Every year during the holiday season, our Convention Center team joins together to highlight the importance of charitable giving and encourages others to give back in any way they can. Gestures large and small can brighten the lives of children in need, and in the spirit of giving, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center team held a toy drive benefiting 4KIDS of South Florida. 4KIDS is an organization that works tirelessly to protect the most vulnerable members of society.

Filling the Convention Center van with hundreds of toys purchased or donated by Convention Center staff members, members of our team set out to deliver the gifts in person. “The children were excited to receive the gifts and seemed to truly feel our love and care,” said Kevin Kowalik, Convention Center human resources manager. “Likewise, it was wonderful for all of us to experience the thrill of giving and helping these children have a happy holiday season.”

The goal of 4KIDS of South Florida is to protect, provide and offer permanent solutions for children and their families so they can have a hope-filled future. 4KIDS has more than 100 licensed foster homes and foster families providing love and care to foster kids in the tri-county area.  In addition, 4KIDS has 12 family-style homes that serve young adults, teens and difficult- to-place sibling groups.

Since opening in September 1991, our Convention Center staff has reached out to every corner of the community through an array of worthy organizations, including Neighbors 4 Neighbors, Taste of the Nation, Habitat for Humanity of Broward County, Broward Partnership for the Homeless, Broward Outreach Center, Women in Distress and SOS Children’s Village of Florida.

“Our employees truly do make a difference in the lives of people who are in need,” said Mark Gatley, regional general manager of the SMG-managed Broward County Convention Center.  “We recognize the importance of helping others and are committed to this community.”

The Center’s generosity is a year-round commitment, helping meet the many needs of the community, from donating food to those in need before Thanksgiving, to assisting others with hurricane preparedness, participating in the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk and other worthy causes.

“We’re constantly thinking of organizations we should support and ways we can help the community,” said Kowalik. “It’s important for the Convention Center and its employees to have an active role in the community. There are so many people who are less fortunate than we are, and thankfully we’re able to help whenever we can.”

As we come to the end of 2011, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center is taking a look back at all we have accomplished over the past 20 years.

Since opening our doors in 1991, the Convention Center has hosted more than 5 million guests and more than 5,500 meetings. We have fostered longstanding relationships with a variety of organizations who choose to host their events at the Convention Center year after year since the building’s opening, such as the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Fort Lauderdale Home & Design Show and the Tropical Plant Industry Exposition.

Expansion, enhancement and excellence have been the hallmarks of the past 20 years, with our Convention Center team unwavering in its commitment to winning the loyalty of every meeting planner and guest every time they visit. Growing from 270,000 to 600,000 square feet of space with state-of-the-art technology and new amenities keeps us on the leading edge of facilities.

Our latest building enhancements include an innovative light sculpture by famed artist Larry Kirkland that now greets guests at the entryway to the Convention Center in our two covered skywalks. Exterior enhancements include a new lush landscape of verdant plants and trees indigenous to South Florida, and renovations to the building’s front walkway, which now features colorful pavers in a beautiful design reflecting the facility’s motif.

The revamped landscape not only looks beautiful but also reduces our irrigation needs. The new plants and trees and less water-dependent turf grass are irrigated by an efficient micro-drip system that uses an estimated 65 percent less water than the previous sprinkler system, contributing to our overall goal of reducing the Convention Center’s water usage for irrigation from 10 million gallons annually to less than 5 million.

We have been at the forefront of sustainability in the meeting planning industry since the creation of our multi-faceted recycling program in 1992. The facility is on track to complete the comprehensive Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification process by the first quarter of next year. Upon achieving certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for operations and management of an existing building, our facility will become one of only 20 LEED-certified convention centers in the country!

On the culinary front, SAVOR, our creative team of food and beverage professionals at the Center, supports our initiative to achieve LEED certification. Known for our use of the highest-quality ingredients and innovative recipes, the eco-friendly culinary team follows a number of sustainable practices in the kitchen, from energy-efficient food preparation and non-toxic cleaning, recycling and water conservation to purchasing locally produced food and beverages whenever possible.

With enthusiastic support from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, we are committed to completing the conversion of the 600,000-square-foot Convention Center into an energy-efficient and environmentally sound, carbon neutral building.

After 20 years of servicing Broward County, we continue to take pride in all of our accomplishments and look forward to our continued growth and success in years to come!

In taking another major step toward becoming certified by the U.S. Green Building Council in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) for operations and management of an existing building by Quarter 1 of 2012,  the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center is proud to welcome to the facility our newest, environmentally friendly application, the Eco-Safe Digester.

