was recently a guest with my wife and sons at a BarMitzvah here in Toronto (a great time it was, and congrats to Matthew who did an amazing job), but what i wanted to mention was how nice it was to meet someone who was able to take the ideas she sees me present in magazines and tv and apply them to her own entertaining.

Amanda walked up to me while my wife and i were getting a drink at the bar, introduced herself and complimented me on the ideas i put forth in our different media appearances. Although i am fortune enough to have the opportunity to meet a variety of people who have seen my work, nothing pleases me more than to hear that someone has taken my ideas and used them to entertain their friends or family.

The effort and passion that goes into entertaining is not something i see in too many people. Most people will be happy to put on a half-decent spread with the excuse that any more would be too time consuming. I am delighted to meet people who share my passion for entertaining and my love of all things food, beverage and decor related.

So to Amanda, and everyone else out there like her, i say good for you, and i hope guests to your homes know how lucky they are to be visiting someone who truly wants to make their visit 'special'

Sebastien

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Monday, March 31, 2008 8:56 PM

Monday, February 11, 2008

This must be at least the third blog weve started with a... Well its been a while since our last blog, so I will skip the formality and get right to it.

Our business is far from an easy one. Take this past weekend for example.

With a sweet sixteen party at one location where keeping alcohol from the kids was a full time job for our security and event staff (you have to give the kids credit for innovation however since I would never have thought to put bottles of alcohol in boxes and then gift wrap the boxes to sneak them into a party) but thankfully Natasha caught on quick and tool on the role of head mistress.

Another of our events Saturday night was a Bar Mitzvah for a really lovely client. For a company that does about 80% corporate business we sure are doing a lot of social events lately.

The interesting thing is that with over 150 little items that need to be perfect, think green apple martinis (one of the 4 specialty cocktails being served) that had to be ice cold and not too sweet, of course its the details that can kill you.

The air conditioning turned our dripless candles into drip-lots candles, and the frites for the kids, served hot and crispy at the tasting, were coming out of the kitchen anything but. Thankfully both these issues were addressed (not that swapping our candle centrepieces throughout the night would be something we would plan on doing again), and the client was very happy. To be frank, this is not always the case. With most clients, the meal can be fabulous, you can add lots of extras at no cost, bend over backwards to accommodate every little last minute adjustment and solve problems which have nothing to do with our part of the event, but none of those things will make up for one of the waiters dropping a tray of drinks, or the shrimp station running out of shrimp ten minutes early.

So on we go. With 900 events a year there are bound to be some hiccups, and for the most part they are behind the scenes and the guests will never see them, but on the occasion where something does go wrong you hope that your client will appreciate all the hard work that you put into their event and at least give you the benefit of the doubt.

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Monday, February 11, 2008 2:28 PM

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Almost two months have gone by since the holidays without any updates from us at Eatertainment, and for that we apologize (again). 2007 has started off with a bang and has kept everyone busy since ringing in the new year.

The second week of January brought on our annual ‘Corporate Breakfasts’ for 7,000 people. Natasha is forced to become a morning person for the span of two weeks while she goes from one venue to the next, waking up each morning at 4:30am. The breakfasts are held at buildings across Toronto and the GTA. These events require a huge amount of organization, dedication and coffee (to keep us all perky!). In mid January, Selling Season began with our retail clients, resulting in three months of busy days!!

January also brings on many administrative tasks that were pushed aside during the chaos of December. Paperwork, phone calls, filing… as none of us are true office workers this is not an aspect we love, but as Sebastien diligently points out, it MUST be done.

On to February…the shortest month of the year. A fact which everyone seems to forget until we realize how quickly it comes and goes. On Monday night at the CEIA Awards we won for ‘Best Catered Event’ for the 2006 Genie Awards. Winning this award couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, as yesterday we catered the 2007 Genie Awards, which turned out to be a huge success once again. The recognition we received for everyone’s hard work gave us that extra little boost to work even harder this year. Our goal is to always make the next event better than the last!

In the world of media and marketing, Eatertainment is also keeping busy. Last week ‘The Gill Deacon Show’ invited Sebastien back for their Valentine’s Day episode and on Friday we had a fantastic photo shoot for Homefront Magazine’s Spring issue. Our latest spread is all about hosting a high-end spring brunch and we were thrilled with the final results.

For the first time we’ve brought on an intern from Seneca College to help out with all the extra work that is required for our media and marketing. Jane’s first task was to help out at the photo shoot and she did a great job. In the coming weeks she will be focusing on building our décor and prop database. Here’s hoping our storage room will finally be organized!

