About the Client:

The Palm Restaurant at the Bellevue has been a Philadelphia staple for decades, for everything from business luncheons to rehearsal dinners, and everything in between. Extensively renovated in 2017, The Palm Philadelphia blends modern, sophisticated accents with the carefully-preserved architectural features of the historic Bellevue. These elements brilliantly complement renowned local artist Zack Bird’s signature mural of beloved Philadelphia landmarks.

In addition to the restaurant’s on-premise catering and events program, The Palm is the preferred caterer each year for the Bellevue’s hospitality tent at the Radnor Hunt Races.

About the Project
This year marked the 88th running of the Radnor Hunt Races , held Saturday, May 19, 2018. The ‘Who’s Who’ of Philadelphia and the Main Line don their best fashion and tailgate in style, in hospitality tents which line the racetrack’s perimeter. This Rain-or-Shine event draws an estimated crowd of 20,000 to the Willistown Township, Chester County grounds, and benefits the Brandywine Conservancy.

Primary: Project Management & Event Logistics

Secondary: Partnership Management

Processes:

Having worked for the Palm Restaurant full-time in an event sales and marketing capacity for three years, Beth had planned and executed several Radnor Hunt Race events on behalf of The Palm. After the renovation in 2017, the new General Manager, Palm veteran Julie Millard, contacted Beth to provide project management services for the 2018 event.

Initially, Beth met with the operations team to go over the event from an operational perspective. With only one source of power, no water and no ice on the premises, this isn’t an ordinary off-premise catering event. Along with the Executive Chef and General Manager, Beth drew up plans for the outdoor kitchen tent and the layout of the hospitality tent, maximizing the amount of power available and taking into consideration the all-weather conditions of the event.

Next, Beth and Julie met with the end client, The Bellevue’s Marketing Director, Maureen Weir. Together, the team selected the 2018 color scheme, linens, and decor, and discussed menu and layout options. Once decided upon, a tasting was scheduled, where all items were finalized ahead of the event.

From a logistics perspective, this event is especially difficult as the Radnor Hunt Race falls on the same date as University of Pennsylvania’s graduation weekend—one of the busiest weekends in Philadelphia’s hospitality industry each year. To supplement staffing, Beth worked with local staffing firm Best Personnel, who supplied servers, bartenders, and transportation for the additional catering professionals.

Beth worked to secure Health Department permits, rentals, staffing, beer and wine; developed a day-of timeline, including load-in and load-out; and provided floor plans and event orders to assist with the execution of the event, remotely.

Results:

• Executed event for 160 people, with two different menus and a full bar.

• Event went off without a hitch, despite the pouring rain.

• Developed process for training new personnel to understand the full scope of the event.

• Tent was featured in Philly Chit Chat’s blog.