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Friday, March 28, 2008
Jeff Packard Heart of House packardj@msu.edu Well, we're one week away now. Standing room only. If we could sell that, you know we would. Anyway, this is one last message for the e-board: We've worked really hard and the time has come. All the details are coming together. I encourage you to push yourself above and beyond what's possible. If you think you can, it's true. If you think you can't, you must try. More than ever, now is the time to OWN IT! Webster's dictionary lists one of the definitions of 'own' as "to have power or mastery over." That's the point. Each one of us possesses the power over our department and the skills to make this the BEST Les Gourmets ever. All this week, as you prep, plan, build, cook, taste, clean...OWN IT!!! Jeff |
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Sunday, March 23, 2008
Kristen Ray Marketing raykris2@msu.edu Hey guys! I know are all getting so excited for Les Gourmets as I am sure the guests are as well! I just want to say thanks to everyone for putting in so much work in these past couple weeks. Although it doesnt stop there we will be sure to have a busy two weeks ahead of us. So KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK! Kristen |
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Saturday, March 22, 2008
Paul Brown Front of House brownp20@msu.edu With less than 2 weeks until Les Gourmets, the front of house team is making their final touches before the event. As we begin to train our supervisors, Jen and I have the utmost confidence in their abilities and know they will do a fantastic job. However, we would like to extend a special thank you to all of our student volunteers. It is only through their experience and dedication that this event is able to be made possible. Whether it be a director, server, or food runner no position is bigger or more important than the next. Thank you all again and I look forward to the 5th! Paul |
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Friday, March 21, 2008
Jeff Packard Heart of House packardj@msu.edu Hello from the unofficial KING (Kelsy said so, she's kind of high up) of the Les Gourmets blog page. All of this updating got me in (good) trouble at the last board meeting. Anyway...this one is "And the oscar goes to..." Now is a good time to THANK EVERYONE THAT IS MAKING THIS EVENT A HUGE SUCCESS!!(<--should be bigger, but I'll live with 12 pt. font) Currently, the event is sold out!!! One award for the guests. After all, the event is for YOU! Since spring break, some key departments have really come through: Next award: Donations. The all stars of the negotiating have netted almost all of the products for the dinner as well as provisions for the hardworking volunteers for the event. Follow-up award: Donating Companies. Your support and guidance helps all of us students (and future highly successful donors!?!?) put on an event of this caliber. Next Award: HR. The communication and organization from this department has been PHENOMENAL! Every step of the way our questions are answered and our hard work encouraged. KEEP IT UP!! Next award: HOH volunteers. As the first department to hold training sessions, we are pleased to welcome them officially to the Les Gourmets team. Your enthusiasm and excitement to get into the kitchen is infectious. Final award: Our Fearless Leader, Kelsy. Kelsy has been supporting, guiding, and encouraging all departments to communicate and cheer everyone on. Her big picture focus is helping all of the pieces fall into place. NOTA BENE: If your department wasn't singled out here, it doesn't mean I haven't observed some outstanding work. KEEP IT UP!! Reception, the scene will be amazing and it will come together. Marketing, a testament to your efforts is that we're sold out! A&E, I know you have some tricks, and great entertainment booked, up your sleeve. This one is kind of long-winded, but it's definintely worth the read. Over the next three weeks, keep this in mind: "Whatever then mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve." It's gonna be great. Jeff |
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Monday, March 17, 2008
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu Hello! First, let me welcome all of our new volunteers to the Les Gourmets team! We are so excited to have you and look forward to working with you in the upcoming weeks. Also, thank you to all of the companies and individuals who have donated to the event so far. Your support for Les Gourmets and The School sets an example for the business men and women we should aspire to be like! Please see our donations page for a list of companies who have donated to the event thus far. These next three weeks will be three of the most challenging, but also three of the most rewarding. For most divisions, with the exception of Heart of House and Front of House, 75% of the work is done! Congratulations everyone, you’ve done an outstanding job and I am SO proud of our successes! Now there is this 3 week agonizing wait – all that’s left to do is review the plan, focus on the details, and execute. We can and will do it – we will give each guest and volunteer the very best Les Gourmets experience to date! …However, the reward for the past 10 months of work will fall into the successes of 3 weeks, to 3 days, to 3 hours. The last 25% of our work will be the portion our guests and volunteers judge us on. Let’s show them what we can do. As Director, I am focusing on the EBoard members. Everyone has put their time in for me and this event; I want each Director and Supervisor to feel proud of their work and to have the Les Gourmets experience they deserve. We have less than 20 seats left to sell, linens & flowers are ordered, training dates are organized, the menu is “finalized” (always leaving room for last minute culinary creativity), and the volunteers are set! All of this completed in a professional and fun atmosphere – we have all acted like mature, gracious, and intelligent adults, thank you ☺ Les Gourmets 2008 Flavors of South America, Saturday, April 5th! Kelsy |
