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January Meeting Recap: Brunch, Networking, and The Transition Blueprint

Friday, January 10, 2025

By Judy Philips, Director of Communications

On January 8, 2025, the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the National Association for Catering and Events (DFW NACE) hosted its first SOLD OUT brunch of the year at the Lorenzo Hotel in Dallas. The event kicked off with networking at 11:00 AM, followed by a delicious brunch and an educational session led by Tara Melvin, Founder of Signature Concepts LLC.

Tara’s presentation, “The Transition Blueprint: From Weddings to Corporate Events,” was both insightful and engaging. She fostered an open and welcoming atmosphere, encouraging questions during and after her talk. Tara outlined ten actionable steps to help professionals pivot their businesses toward corporate events. Key takeaways included understanding corporate clients’ needs, refining communication with industry-specific terminology, and building systems tailored to corporate engagements. Attendees left motivated and equipped to expand their services, with our President Lauren Eck, sharing, “Her insights were not only practical but also inspiring, and the feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive. We’re grateful to Tara for sharing her expertise and look forward to seeing the impact of her advice within our community.”

A heartfelt thank-you to the incredible sponsors who made the 2025 DFW NACE January brunch a success! The MacMeekens beautifully captured the event through photography, while the Lorenzo Hotel Tapestry Collection by Hilton, provided a stunning venue and exceptional catering. Gardenia Event Decor added elegance with centerpieces of white blooms and vibrant blue accents, and Magnify Coffee Catering delighted guests with a variety of coffee options—my personal favorite being their iced Americano. The audio-visual support did not miss a beat and was provided by Target Productions.

The day also featured a warm welcome from 2025 President Lauren Eck, updates on the upcoming service project with Feed My Starving Children shared by Community Service Chair Vanessa Alston, and the announcement of the 6-pack meeting deal with a happy hour add-on from Co-Directors of Membership, Ashley Scott and Sir J Starks.

Additionally, Chris Harmon, CPCE (The Honorable) Past President, announced the save-the-date for the highly anticipated March 4th (Fat Tuesday) Award Gala. He also reminded members that self-nominated awards will open on Monday, January 13—look out for more details in the upcoming email!

The event concluded with a raffle, where our very own NACE member, Cindy Ray, won two prizes! Congratulations, Cindy—what a great way to start the new year!

Special thanks to Al DeBerry, Managing Director at the Lorenzo Hotel, for generously gifting two copies of his latest book, “The Life of a Hotelier: The GM Years – Stories Behind the Scenes and Life Lessons Along the Way.”

DFW NACE continues to offer valuable networking and educational opportunities. We can’t wait to see you in February!

View More Photos Here: January Meeting on Facebook

2023 Board of Directors

📸 @themamones

President – Jennifer Burns

President Elect – Christopher Harmon

Vice President – Jennifer LeForce RoushImmediate

Past President – Lauren Twichell, CPCE

Secretary – Kathryn Krieger

Treasurer – Jennifer Crenshaw

Co-Directors of Programs – Indya Willis, CPCE

Co-Directors of Programs – Shamica Sweat

Director of Membership – Judy Philips

Director of Communications – Chris Horace

Director of Fundraising – Chantel McCraney Bourdreaux

Director of Community Service – Marlene Faulkner

Education Chair – Sarah Ligon

Ways and Means – Vanessa Alston

Interview with the Sponsor – GTexas Catering

G Texas Catering provided us with the fantastic fare at the May 2019 meeting at The Marq Southlake. G Texas’s Dena Eichhorst tells us about how the offer so many different catering fusion options for those discerning palates and more. Check out the interview below.

Interview with the Sponsor – Shag Carpet Prop & Event Rentals

Shag Carpet provided the cool centerpieces for our May meeting at The Marq @ Legends Hall in Southlake. LeeAnne Rogers tells us about how Shag Carpet has thousands of event rentals from large, customizable decor pieces down to the center pieces. They even have their own print shop to customize with you event or company logo. Check it out!

Interview with the Sponsor – The Marq @ Southlake

May 2019 our fabulous monthly meeting was held at Legends Hall at The Marq in Southlake. Amity Robbins was kind enough to tell us all about the venue, how it is City owned and operated and how the City has spared no expense as Southlake has high standards. She’s correct, the venue is beautiful, every detail has been accounted for and a great time was had by all. Here’s the interview with Amity Robbins Sales Specialist at The Marq.