Also, as of this week we are working with a new PR Agency, after 5 years it was time for a change. Audrey Hyams Romoff from OverCat Communications (and a longtime friend from Fashion Cares) was with us at ‘The Gill Deacon Show’, and from that first meeting I can tell that Audrey is going to be fabulous to work with. OverCat Communications will no doubt bring a fresh and dynamic approach to our media work.

Funny, it was just last year, at this time that I was writing my first blog for Eatertainment… How time flies when you’re having fun! (and keeping very busy).

Posted by Lindsey Thomsen on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 2:22 PM

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Fall is quickly disappearing leaving in its wake fabulous events that Eatertainment was able to be a part of. Just last week Panorama hosted the first annual Boss Selection ‘Leave a Mark’ Award Ceremony and in a couple of days we will cater the ‘One Wish Gala’ at the Carlu.

Our blog has obviously suffered in all the chaos, but with the holidays being only weeks away everyone here in head office has generously offered up a few of their ‘favourite things’ for this special ‘Holiday Edition’ blog. Below is a condensed version of all the answers we received to topics such as: Favourite…gifts to give, to receive, holiday traditions, foods, books and movies.

Love and Time were popular answers for gifts to give (and receive). As was ‘finding that perfect surprise’, something someone mentions in passing and that you take note of and manage to remember come gift-giving time.

Traditional holiday dishes such as turkey and stuffing were listed as favourites for the majority of the staff. Infact, earlier this season, our pumpkin, fig and sage stuffing was featured on Entertainment Tonight Canada, click here for the recipe. Jeff Dueck, our executive chef, chose his very own homemade apple pie as his favourite dessert for the winter months.

The patriarch and matriarch of not only the Centner family, but of the Eatertainment office as well, Stephen and Maryvone, chose the same book as their favourite. Whether in English or in French, The Reader/Le Liseur by Bernhard Schlink tops their book list. Other Eatertainment favourites may be the perfect choice for someone on your own Christmas list.

• To Kill a Mockingbird, War & Peace, Parfum (Perfume), The Holographic Universe, Clara Callon, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Little Women and American Psycho.

Some couldn't choose just one book, instead, the answer I received was 'anything by' : Danielle Steel, Anne Rice, Douglas Coupland and David Sedaris.

Or for the more visually inclined, a classic DVD may be a better option. Some of our favourites include;

• Rocky, Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Fast Times at Ridgemont Hight, When Harry Met Sally, The Godfather, Beauty and the Beast, Anne of Green Gables, Amelie, The Idiot, Birdie and...'anything with Micheal Douglas, because he's sexy'.

All of our preferred holiday traditions involved spending time with family and friends. From late night Christmas Eve dinners, to religious and cultural activities, to waking up Christmas morning and opening presents, the important part is that we’re around people we love.

2006 has been nothing short of a great success for the Eatertainment umbrella. Cfood is going strong, MEATing opened to rave reviews, and our event & catering sales are constantly increasing.  Keep checking out our website during the holidays for help on everything entertaining and stay tuned for all that is to come in 2007.

From everyone at Eatertainment, have a safe and happy holiday season.

Posted by Lindsey Thomsen on Saturday, November 18, 2006 11:31 PM

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

And that’s a wrap…my first Film Festival with Eatertainment has come to an end, finally. But don’t get me wrong, it was definitely an experience I won’t soon forget.

For the entire run of the festival I was stationed in Panorama which hosted the Poker Room Celebrity Lounge. As I’m sure everyone is now aware (from all the media buzz) the gift bags were the highlight for the guests. For me they became close to the bane of my existence. An empty room in the Manulife Centre was turned into our storage room. Days before the festival began  boxes started to arrive from our suppliers, all labeled to me. I will admit in this blog that a minor personal meltdown occurred involving 450 boxes of Puma shoes. From this day forward I will never look at a red Puma shoebox the same way.

Back to the guests… we had some great ones throughout the week. Good Charlotte, Ali Landry, Jeff Garlin, Adam Beech, Ron Sexsmith, just to name a few. They came, they saw, they ate and drank, they played poker and they left with lots of free stuff.