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Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Jeff Packard Heart of House packardj@msu.edu First of all, a GIANT THANK YOU to all of our sponsoring companies that have donated products to us for the event. Your support means the world to the Les Gourmets team. A lot of progress has been made in February. Reception is shaping up nicely. The decor for the event has been selected. Let's call it contemporary elegance. As for my department, Heart of the House, many details have fallen into place. "Detail Day" was successful, much to the relief of the departments that required our input. A clear vision for our reception fruit sculptures has emerged. One last thing: RECIPE TESTING = YUMMY GOODNESS! Over spring break, members of the HOH team were involved with testing some recipes and they turned out great. If you want details, follow the ticket link because it's the only way to taste the excitement! Hope to see all of you at the event! Jeff |
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Friday, February 1, 2008
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu I could not be more excited for Les Gourmets 2008 Flavors of South America! As we continue our meetings and as the EBoard truly works their butts off, I begin to see a lot of first semester ideas realized…and they are AWESOME. There are only 100 opportunities to experience Les Gourmets in person left! Request your tickets…when you’re done reading this blog ☺ Volunteers: Les Gourmets Open House Tuesday, February 19th 6-9pm in the HB Dining Room at the Kellogg Hotel across the street from Brody & next to Breslin. The Open House is your opportunity to sign-up for your desired volunteer position, get fitted for your unique Les Gourmets uniform, ask questions, and meet the EBoard! If you came to our booth at the HA Open House and have already signed-up, you still need to come to the Les Gourmets Open House – this is our first exclusive Les Gourmets event of the year! Guests/Potential Guests: THANK YOU for your support. Every morning I receive a request for Les Gourmets tickets is a great morning – it is one more opportunity to showcase what the students of The School of Hospitality Business can do. It really means a lot to myself and the rest of the EBoard to have you as our guests; we are honored ☺ You are in for a lot of treats! At last weeks meeting the EBoard sampled three of the many dishes you will try at the event – I hope you like to eat & drink! Thank you to Jaime Lullove, a hospitality student and a graduate of the CIA, for preparing dishes for the EBoard as part of her studies with Chef Sherwin & Chef Brown. It was an especially good opportunity for our Heart of House Directors and Supervisors to get a feel for what they will be creating for the night of the event. EBoard: All of you are making Les Gourmets happen in a very grand and professional way. I am so proud of each you for embracing your roles in this event. I love getting your update emails and phone calls – I could not ask for more ☺ I have all of your emails memorized and it’s only the beginning of February! A few short and sweet special thank yous: Jenna & Moriah (HR): Thank for EBoard dresses & tuxedos, Open House promotion/flyers, and volunteer emails! Kristen & Rachel (Marketing): Thank you for incredible invitations, posters, website updates, and great communication with myself and the rest of the EBoard. Dana, Ally, Megan (Donations): Thank you for guest chefs!, big item donation letters, volunteer food work, organization, and planning. Alex, Jess, Min Ji (Arts & Entertainment): ROCKING this position. I can’t give details because a lot of your work will be a surprise – but could not be happier with your successes and progress. Paul & Jen (Front of House): Thank you for exit gifts and for giving your time to the event even though you hold many other positions outside of Les Gourmets! Chelsey (Director): Just Thank You. To the rest EBoard: Thank you for coming to meetings, showing up with ideas, and for your dedication. Things might be slower for you now – wait until March ☺ See you at THE event! Kelsy |
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Sunday, January 20, 2008
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu The past two Les Gourmets weeks have been incredibly exciting and productive; they will definitely mirror what the next few months will continue to be. The Executive Board has been working as a team of individuals who are comfortable communicating, researching, and making good decisions. Each division came to our last meeting with something to show and contribute – I was SO happy and inspired. I leave each meeting feeling like things are good, people want to be here and this event will show it. Last Monday Reception, HOH, Mark, and I met to put together a reception plan. We spent two and a half hours talking, planning, and creating. This meeting was crucial because it showed how important working together is. Each individual part of this event doesn’t plan itself by itself – it is one BIG show with many players that must work together to be successful. Jeff and Stephanie contributed how foods would be prepared and displayed, Lisa understands Kellogg and banquet setups, and Mark has a theatrical and artistic eye. It was fun and as Jeff mentioned, you’re in for a treat! TICKET SALES! We have sold 115 tickets out of 288 available seats to a variety of industry leaders, alumni, professors, and EBoard family members. Thank you for your support of Flavors of South America! Nothing is more exciting then waking up and seeing an email notice for ticket requests. Official invitations to be sent out February 4th. A quick shout out to Joseph. Even though he is all grown up and moved away, he is a continually open support avenue for me and the rest of the EBoard. Thank You ☺ Good luck to my fellow HB event Directors and EBoards. Vegas Night Saturday, January 26th and Samba Auction Saturday, February 9th! Kelsy |
