Dale McDonald Photographer / InterContinental Cleveland
SETTING THE SPOT Local venues offer creativity, beautiful backdrops ... and of course, fun By Ed Carroll
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fter a challenging year and a half, entertainment halls and event venues are largely back to business as usual this winter, although now with a few added precautions due to COVID-19 and its delta variant.
With Northeast Ohio largely back open for business, there is no shortage of choices for parents and loved ones seeking to host b’nai mitzvah parties, with options to fit everyone’s tastes and budget. Terri Kufel, director of sales and catering, and Craig Campbell, area director of sales and marketing at the InterContinental Hotel & Conference Center of Cleveland; Bob Ulm, director of rental services at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens in Akron; and Rick Morad, owner of WhirlyBall in Bedford Heights, all explain what they think is essential for parents to consider in regard to choosing a venue.
STAN HYWET HALL & GARDENS It’s important to be comfortable with the people you’re working with at the venue, and the staff at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens has hosting events down “like a well-oiled machine,” Ulm says. The gardens offer a unique, natural advantage over other venues. “(The gardens are) absolutely beautiful,” he says of the historic property, which sits
30 Bar•Bat Mitzvah // Winter 2021
on 70 acres of land and includes one of the largest mansions in the United States, built for Goodyear Tire co-founder F.A. Seiberling. A potential area for b’nai mitzvahs includes the carriage house, a converted garage that comfortably fits 150 people with an attached tent to provide both indoor and outdoor enjoyment. “It comes down to the comfort level of the people you’re dealing with,” Ulm says. “We pride ourselves on a lot of five-star reviews for our events, and some of (our staff have) been here for 15 to 16 years. It’s a beautiful place, that’s what makes it so special, that and the history of the area. I think that’s one of our big pluses.” Ulm says the Stan Hywet staff is wearing face masks due to COVID-19 and recommends visitors wear them as well in the indoor areas. He says for private events masks are recommended, but not required. The large outdoor areas at the gardens offer plenty of fresh air, not to mention space to socially distance as needed.
Still, he says he’s noticed events have largely returned to normal as people are more comfortable both hosting and traveling for life moments such as b’nai mitzvahs, and the staff is eager to help planners create a unique and memorable celebration.
INTERCONTINENTAL CLEVELAND The InterContinental Cleveland offers party planners a blank slate to work with and make their own for a unique experience, Kufel and Campbell explain. “It allows the individuals or whoever is doing their design work a clean palette to work from,” Campbell says. “They aren’t having to work around specific colors or worry about things clashing. It has a simple elegance.” The InterContinental has precautions in place due to COVID-19, including a wellness check-in station at the entrance and extra sanitation supplies. It requests guests wear masks in the hotel’s lobby, but the host of the event can decide for themselves in the event room of choice, including the ballroom, which can accommodate more than 1,000 people. Both Campbell and Kufel say they’re seeing more party planners opt for a relaxed, lounge-style atmosphere with couches and high tops, more informal than a formal, sit-down, multi-course dinner – though the