What truly made the week memorable was the lovely team we had working in Panorama. Other than my wonderful staff (who never complained about the daily set-up/tear down), we had a Star! Daily crew ready and waiting with their cameras and microphones, Darrell, our poker dealer and Kyle, the Nintendo rep were always there to lend a hand and to keep us entertained. And of course Seth, Mr. PR, and our director Sebastien. Each day, our three laptops lined the bar, our temporary office for the week.  

That brings us to today, I’m back at my real desk and I’m still trying to get things back to normal. The storage room is just about empty, all that is left are those red shoeboxes, haunting me. All in all it was a great time and I met some great people. Luckily, I have a full year to catch up on my sleep and work until the next festival brings the celebrities to town.  

Lindsey 'the shoe girl' Thomsen

Posted by Lindsey Thomsen on Tuesday, September 19, 2006 2:18 PM

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Film Festival is one week away!!!! And we still have clients who haven't confirmed their menus, and in some cases, even the dates of their parties. This time of year is a crazy one, and although most of our clients think they can let us know last minute about what they need done, well they're right.

What are the options: 1- either make it happen for them ... and pull off the impossible, or 2- say no, please give us more notice next time ... and they'll find someone else to make it happen for them.

We really actually love this time of year. Although the days start at 7am and end the next morning at 3am, we get to host the likes of Kate Hudson, Bruce Willis, Hilary Duff, Rachel McAdams, to name just a few. Our chef once even had to prepare baby food for Kristi Alley's tot (much before the whole weight-watchers thing). This year the PokerRoom.com lounge will be a great project, with over 60 A List celebs expected to stop in at Panorama throughout the festival for interviews with Star! Daily, lots of poker, and of course the SWAG!!!! To check out the bag the celebs get, click here.

So let the fun begin ... and check our blog for lots of cool updates on who we've seen and what we've served them

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Tuesday, August 29, 2006 10:40 PM

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Ok, so we haven't been keeping our blog up-to-date exactly. Actually not at all in the last three months. Wonder why? Our press sections, editorial, recipes, articles and every other are of the web site is, but not our blog.

Well we don't have a very good reason. Of course we have been crazy busy over the past few months just keeping up with the volume of events (and calls for future events), and we opened up a new Toronto restaurant called MEATing, but that being said we also shoudl have found the time to keep our blog up to date.

So it begins again (hopefully permanently, but no promise there)....

Postings every few days, from myself, Natasha, Cheri, Amita and Lindsey, keeping our readers updated on what we're up to.....

Sebastien

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Sunday, August 27, 2006 10:09 PM

Friday, May 26, 2006

Posted by Natasha Hasmani on Friday, May 26, 2006 11:16 PM

Monday, May 01, 2006

Posted by Amita Singer on Monday, May 01, 2006 9:39 PM

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Posted by Denis Scher-McDowall on Sunday, April 23, 2006 10:50 PM

Monday, April 17, 2006

One of the questions a chef often gets asked is, “what is your specialty?” Although it sounds like a simple question, it really isn’t. In years past, when chef’s were trained in large hotels, invariably a chef would have specialized in one of the cooking departments, ie. Garde Manger (cold section, pate’s, dressings, buffet pieces, ice carving, etc), Saucier, (preparation of a myriad number of sauces, and hot meats roasted in the oven), pastry, or baker.

These days have mostly come and gone since modern restaurants require chef’s with new skills and new attitudes. The chef labouring over his meticulous showpieces, large mirrors with shiny canapés, and chaufroid hams are things of the past.  Modern cooks and chef’s must deal with the realities of restaurant dining. To be successful, a chef must be able to be competent in every area of the kitchen, hot and cold dishes, baking and pastry.  

My specialty has now become “multitasking”.  A chef needs to combine the total of his experience to be able to provide the product best suited to the needs of the guest. I could say that my “specialty” is being able to provide a BBQ for 6000 people over a course of 5 days, and make it look like it happened without any fuss or hassle, or perhaps cooking a 7 course tasting menu to a dozen guests in their home, out of their kitchen, and at the end of the night, leaving a satisfied group of guests asking themselves, “How did he do that?”

This is the nature of the business well known as 'catering' and we are fortune that everyday we do something we love, and usually something completely different than the day before.

Until next time,

Chef Jeff

Posted by Jeff Dueck on Monday, April 17, 2006 10:53 AM

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

I recently heard that a study was done (I don’t know where or, by who) that “Event Planner” was listed one of the top three sexiest career choices. HA! That made me laugh, hard. I can’t remember a time when I thought of my career and in any way associated “sexy” with what we do.  That said, I do love this job and you have to if you’re going to succeed in this industry!

