Contact: Nina Zapala at zapala@fzkllc.com 

Banquetology® will have Meeting Planners oohing and ahhing

Melbourne Fla., 2008 – Tired of the same old rubber-tasting chicken, mixed vegetables, and rice dishes for your meeting? Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront is introducing a new way to cater an event using Banquetology®, a stylized feast for the eyes and palate. Banquetology® fuses three emerging trends – right-sized food portions, a variety of menu options, and eye-pleasing presentations. Meeting attendees will “oohâ€� and “ahhâ€� when quiet rolling carts displayed with colorful and creative dishes (be it an organic feast, an all-American fare, or a themed culinary event) take center stage. Many benefits arise when meeting planners utilize Banquetology®. The carts provide an efficient way to serve guests, plus it showcases the colorful bounty of food as guests pick and choose what they would like to try. Each dish is served on a chafer plate so portions are right-sized and nutritious. The smaller portion also allows for greater exchanges between attendees, since they are not rushing to eat a huge meal to stay on track with the meeting's agenda. Additionally, each dish is carefully designed, allowing the chef to create not only palate-pleasing appetizers, entrees and desserts, but movable feasts for the eyes, as the eyes are one of the first senses to begin any meal.

“With the proliferation of food networks, celebrity chefs, and culinary magazines, America's tastes have become more sophisticated and many yearn to try new and inventive menus. Banquetology® helps us to meet these expectations. It provides our guests with a wide variety of menu items in just one seating, as well as having each dish be nutritious and eye appealing. What is exciting about Banquetology® is that the service is unexpected and it delivers a huge “wowâ€� factor. As a meeting destination, we are constantly striving for innovative ways to serve our guests,â€� stated Denise Gaines, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront.

The Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront has recently completed a $30 million property renovation to include the 16,000 square feet of meeting space and all 270 guest rooms and suites. The resort has also updated its technology fare to include 802.l1n ( www.ruckuswireless.com ) an ultra fast wireless technology offering a boost in range and performance. Meeting planners and attendees will also enjoy home-style comforts, such as The Crowne Plaza's Sleep Advantage Program, which includes a guaranteed wake-up call, a sleep CD with relaxation tips, and sleep amenities, such as an eye mask, earplugs, a lavender spray to mist the pillow, and a night-light. Understanding that sleep is a big issue in today's electronically-connected society, the resort has also dedicated an entire floor entitled the Executive Club Level as a quiet zone, specially-suited for busy and sleep deprived executives. Other unique offerings include an on-site certified meeting planner and daily meeting debriefing sessions with an appointed event coordinator.