The Eco-Safe Digester, a high-volume decomposition system, already has diverted more than 30 tons of our organic food waste from landfills. This high-tech instrument safely and quickly decomposes virtually all organic food waste by using a highly refined formula of microorganisms. The process turns waste into a liquid that can be safely disposed down the drain, allowing the waste to return to the ecosystem as water.

In addition to using the highly efficient Digester, our recycling and diversion program has begun donating extra food to local non-profit organizations to eliminate waste. More than two tons of food has been donated in 2011 to date.

We are determined to be the most energy-efficient, least polluting and healthiest work space among convention centers and to stay ahead of the curve into the future. Being environmentally friendly is one of our greatest priorities and we are committed to finding new ways to become even greener in all aspects of our operations.

Even after we earn our LEED certification, we plan to continually seek out new technologies, like the Digester, to demonstrate our commitment to a greener planet!

Sustainably yours,

Your Convention Center Team

The SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center recently welcomed members of the disability community to an all-day program on Broward’s tourism industry as part of the Center for Independent Living of Broward’s Leadership CIL Broward program.

Attendees spent the day interacting with industry speakers and hearing presentations that covered the key engines driving Broward’s tourism industry, including an overview of the Convention Center, Broward County Convention and Visitors Bureau, destination and hotel management, and the port and cruise industry.

Speakers representing the Convention Center included General Manager Mark Gatley, Deputy Contract Administrator Carlos Puentes and Operations Manager Gerry Braud. Other speakers included Vice President of Strategic Client Services of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Kelly Tortoriello, General Manager of the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina and Board Member of the Convention and Visitors Bureau Carlos M. Molinet, and Cruise Market Specialist at Port Everglades Jean Elie.

“The Convention Center team is deeply rooted in Broward’s tourism industry,” said Convention Center Regional Manager Mark Gatley. “We were pleased to share our knowledge with the Center for Independent Living of Broward, and in return, we received valuable feedback and suggestions from Leadership CIL Broward participants.”

“The program presenters really connected with our group,” said Danny Murphy, marketing consultant for the Independent Living Center, “which lead to a constructive exchange of information. Their interaction was fantastic.”

The Center for Independent Living of Broward is a cross-disability advocacy organization, one of more than 700 throughout the nation, whose mission is to offer assistance to people with disabilities in fulfilling the goals of independence and self-sufficiency. The Center’s Leadership CIL Broward is the first leadership program of its kind nationwide with the objective to create future advocates within the disability community. The program is designed to build community leaders with disabilities while simultaneously developing their personal and professional abilities.

Our expert culinary team at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center wows guests everyday with unique flavors and exciting recipes. From creative hors d’oeuvres to savory entrees and scrumptious side dishes, it is all part of SMG’s inspiring, food-centric focus we call SAVOR.

Thanksgiving is the perfect occasion to showcase your home-cooking skills while spending time with family and friends. We invite you to try our recipe for sausage and cornbread stuffing – a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving feast.

There is much debate about use of the word “stuffing” versus “dressing.” Traditionalists say stuffing is cooked inside the turkey whereas dressing is cooked on the side. Whatever you choose to call it, this dish is sure to be a hit.

The recipes we use at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center are designed to impress our guests and we are sure you will impress yours, too. This sausage and cornbread stuffing recipe will transform your traditional stuffing into a gourmet favorite!

Sausage and Cornbread Stuffing

1                                  Package of cornbread mix

1                                  Package of Jimmy Dean sausage

1                                  Yellow onion (small and diced)

4 stalks                       Celery (small and diced)

1 stick                         Butter (melted)

1 tablespoon             Minced garlic

1 tablespoon             Chopped sage

1 tablespoon             Chopped thyme

1 tablespoon             Chopped parsley

2 cups                        Chicken stock

Bake the cornbread according to package instructions. Let it cool and crumble it. Brown the sausage and break into small pieces. When the sausage is cooked through, drain off as much of the excess grease as possible. Add onions and celery to sausage. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the garlic. Once the garlic is cooked, remove the entire mixture (sausage, onion, celery and garlic) and place into mixing bowl. Add the crumbled corn bread and chopped fresh herbs to the bowl. Bring chicken stock to a boil. Add enough chicken stock to the mixture to make it very moist (almost wet). Add the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff turkey or bake covered with aluminum foil at 375 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

Each October, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This cause hits close to home, as three of our staff members are breast cancer survivors and many others have been affected by this heart wrenching disease. To show our support and spread awareness in our community, the Convention Center participates in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 5K walk hosted by the American Cancer Society Broward County.