Here’s what I have to say, after 14 years of running my feet off, working 60-80 hour weeks, I’m still here. There is nothing better than seeing totally empty plates come back to the kitchen at the end of a 200 guest plated dinner and knowing that they didn’t just think the food was okay, they LOVED it! Décor is a thrill to create. Being able to walk into a room 15 minutes before the guests arrive and going through to make sure everything is just right, specialty linens set, 5’ tall centerpieces stunning, chivari chairs in place and the wine glasses polished to a perfect shine. Ahhh, the schedule, I’m nuts for it. Knowing that everything is on time calms me like a spring rain. It is the cherry on top of the sundae if everything runs as smooth as we expect.

Of course, all of these things are the end result and I am a dedicated follower of a means to an ends. So, in an effort to keep this short I concede to stating that although I may complain a lot, I do love this job and can’t imagine another industry I would rather be in, or another job I would rather have!

Cheri

Posted by Cheri Dueck on Tuesday, April 11, 2006 9:42 PM

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Spring is in the air and I am into my fifth week as Eatertainment’s newest Event Manager.  I  join a group of 3 other fantastic ladies, Sebastien, our director, and a team of kitchen and office staff,  who have been nothing short of amazing and have welcomed me with open arms. I’ve been told many times over how lucky I am to have been brought on during our slower time to allow me ample opportunity to get used to my surroundings… That being said, all around me dozens of phone calls are being made, weddings are being planned and I just finished a holiday party proposal for this coming November.

The amount of information coming at me is slightly overwhelming at times.  Am I nervous ? Yes. Excited? Definitely.  I am surrounded by people who truly love what they do.  Every chair design, plate pattern and venue detail  holds a permanent spot in their brains, they answer every question I have without even a second thought.  

Up to this point I’ve gotten the chance to work the Genie Award Media Room at the Carlu, a PEI Tourism event ( at which I tried my first ever oyster), and was able to join the rest of the Eatertainment staff at the Canadian Event Industry Awards. While I had nothing to do with the any of the nominated events I still cheered right alongside everyone else as our catering team won for Best Food Presentation and Best Event Under $100,000.

So I guess that brings me to today, as I mentally prepare myself for what is sure to be a busy spring/summer season.  I’m looking forward to whatever comes my way.

Until next time,

Lindsey

Note to our visitors: This was Lindsey's very first participation in our web site ... Good Job Lindsey!

Posted by Lindsey Thomsen on Saturday, April 01, 2006 7:33 PM

Saturday, December 24, 2005

So it's the day before the day before christmas. Just thought i would let everyone know what the eatertainment team has been up to.

Well after we launched the website we ran into a bit of trouble with network solutions (anyone who has dealt with them won't be surprised by this...). They decided to point our IP away from eatertainment.com and to a 'Under Construction' page for no apparent reason. Great, we launch a new website, go through 2 weeks of testing, three days of migration, everything works fine and then this happens. Well it was a hectic 14hrs as we waited for them to correct the problem, but it eventually happened. The website is now fully functioning and we are very pleased to have heard from many clients, friends and lots of new contacts, letting us know how much they like it.

So the website is done, well for now, although updating it has become a full-time job, and lots more will be added over the coming weeks. Then it was time to focus on our real business, events, catering and our restaurants.

This is typically the busiest month of the year for us, and this year was no exception, the restaurants were busier than ever (can never really tell why) and the catering and events were exactly as expected, insanely busy.

So we got through the over six dozen events for the month and we were left with only a few small items to take care of before the holidays:

• plan the management dinner, buy gifts for all the managers and staff
• set-up and shoot a spring brunch for a major canadian magazine (april issue)
• plan a charity dinner for PARC (Stephen and Maryvone were really the ones who deserve all the credit for that), which was probably one of the most worthwhile causes we have ever supported
• shop for gifts for all the office staff
• make sure i get most of the items on my wife's xmas list (she is always so organized, and usually is helpful enough to call stores ahead and put items aside for me... thanks honey)
• spend some quality time with the kids
• get shopping time in for everyone else

Well the holidays are here, our next event isn't until boxing day (so we get almost three consecutive days off) and i can't think of a time when everyone in our company was more deserving of a break.

Happy Holidays to all our friends, clients and visitors. May 2006 be a great year for you all.

All the best,

Sebastien

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Saturday, December 24, 2005 12:03 AM

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Posted by Sebastien Centner on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 4:44 PM