A Furniture Market Challenge - Drexel Heritage and Disney
Pepper Moon Catering’s busiest season is twice a year, at the High Point Furniture Market, spring and fall. During this time over 80,000 people travel to High Point from all over the world to visit furniture manufacturer showrooms and purchase furniture for their stores for the next season. Pepper Moon has the privilege to cater for many of these showrooms and their clients/buyers. As is normal for furniture manufacturers, they host events to introduce new lines of furniture to their buyers. As Market happens two times a year there is a relatively short amount of time in which to plan these very important events. Many lines of furniture are created by a manufacturer but representing another business entity altogether. Lines have been created for Jack Nicklaus, Martha Stewart, Kathy Ireland, for example, by furniture manufacturers. Showrooms are constantly creating new lines of furniture, each as important as the last; it is crucial for the manufacturers to continuously entertain and intrigue their buyers. Fortunately for us at Pepper Moon Catering they often entice buyers to their showroom by throwing large parties.
Prior to Fall Market 2006 Meredith Williams, co-owner of Pepper Moon Catering spoke with her contact at Drexel Heritage, a top manufacturer of fine, upscale furniture with headquarters in High Point. They had completed a line of furniture called Walt Disney Signature based upon Walt Disney, the man, not Mickey. Meredith, having catered over twelve markets for Drexel, was informed that Disney has their own event design team, Imagineers, who would determine the décor, colors, centerpieces, etc. for the event. Based on her knowledge of the degree of creativity that is put to all in which Disney is involved Meredith was up to this unique opportunity to work for Disney.
The process began August 28 with conversations regarding the goal of the event, what the Imagineers wanted showcased to the Drexel buyers. It was determined that the event would be a buffet dinner in the dining room prefaced by a cocktail hour on the outdoor deck Drexel is fortunate enough to have constructed off the back of their facility. The guest count was built around the 208-guest capacity the dining room will hold for a seated dinner, so it was crucial that the weather cooperated as there had to be enough room somewhere for the cocktail hour. It was finally determined that the deck must be tented to insure that there was enough space for guests to mingle before dinner.
The challenge for Meredith was that the team had a desire to offer products not readily available in the Triad – specialty china/silver/glassware, linens and special staff to fulfill entertainment aspects of the event. Coordinating the tent was not an issue as a local tent rental company had tented this deck the Market prior. The client had to compromise the specific china in which they were interested due to the incredible cost to ship it to High Point. Meredith located a supplier in Charlotte that fulfilled the need for specialty china, glassware and silverware, a substitute for the original pattern request. Formal linens created to fit the custom tables manufactured by Drexel were contracted to be sewn by the Imagineers. Floral arrangements were coordinated by a local florist and a florist representing Disney from the West coast. Local talent expert Marilyn’s provided specialty personnel to meet Imagineer requirements. Linens were shipped to the showroom and placed on the tables the afternoon of the event. The day before the event presented the largest delivery consisting of five pallets of packaged and individually wrapped specialty china, silver and glassware. Two Pepper Moon staff members spent five hours each unwrapping, inventorying and managing the distribution of tableware.
Meanwhile the menu was pulled together by Meredith to fit Disney’s desire for a retro-style menu. The menu featured butlered hors d’oeuvres of mini Beef Wellingtons, scallops wrapped in bacon, and assorted cold canapes. A pre-set wedge salad topped with bleu cheese dressing and bacon crumbles was decided upon in order to keep lines at the buffet prior to dinner at a minimum. The timeless Beef Tenderloin Oscar consisted of beef tenderloin filet topped with crumbled crab and sauce hollandaise with rosemary garnish, steamed asparagus and au gratin potatoes. Dessert was served by Candy Girls, similar to the cigarette girls of the 1940’s in traditional garb with cigarette boxes, and consisted of white chocolate cheesecake pops, lemon tarts, hand-rolled mocha chocolate truffles and chocolate-covered profiteroles, all hand-made at Greensboro’s Spring Garden Bakery and Coffeehouse.
Dinner service went very smoothly. The Candy Girls assisted Pepper Moon staff in service of the meal at the buffet. After presentations from Disney and the Drexel Heritage President guests were able to relax and enjoy the end to a long, informative, important day of Fall Furniture Market 2006. (Meanwhile Pepper Moon staff dealt with the re-packaging of five pallets of china, silverware and glassware!).