On Sunday, October 9 at Huizenga Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale, our Convention Center team walked proudly in support of our shared goal, finding a cure for breast cancer. This year, our team raised $1,520 and over the years, the Convention Center has raised more than $6,000 toward Making Strides Against Breast Cancer!

Our annual fundraising event, Denim Day proved to be a success again, as always. Convention Center staff members were able to enjoy wearing jeans at work to show their support for a $5 donation

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s premier event to raise funds and awareness to save lives from breast cancer. More than 200 Making Strides walks nationwide each year celebrate people who have battled breast cancer, educate people about ways to reduce their risk, and empower communities to join the fight.

The funds we raised for the walk will fund new research, enable access to mammograms and treatments, and educate women on the importance of detecting breast cancer at its earliest stages.

According to the American Cancer Society, Florida ranks fourth in the nation for the estimated number of new cases and second for estimated deaths from breast cancer, making initiatives such as Making Strides critical to our community’s support in the fight against breast cancer. The Convention Center is proud to have been a part of such a worthy cause.

The kitchen here at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center continues to stir with creativity all year long. It’s all part of SMG’s inspiring, food-centric focus we call SAVOR.

Executive Chef Jaime MacDonald and our expert culinary team wow guests at the Convention Center everyday with unique flavors and exciting recipes, from creative hors d’oeuvres to savory entrees and scrumptious desserts. To get a taste of our culinary excellence at home, we invite you to try our recipe for rhubarb crumble — a sweat treat for the last days of summer.

Rhubarb stems typically are a crimson color and usually are sweetened with strawberries or apples when used for tarts, pies or crumbles. We recommend that you serve it a la mode with a rich, vanilla bean ice cream. This extraordinary dessert, which generously serves 10, is sure to please you and your guests.

Rhubarb crumble is just one of the many innovative and delicious dishes we serve at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. Our high standards are unparalleled for creative food and beverage. With great food as a showpiece, every event is sure to be an impressive success.

Rhubarb Crumble

1½ cup Butter (cold)

½  cup Sugar

2¾ cups Flour

4 cups Chopped rhubarb (frozen)

3 cups Chopped Granny Smith apple (peeled and cored)

2 cups Brown sugar

1 cup Orange juice

3/4 cup Oatmeal

½ tsp Ground cinnamon

¼ tsp Kosher salt

Cream 1 cup cold butter and ½  cup sugar. Add 2 cups flour. Mix until just incorporated. Press into baking dish up to the rim. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes. Mix rhubarb, apples, 1 cup brown sugar, and orange juice; pour into cooked shortbread crust. Using your fingertips, knead together ½  cup butter (diced small), 1 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup flour, oatmeal, cinnamon and salt; sprinkle on top of filling. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 degrees or until top is browned. Serve with vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!

On June 2, the 20^th annual Share Our Strength’s “Taste of the Nation” Fort Lauderdale brought together the area’s hottest chefs and mixologists in a culinary effort to end childhood hunger nationwide. The SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center was the center of it all, welcoming 1,000 guests, more than 40 participating restaurants, and 14 wine, spirit and beverage providers.

With the NBA playoffs in full swing, guests were able to watch a live televised broadcast of that night’s game, sample a variety of gourmet creations and meet local chefs, all while raising much-needed funds for an extremely worthy cause.

For the event’s 20^th anniversary, “Platinum Chefs” were recognized for their leadership in the community, donation of time and talent and commitment to Share Our Strength’s “Taste the Nation” program.

Celebrity guests included “Hell’s Kitchen” star and “Taste of the Nation” Platinum Chef Ralph Pagano, who served as master of ceremonies and auctioneer, along with local radio personalities Paul Castranovo and Ron Brewer from the Paul & Young Ron Morning Show on BIG 105.9, who helped chair this special event.  Live and silent auctions included a selection of luxurious wines, dinners and vacations.

This year’s event raised $65,000 with 100 percent of ticket sales supporting Share Our Strength’s mission to help assure that no child grows up hungry. Local beneficiaries include Feeding South Florida, Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, Inc. and the South Florida Hunger Coalition.

National corporate sponsors of “Taste the Nation” are American Express, Sysco, Food Network and Brown-Forman. Local corporate sponsors include Whole Foods, Lincoln, Budweiser and Nespresso.

The SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is proud to welcome the array of culinary superstars and guests to this outstanding annual event in support of a very worthy cause.

Sincerely,

The Convention Center Team

One size does not fit all when it comes to choosing the best hotel for relaxing and recharging after a long day of meetings and conferences. Some people long for the serenity of soothing ocean views, while others crave a little more action at waterfront lounges and restaurants. Then there are those for whom proximity to the Convention Center trumps everything else. What’s a meeting planner to do?

