Latest Industry News from Mid-Atlantic Events Magazine

AFR Event Furnishings Acquires Room Service

Wednesday February 24, 2010

Furniture Rental Company Merger Will Make a Huge Impact on the Special Event Industry

February 23, 2010. Miami, FL. Imagine if two of the event industry’s foremost furniture rental companies joined forces? The result would be monumental. The result would be industry changing.  After today, there is no need to imagine. Introducing Room Service by AFR Event Furnishings.

 “We are excited to join forces with AFR,” says Greg Zalkin, owner and founder of Room Service Furniture & Event Rentals. “The combined strength of Room Service & AFR will allow us to better serve clients on a national level and offer a greater range of furniture and décor options.”

Launched in January 2005 and with distribution centers in four east coast markets, Miami-based Room Service specializes in upscale furnishings and event rentals and offers a wide variety of furniture and accessories.  Unique designs and superlative customer service have enabled Room Service to grow so rapidly.

Established in 1975, AFR is a national furnishings supplier with 13 distributions centers coast to coast.  For the last four years, AFR Event Furnishings has made its mark on the special events and trade shows industries through its unique cutting-edge products, keen attention to detail and total understanding of time sensitivity and recognition of urgency within venues. Today’s announced acquisition of Room Service “combines AFR’s size and strengths with Room Services’ creativity and uniqueness in the market place,” says Jerry Hellmann, President, AFR Event Furnishings. “Strategically, AFR’s infrastructure and distribution channels  coupled with Room Service’s product and market knowledge, creates a powerful force in the event and tradeshow industry.”

Zalkin will retain an owner’s stake in the company and will run the Southeast region including Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas and part of Georgia and surrounding areas.  All of Room Service’s employees will remain in their current positions. The companies plan to integrate and utilize all pertinent inventories, nearly tripling current product offerings. Room Service by AFR will maintain its primary offices in Miami along with satellite offices in Orlando and Washington, D.C.

Room Service by AFR continues to provide world-class, professional customer service and limitless style, product and support to its ever-growing breadth of national clientele. As the most prolific rental company in the U.S., offering a wide variety of sofas, chairs, ottomans, tables, bars, and accent pieces is only part of the company’s appeal. Room Service by AFR’s greatest strength lies in its unequivocal client support. Its indisputable reputation for going above and beyond is what keeps existing clients coming back.

Telephone System

Friday February 12, 2010

“One Atlantic” is Officially open!

Tuesday January 19, 2010

 One Atlantic, The first over-water, INDEPENDENT event venue in atlantic city, opens its doors as the region’s premier events space

Bookings Now Being Accepted for

Weddings, Corporate and Social Events

Atlantic City, N.J., (January 5, 2010) – The partners of One Atlantic are proud to announce that One Atlantic, a dramatic, upscale venue for extraordinary events, is officially open. The venue stands atop the Pier Shops at Caesars in Atlantic City and is the area’s only over-water, independent (non-casino) event space.

One Atlantic extends 100 yards out over and 80 feet above the Atlantic Ocean. Taking full advantage of its unique location, the concept is sweepingly elegant with floor-to-ceiling windows providing panoramic views of the beach, boardwalk and ocean and creating an alluring setting for corporate galas, weddings and social events such as bar/bat mitzvahs. One Atlantic will offer full-service planning and production services to make events as seamless and turnkey as possible for clientele.  

The venue is the only major opening in Atlantic City this year and stands as a bright spot for the region’s events business leading into 2010. As the venue was being constructed, One Atlantic booked more than 60 events for next year, a testament to the excitement and interest the venue is already drawing among meeting planners, newlyweds-to-be and others organizing events.

The contemporary design features 10,000 square feet of integrated event space and a 2,000-square-foot outdoor terrace. The space’s flexibility will allow for a broad range of set-ups, accommodating everything from cocktail receptions for 1,000 and 500-person banquets to intimate gatherings for as few as 20.