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
Lisa Danno Reception dannolis@msu.edu Les Gourmets' Reception is coming along beautifully. With the menu finalized, we selected 3 SUPERvisors to oversee our volunteers for the evening. They are attending meetings weekly and eager to help in the development of the Reception. This past week, we spent a lot (italicize) of time designing the design and layout of the room. If all goes well, it is going to be spectacular! We presented the plan to the rest of the board and everyone was on board! Now we are detailing out things with the Kellogg Center, collaborating with Arts and Entertainment, and working out the details. More to come soon!! Lisa |
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Thurday, January 17, 2008
Jeff Packard Heart of House packardj@msu.edu Well, it's already 2 weeks in the new semester and HOH has been hard at work. The menu is ready to be tested and tweaked for its final version. Time for the best part: TASTING! Did I mention the food will be awesome? Don't believe me, then buy a ticket and find out. I've also been "consulting" with our reception directors on the layout and decor for the room. That's another don't miss. I can't wait for the event!! Jeff |
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Friday, January 4, 2008
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu Happy New Year to you! The Les Gourmets team finished off the semester both strong and anxious. Strong because we accomplished a lot as individuals and as a team, anxious because we fully recognize the hard work that is before us! A quick recap: Marketing: Kristen and Rachel have done a phenomenal job! They successfully created and sent out Save-the-Date cards in mid-October (for those of you who received a card, our apologizes for not specifying that they were indeed, just save-the-date cards, not the actual invitation). Invitations are on the drawing board and will be sent out in early February. Donations: Allyson, Dana, and Megan sent out personalized holidays cards to all of our wonderful donators from last year’s event. They hand wrote each card in hopes to show our donators how much we appreciate and depend on their support. Human Resources: Jenna and Moriah have been answering emails, organizing student volunteers, designing uniforms, and preparing for the LES GOURMETS OPEN HOUSE Tuesday, February 19th. Please look for emails and classroom presentations for more information on the event. If you have any further questions regarding the event, please email Jenna and Moriah at: lesgourmetshr@gmail.com Arts & Entertainment: Alex, Jessica, and Min Ji have been busy auditioning multiple entertainment perspectives, drafting design ideas, and talking to linen and floral companies. Min Ji created a Les Gourmets t-shirt to be worn by all EBoard members on meeting days. The shirts will support team unity as well as direct students with questions to the right people. Arts & Entertainment is the WOW factor of Les Gourmets – I SO appreciate the girls’ dedication and fully recognize how much their work and my ability to support them will determine the success of the event. HOH & Sommelier: The fast majority of Jeff, Ryan, and Yoon-Kyun’s work will be done this upcoming semester in the kitchen and in the books. However, Jeff and Ryan did have the opportunity to go through the interview and selection process and have chosen their Supervisors for the event. Menu and wine selection will be completed by the end of January. If you are a potential donator and would like to get involved with the event by donating a food product or wine, please email me at: lesgour@msu.edu and I will direct your donation to the right person! Thank you for your support. Front of House: Paul and Jen! These two directors are exactly the type of team members a director hopes to have – they communicate, take initiative, trust their work, and are thoughtful decision makers. Paul and Jen have selected their four FOH supervisors – a VERY difficult selection this semester as more qualified individuals than ever submitted applications. Please volunteer for the event even if you were not selected as a supervisor – you will still be exposed to the industry, event, and professors and will better your resume for next year’s EBoard and Supervisor selections. Reception: Lisa and Lena have selected their Supervisors as well! The three girls came to our last Les Gourmets meeting of the semester and will play a very important role in the event – communication between the volunteers and directors. SO that is a wrap up of the last 3 months. On a more personal note, being Executive Director has already presented a lot of opportunity for me to develop my management, communication, and organization skills. The EBoard has been tremendously supportive and I cannot thank them enough of for cutting me some slack as I too am learning! My goals for this semester are to listen more than I talk (eeek), to keep an honestly positive attitude, and to still be liked and respected after it is all said and done! Please email me at: lesgour@msu.edu for tickets, questions, donations, and/or feedback. Go Green! (WHEN the Spartans are in the final four and if the game falls on the night of the event, we WILL accommodate game watching!) Kelsy |