The good news is that the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center has it all, with an array of upscale hotels catering to a variety of preferences.

The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has joined forces with six upscale hotels, all within a mile and a half of the Convention Center, to accommodate large, city-wide organizations requiring 2,700 rooms or more in a single, unified convention experience with one-stop planning assistance.

This innovative concept called the “Lauderdale Convention Collection” includes hotel accommodations along with special savings including complimentary meeting and event space at the Convention Center, complimentary one-hour Board of Directors and Convention Welcome receptions, commemorative gifts from local suppliers, and a 10 percent discount on such services as food and beverage, electric, audio/visual, internet and security staffing, along with discounted guest room rates.

“This single hospitality experience for large groups gives Greater Fort Lauderdale a significant advantage in attracting national and international meetings, conventions, exhibitions and special events,” said Nicki E. Grossman, the CVB’s president. “The Convention Collection is the perfect concept for convention planners and their clients as well as for the Convention Center, the hotels, and for Greater Fort Lauderdale.”

The six frontline luxury hotels participating in the Collection include Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, Hyatt Regency Pier Sixty-Six, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa, Renaissance Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port Hotel, Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, and Fort Lauderdale Embassy Suites. Additional properties are available if the meeting needs exceed the initial room package.

While each hotel boasts its own unique style, all of them are near the Convention Center and provide convenient access to Fort Lauderdale’s world-renowned beaches, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, cultural and sports attractions.

“We offer an outstanding convention experience to large organizations with different tastes and preferences,” said Mark Gatley, regional general manager for the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

“Meeting planners and their clients love the fact that Fort Lauderdale has an outstanding convention center, sophisticated downtown amenities and all sorts of recreation within a one-and-a-half-mile radius of beautiful Fort Lauderdale beach.”

What else is so special about the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center? With 600,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and incomparable service, it earns its reputation every day as Florida’s most attractive and functional state-of-the art facility for conventions, tradeshows, meetings and special events, able to seamlessly accommodate groups of all sizes. What’s more, the Convention Center is well on its way to becoming a certified green facility and expects to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Management, from the U.S. Green Building Council, by fall of 2011. And when it comes to food, the Center consistently earns praise from meeting planners and guests for its extraordinary food and beverage service known as  SAVOR.

For an outstanding large group convention experience, the Lauderdale Convention Collection is one more reason that the Greater Fort Lauderdale Broward County Convention Center is the center of it all!

Sincerely,

The Convention Center Team

We recently sat down with Chris Mahaffey, executive director of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, to talk about his experience at the College’s 69th Annual Scientific Conference, held March 9th through the 12th for the first time at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center.

Q: Overall, how was the conference?

A: Very successful! This was one of our highest attended conferences ever, which, as any meeting planner knows, speaks very highly of Fort Lauderdale.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your organization, the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons.

A: We’re an international organization of more than 6300 members, comprised of foot and ankle surgeons, medical students and residents.

Q: How large was the conference?

A: We had more than 140 companies exhibiting and 200 medical posters over 80,000 square feet of space.

Q: Why did you choose the Broward County Convention Center to host this year’s show?

A: We picked this facility because of the amount of meeting space it offered. It was large enough to accommodate all our needs, but not massive to the point that we felt we would get lost among other concurring events.

Additionally, we valued the appeal of Fort Lauderdale and its weather.

Q: Now that you’ve spent some time in Fort Lauderdale, how do you feel about it?

A: We loved Fort Lauderdale! There are plenty of restaurants and shops to keep us entertained and Fort Lauderdale definitely has the best beaches. Plus, it’s easy to get around. We also had many people touring the Intracoastal Waterway to ogle at all the big boats. Fort Lauderdale is definitely a very alluring destination!

Q: Where did your guests stay while here for the conference?

A: We had guests staying at the Fort Lauderdale Hilton Marina and the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa. The Hilton is only a few steps from the Convention Center and our guest s at the Marriott Harbor Beach were only a 5-minute shuttle ride away.

That is also why we chose the Broward County Convention Center—because we like to offer our conference attendees the option of staying at hotels nearby.

Q: What has it been like working with the Broward County Convention & Visitors Bureau and Convention Center staff?

A: The Convention Center staff was phenomenal. Senior Event Manager Michael Treiling was a joy to work with and all departments were extremely helpful and cooperative. The CVB also was terrific. We worked with them very closely and they were very accommodating to our needs and requests.

Q: Do you think the College will host another conference at the Broward County Convention Center?

A: There’s a very good chance that we’ll be back!

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons had a successful 69th Annual Scientific Conference, held March 9th through the 12th for the first time at the Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center.