Certified Meeting Planners

Certified Meeting Planner (CMP)- What does this mean? In 1985 the Convention Industry Council (CIC) created the Certified Meeting Professional title. A CMP has studied information in 27 areas of meeting planning and passed a test. This does not mean that the person is a better planner or supplier, but many feel a sense of personal growth after completing the course. These letters make other industry professionals aware that a level of knowledge has been reached, although many clients are not aware of what these letters mean. The CIC reports that in 35 countries, over 13,000 have received the CMP title.

More information about earning a Certified Meeting Professional designation can be found at www.conventionindustry.org.

Other industry certifications:

CMM- Certification in Meeting Management, www.mpiweb.org
CAE- Certified Association Executive, www.asaecenter.org
CEM- Certified Exposition Manager, www.iaee.com
CITE- Certified Incentive Travel Executive, www.site-intl.org
CSEP- Certified Special Events Professional, www.ises.com

Source: Successful Meetings, July 2008-07-10

Crave Catering

Remember “THAT DAY”?? You know, that day that sticks in your head as one of the most perfect days you can remember? You felt wonderfully relaxed; you were surrounded by fantastic friends and family. You sat under that weeping willow tree listening to the summer breeze and watched the kids play Frisbee with the dog. Remember those ribs, fallin’ off the bone and the smell’s coming off of the grill, wafting through the air? That watermelon was so sweet and delicious, dripping off your chin. But the sticky watermelon didn’t matter because you knew that a swim in the lake would feel great.

Remember how relieved you were to hire a caterer that not only took care of all of the details that day, they were like part of the family. They took great care in selecting the finest fruits and vegetables, coordinated the set up of all of the tables, grilled and prepped all of the food; made sure the family was taken care of and cleaned everything up afterwards. That day was a great day.

WE ARE Crave Catering and this is what WE DO. We take catering to the next level by creating freedom for you and your guests to unwind and not worry about a thing. Tell us about your vision. The planning process will become fun; talking about menu items, games or themes for the day and your guest list. Our Executive Chef David Fisher offers many exciting menus that will stimulate the eyes and electrify your taste buds. Chef Fisher takes great care in his ingredients by hand picking fruits and vegetables while keeping close tabs to see what is in season and sustainable and never using products claimed to be on the “danger list”.

We strive to be the most sustainable, Chef inspired caterer in town. You can feel confident in knowing that nothing will go to waste; left overs go home with you and your guests, get donated to a local shelter or get composted. You can be proud to tell your guests that all of the disposable ware is 100% bio-degradable & compostable made of sugarcane and potato products. And your guests will notice because they are smart.

We recently moved into a new location with a bigger kitchen, more access to recycling, a larger office and a view of the city to boot. We want to be able to take on larger events and more of them. We want to create the vision that you envision. From Outdoor Picnics and Weddings to Corporate Luncheons and After-hours Appetizer Parties, Private Household parties and Family Reunions, we are the Caterer for you.

Call us today to set up your next event, luncheon or intimate gathering. We look forward to hearing about “THAT DAY” and re-creating it for you!

LINK To CRAVE CATERING: www.cravepdx.com

(503) 224-0370 Catering Office
Owner Mark Lopez: mark@cravepdx.com
Catering Sales Manager Heidi Ferris: heidi@cravepdx.com

Experience Oregon Wine Country

Planning an event soon? Take advantage of what Oregon wine country has to offer. Below are just some of the amazing venues where you could host your next corporate event, party or get together!

Windrose Conference Center
Located just 25 miles from Portland in Newberg, Windrose has the perfect setting for your event. Designed with a European flair, they have a beautiful large brick courtyard surrounded by flowers that can seat 70 guests. There’s also a smaller courtyard with a water fountain & a back lawn area overlooking the canyon.

Zenith Vineyard
Check out their property in the beautiful Eola-Amity hills of the Willamette Valley wine country. They can accommodate events from 50 to 500 in their Grand Ballroom and surrounding landscape. The 5,000 sq. ft. Ballroom has a wood-burning fireplace, lofty 20 ft. ceilings and seven sets of french doors leading guests to a covered porch and the exqisite vineyard panorama.

Youngberg Hill Vineyard
Located in McMinnville and set atop the hills of the Willamette Valley and nestled in the middle of 50 acres, including 18 acres of pinot noir and pinot gris vineyards. There is a seven room inn with shaded gazebos and unparalleled views.

Helvetia Winery
Create a unique gift for your event by having a wine named after you or your logo custom printed on their wine labels. Just 10 minutes from Hillsboro, their cozy, historic farmhouse and surrounding grounds are available for wine tastings, private winemaker dinners or picnics (with a minimum wine purchase).

Kings Raven Winery
Surrounded by their estate vineyard on 35 acres with views from the coastal mountains to the Cascades and located just 20 minutes south of downtown Portland, you can have your wedding be the only event booked for the weekend. With a capacity for up to 300, there’s ample parking for up to 100 vehicles and a beautiful, three-tier amphitheater. They also show movies on a giant inflatable outdoor movie screen.

Namaste Vineyards
Located just 15 minutes west of Salem, they have a new event space designed in three tiers – a stage, seating and tent area. With over 18,000 sq. ft. of beautifully landscaped outdoor space set among the estate vineyards and oak woods, Namaste can accommodate up to 500 guests. Enjoy their stunning views and retreat area!

Wine Country Farm Cellar
Imagine your outdoor event at the top of the Dundee Hills surrounded by breath-taking views of the Willamette Valley and Cascade Mountain ranges. They can accommodate up to 130 inside their tasting room complete with a fireplace and baby grand piano, or up to 300 outside.