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Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu Happy Fall everybody! Since my first blog last spring, a TON has happened in the Les Gourmets planning process. Over the summer the Executive Board members were busy completing restaurant, hotel, event planning, and other industry related internships. At our first meeting in September we shared how our experiences over break could add to a bigger and better Les Gourmets. One of the skills we all agreed would help us work together and learn together was communication. As a result, we have planned group bonding activities to help make open and honest communication more comfortable between board members. Maria will be taking myself and the Arts and Entertainment department to Cirque de Soliel at the Breslin Center this upcoming Friday – an opportunity to see colorful, interactive, yet eloquent entertainment. Mark Johnson has organized a corn maze outing as a way for the old and new members of Les Gourmets to get acquainted in a setting outside of meetings and the classroom. In ticket sales and marketing news…we have officially sold our first two tables for Les Gourmets 2008! Save-the-Date cards and a spicy surprise will be given to alumni and professors during this upcoming weekends Homecoming events. The marketing team is working hard on official save-the-date cards, scheduled to be mailed October 29th. Min Ji Kim is heading up marketing in classrooms and around campus via Les Gourmets EBoard t-shirts! And if you happen to be at the Kellogg Center, check out our display case on the Garden Level outside the HB Dining Room. A special thank you to all of the students who visited the Les Gourmets table at HA Open House. We had over a 150 students sign-up, a whopping 60 more than last year! I could not be more excited to have all of you interested in this event because it could NOT be a success without YOU. More detailed emails will be sent out beginning second semester, but if you’re interested in a supervisor position, please look for announcements in the HA Weekly Email towards the end of October. The food! Chef Sherwin, Chef Brown, Chef Ferris, and our awesome student culinary extraordinaire Jamie Lullove have been putting in time every Friday crafting a menu that is sure to leave each and every guest fat and happy. I can’t reveal any details of our most exciting event secret…so you’ll have to attend the event to experience a true culinary adventure… Please say hi to me and/or any other EBoard member you see in the classroom or the halls…we’d love to meet you and answer any questions you have about Les Gourmets! Go Green!! Kelsy |
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Kelsy Norman Executive Director lesgour@msu.edu It is my sincere pleasure to WELCOME all of you to Les Gourmets 2008: Flavors of South America! I could not be more excited to be your Executive Director. Thank you to Joseph Yasso, Chef Sherwin, and Maria Aulisio for trusting me to lead such a time-honored event. Thank you also for selecting such an enthusiastic, knowledgable, and hard-working Executive Board. With teamwork, hardwork, and lots of work ;) we will succeed in creating a truly memorable and positive experience for all of those involved. Mark your calendars! Preparations for Les Gourmets 2008 have already begun - and with a bang! We had our first Executive Board meeting during the heart of finals week. Full attendence and GREAT ideas showcased this year's board's dedication! Save-the-Date cards were passed out to alumni, industry leaders, and faculty members this past weekend at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. They were received extremely well and came with many compliments on Night of the Golden Dragon. A special thank you to Kristen Ray (Director - Marketing & Web Design) and Jenna Burt (Director - Human Resources) who spent many of their first summer hours making sure the cards were ready to go. AND finally as you can see the Les Gourmets website is up and running beautifully. Thank you to Kristen and Joseph who have spent their time and creativity updating the site. Looking forward to a wonderful year :) I am SO proud of this event. |
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Sunday, May 20, 2008
Joseph Yasso Executive Director - Les Gourmets 2007: Night of the Golden Dragon joseph.yasso@gmail.com Thank you to all who have made the trek back to MSU Les Gourmets .COM. It was and still is my distinct pleasure to interact with all of the guests and board members of Night of the Golden Dragon. It was a truly magnificent evening, and for the board members, a wonderful year long experience. It is my great pleasure to turn the reigns over to Kelsy Norman who was hand picked by faculty advisors and myself to continue the great tradition that is Les Gourmets. I hope to return on April 5th, 2008 to support my fellow students and to enjoy the wondeful flavors of South America! Best of luck to the 2008 Executive Board. |
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Thurday, May 17, 2008
Kristen Ray Director - Web Design raykris2@msu.edu Hey Everybody! I am working really hard on getting this website up and figuring out how to use all of it. I will try to keep you posted with new happenings. I am excited to give you the first glimpse of Les Gourmets 2008: Flavors of South America! ENJOY! Kristen |
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