4 minute read
EDITOR’S LETTER
Morgan Halaska, editor
MORGAN.HALASKA@TIGEROAK.COM
Florida in the Wintertime
FIRST, A QUICK INTRODUCTION: I’m the managing editor of the Meetings + Events Media group (in which we have nine regional titles) and am filling in for former editor Nancy DePalma as she moves on to bigger and better endeavors. Nancy helped shape this magazine into what it is today, launching New Jersey Meetings + Events and Pennsylvania Meetings + Events five years ago with former associate publisher Maureen Hennessey. Today, Northeast Meetings + Events covers a larger area than in its original iteration (New York City’s five boroughs and Westchester and Rockland counties; Connecticut around Stamford/Greenwich; New Jersey; and now Pennsylvania) and I’m thrilled to be part of it.
In this issue, though, we’re going south to the Sunshine State.
Florida might get a bad rap for its strange news stories but dig deeper and you’ll discover it’s a pretty magical place (and no, not just because of Disney World). Take the rare coastal dune lakes in South Walton for example, or the fact that Miami used to be a mangrove swamp before being developed in the 1920s (not to mention that it’s the only place in the U.S. that’s bordered by two national parks). St. Petersburg holds the Guinness World Record for logging the most consecutive days of sunshine ever recorded and St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S. Tampa is completely overhauling its downtown waterfront area, and downtown Jacksonville is booming with a planned 1,100 hotel rooms. When it comes to meetings and events, there are endless options to accommodate your group’s size and interest; flip to page 26 to learn more.
Finally, a note about the artist responsible for my illustrated photo. Elke Reva Sudin founded her company, Drawing Booth, in 2014. Juxtaposing the use of technology and good old-fashioned drawing by hand, she made a business out of her passion for drawing flash-portraits. She captivated everyone who attended the Northeast Meetings + Events Best of 2018 event (photos on page 46) with her ability to work a room and sketch her subjects in just a few minutes; with offices in New York, LA, Chicago and London, she and her team of artists are available across the country to digitize hand-drawn portraits on the spot (drawingbooth.com).
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The Best of Philly event. Guests have the opportunity to taste food from Philadelphia’s best restaurants, enjoy live entertainment, and take part in some of the ‘best’ things Philly has to o er. It also raises money for the Center City District Foundation.
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EDITOR Morgan Halaska
What’s your favorite local
SENIOR EDITOR DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Megan Gosch Julianna Fazio Nancy DePalma, Susan Dunkelman, J. Elise Keith, Keith Loria, Brittany Trevick event? ” EDITORIAL INTERNS Jenna Barbari, Holly Fritz, Brianna Smiley, Kendall Van Horne
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Sarah Anello, Center City District Parks • Je rey Cesari, Bristol-Myers Squibb Kristen George, Landmark Hospitality • Matthew Holt, Arena Americas • Mark Ickes, Explore Altoona Tara Marcus, Dillon Marcus • Marc Kaminetsky, Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board Justin Panzer, Eventuosity • Michael Shannon, Destination Canada Patty Stern, PattyStern.Com Creative Marketing Solutions • Scott Sussman, The Peacock Inn
Quikcheck Balloon Festival (NJ) and Doylestown Art Show and Renaissance Faire (PA)
SENIOR MANAGING ART DIRECTOR Courtney Nielsen ART DIRECTOR Traci Zellmann JUNIOR ART DIRECTOR Taylor Severson
PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Dianne Talmage PROJECT COORDINATORS Brittni Dye, Alex Kotlarek
CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jeremy Wieland SUBSCRIPTION MARKETING SPECIALIST Rebekah Gregorich
EVENT MANAGER Kelsey Copeland
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Ly’Neys Hill
CREDIT MANAGER April McCauley ACCOUNTANT Katie Bodin
DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER Kristin Mastantuono
WEB DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Sandy Powell WEB ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Angela Beissel
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER– NATIONAL SALES Laurie Burger 586.416.4195 laurieburger@comcast.net
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One of my favorite events is the Revolutionary Run at Valley Forge National Historical Park. This 5-mile race produced by the VFTCB raised over $55,000 for the park in 2018 (page 42).
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Published quarterly Northeast Meetings + Events, Winter 2019 © 2019 Tiger Oak Media. All rights reserved.
A mix of history, innovation, charm and hospitality. That is Chester County's Brandywine Valley
From conferences with creative team building sessions like mushroom cook-offs to intimate board retreats and reunions at Longwood Gardens, planners and guests alike will be impressed.