Aside from its unique location, One Atlantic has another distinct advantage - cuisine. Led by partner and master caterer Jon Weinrott, founder of the renowned Philadelphia-based catering company Peachtree & Ward, the venue is placing a particular emphasis on the inventiveness and quality of culinary experiences with personal touches. For example, the venue offers a “100-mile menu” where all foods served at an event come from no further than 100 miles, thus promoting both eco-consciousness and locavorism. The inspired offerings will be complemented by special signature elements including flavored sea salts for both food and cocktails as well as delectable sea-salted chocolates. Both invoke One Atlantic’s stunning ocean setting.

Gourmet custom catering will include special menus for Kosher, international, organic and vegetarian preferences, and is complemented by the services of an award-winning mixologist who can create custom cocktails for any event. Bar offerings will include fresh-squeezed juices, micro-brews, private label wines and custom-infused liquors. The services of an expert sommelier will be available to hand-pick the perfect wines for any menu.

For further information, see www.oneatlanticevents.com.

Philadelphia One Of 18 U.S. Finalists For 2018 or 2022 World Cup

Wednesday January 13, 2010

EMBASSY SUITES VALLEY FORGE SURPRISES CHILDREN FROM BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS SOUTHEASTERN PA WITH NEW BICYCLES AS PART OF MAKE A DIFFERENCE PROGRAM

Tuesday December 8, 2009

“As part of our company’s Make A Difference Program, we decided to do something that would not only unite the staff in a fun and unique way, but that would result in doing something that would impact the community. The bikes come to us unassembled and the teams made up of staff members from all different departments  competed to see who could complete the bicycles first. We then presented the bikes to 8 Bigs and 8 Littles from Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA, the look on the children’s faces and on the employees faces was magical!”  Farnell said.

Embassy Suites Make A Difference program rolled out in June 2009. The bike program encompasses the “Make a Difference” service statement—“Gracious, engaging and caring…making a difference in the lives of others, in ways both big and small.”

Farnell said the children from Big Brothers Big Sisters had no idea they are going to receive the bikes and the employees did not know who the bikes were going to, “The kids came to the hotel with their family and their Big under the guise that it was for a pre-Thanksgiving treat. It was a remarkable experience for everyone involved,” Farnell added.

”It’s clear that Embassy Suites understands the need for more businesses, organizations and individuals to take action and bring positive experiences to the lives of children in the region,” said Marlene L. Olshan, Chief Executive Officer for Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA. “Their generosity sets a great example for children in our program and we are grateful for their support.”

The Bigs and Littles will arrived  4:30pm and  enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies before Farnell invited them into an open space where the children were surprised with their bike and new helmet with their name on it.

Nestled in the green countryside, the Embassy Suites Valley Forge is a neighbor to some of Pennsylvania's best attractions from the beautiful Brandywine Valley to Historic Valley Forge, Valley Forge National Park and QVC studios.  The Embassy Suites Valley Forge is located at 888 Chesterbrook Blvd, Chesterbrook, PA 19087.

The hotel was originally built in 1985 and opened as an Embassy Suites.  During the hotel’s 24–year history, it has operated as several different hotel brands, finally culminating into the building’s original intent, and Embassy Suites. Each of the 229 spacious two-room suites offers a separate living area with sofa bed and work table, 32 inch flat screen television, a private bedroom and bath, two phones, wet bar, refrigerator, coffeemaker, and microwave oven.  The hotel also offers a complimentary two-hour Manager’s Reception every evening, complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast each morning, complimentary internet, and complimentary local transportation. With over 5,000 square feet of meeting/banquet space, the hotel offers its groups custom menu planning.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA
Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA enriches, encourages and empowers children to reach their highest potential through safe, one-to-one mentoring relationships. Your donations help to support the children and volunteers in our program. Volunteering as a Big Brother or Big Sister is about making a measurable difference in a child’s life by sharing new perspectives and experiences; in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties, over 4300 children annually are more successful socially and academically because of the work of Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA. Learn more at 215.790.9200 or bbbssepa.org.