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.

Images of football fans shivering in the freezing ice and snow at Super Bowl XLV on February 6 in Dallas had those of us who live and work in sunny Fort Lauderdale wondering why anyone would plan an important event anywhere but here.  As fans who paid hundreds — and even thousands — of dollars for tickets bundled up to navigate the frigid conditions in Texas, Fort Lauderdale enjoyed an average daytime high temperature of 75^◦and sunny skies.  As icy road conditions forced schools, offices and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to close in the days before the big game, and hotels reported intermittent power blackouts, our visitors spent their free time at the beach, strolling beautiful Las Olas Boulevard and dining in outdoor restaurants and cafes.

The SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County ConventionCenter offers meetings and conventions the best of all possible worlds.  For most of the year, the climate is as perfect as it gets. Whether visitors prefer golf, tennis, boating, water sports or simply soaking in the sun on our beautiful beaches, Greater Fort Lauderdale is an outdoor lover’s paradise.

Even when the weather warms up during the summer months, our 600,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility has an efficient climate-control system that assures total comfort throughout.

Hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls in the area are known for their wide varieties of exciting choices, ample air conditioning, and beautiful facilities inviting guests to enjoy themselves at any time of the day or night.The crowds are noticeably smaller and the hotel prices are lower, making Fort Lauderdale a delightful place for summer meetings.

With the financial and operational support of SMG to complete the conversion of our Convention Centerinto an energy-efficient and environmentally sound, carbon neutral building, and enthusiastic support from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Center is on tracktobecome certified by the U.S. Green Building Council in Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) for operations and management of an existing buildingby the fourth quarter of 2011.

Why would anyone risk the inconvenience and discomfort of freezing temperatures, icy roads

and treacherous travel when they can enjoy warm, sunny days instead? If you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy Greater Fort Lauderdale, we encourage you to come visit and experience the difference yourself.

Sincerely,

Your Convention Center Team

The allure of sun-kissed golden beaches, meandering waterways, palm trees, sailboats, world-class dining, shopping, entertainment and recreation makes Greater Fort Lauderdale a top choice for meeting planners.

With 600,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and incomparable service, the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is renowned 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.

No matter how exceptional we are, however, we never stop finding ways to provide an even greater meeting experience.

“Today’s meeting planners want our facility and destination to evolve, and we continue to answer their call,” said Mark Gatley, regional general manager of the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. “We’ve created a culture where the sky is the limit when it comes to delighting our guests.”

Have You Seen Us Lately?

The beauty of our newly revamped front entrance sends a powerful message about the great things to expect once you come inside.  Our impressive landscaping project features verdant Florida-friendly trees and plants requiring much less water to keep the landscape looking lush and tropical year-round.  Circling the new landscaping is a vibrant front walkway comprised of colorful pavers in a beautiful wave design that reflects the facility’s motif.

In addition to making a powerful first impression, our splendid new entrance is an integral part of our commitment to becoming a certified green facility.  We have registered with the U.S. Green Building Council for LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Management certification with the goal of achieving certification by August 2011, three years after receiving our official registration of the project. This exciting news heralds the next chapter in the Center’s evolution as a facility that’s focused on meeting and exceeding every meeting planner’s needs.

i-Friendly

As the saying goes, “You can’t expect to meet the challenges of today with yesterday’s tools and expect to be in business tomorrow.”  In a world where technology changes at lightning speed, the imperative to stay on the leading edge is a never-ending process.

Our Convention Center continues to add the technological amenities our meeting planners expect to have, such as Wi-Fi hotspots, a 1,300 square-foot Executive Teleconference Suite, modern video conferencing capabilities and two high-tech places to chill: the Breezin’ Java Cyber Cafés, featuring eight permanent terminals and eight additional plug-in terminals where visitors can check e-mail or surf the web while relaxing with Starbucks coffee and snacks.

Seasonal Cuisine, Fine Wines

When it comes to food and beverage service, the only thing that never changes is the way we delight our guests with stylish, sophisticated cuisine that salutes the freshest seasonal fare.  Since being named Executive Chef in 2006, Jaime MacDonald’s passion for meals made of fresh ingredients that taste amazing has created new menus featuring a diverse range of ethnic cuisines and American favorites, rivaling some of the finest restaurants in the world.  With our trained sommelier to help you select the right wines, we’ll please your palate and satisfy your budget any time of day.

Fresh Approach, Promising Future

Since opening in 1991, our Convention Center has hosted more than 5 million guests and over 5,500 meetings, never resting on our laurels and proving time and again that a passion for excellence is the secret to success.

“Our Convention Center is a great success story that keeps getting better all the time and greener every day,” said Nicki E. Grossman, president of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Every new day presents fresh opportunities to be the facility that meeting planners love.”



As we begin the New Year, we wish everyone happiness, good health and prosperity.

Every day the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center welcomes new people and events to our state-of-the-art facility where we’re committed to fresh thinking and new ideas. While we always stay on the leading edge of current trends, one thing that never changes is our commitment to helping the less fortunate in our community.

For the past several years, the Convention Center team has “adopted” families in need during the holiday season through South Florida’s Neighbors 4 Neighbors program. For weeks, we collect new, unwrapped toys and clothing to donate to our adopted family, which never fails to bring countless smiles and appreciation.

This year, we were able to help a family of six living in the Broward County City of Lauderdhill. Facing a possible foreclosure on their home, both mom and dad were extremely grateful for the assistance they received in helping to make this Christmas special for their four children, one of whom is disabled and speech impaired.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to our adopted family and came together as a team to share in our holiday spirit of generosity. This is a tradition we plan to carry on for many years to come!

Sincerely,

The Convention Center Team

Just as potential buyers begin making decisions about purchasing a new home as they approach the front door, we place great importance on our “curb appeal” here at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. The beauty of a front entrance sends a powerful message about the great things to expect inside.

We’re pleased to report that our new landscaping project, which began at the end of August, is proceeding on schedule.  For the U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environment Design) certification for Existing Buildings, we are undergoing a major replacement of plant material and installing a new, more water-efficient, irrigation system.  All the new plants and trees are native to Florida and adaptive to our climate, requiring much less water to keep the landscape looking lush and tropical year-round.

As part of this landscape renovation project, we are taking advantage of the opportunity to revamp the front walkway of the convention center with colorful pavers in a beautiful design that reflects the facility’s motif.  When fully completed by the end of November, our entrance will welcome you with a splendor that rivals the entrance to Disney World!

Our exterior renovation project enhances our convention center in many ways. Its ecological benefits reduce irrigation requirements by using verdant plants and trees indigenous to South Florida which thrive in our climate and yet require less water than other greenery. Installing a micro-drip irrigation system efficiently sends water directly to the roots of plants and trees, using 50 percent less water than a conventional sprinkler system and contributes to our overall project goal of reducing our current water usage of 10 million gallons annually to less than 5 million.

Despite the large investment, we consider this project cost-effective in view of its tremendous appeal. We are creating both a beautiful outdoor environment and a model of sustainable development.  As part of the overall “greening” of our facility, this attractive exterior is sure to delight our guests and help position us as the finest venue for top meetings and conventions.

We look forward to welcoming you soon!

Sustainably yours,

Your Convention Center Team

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a cause near and dear to our hearts here at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale / Broward County Convention Center. Three of our staff members are breast cancer survivors, and many others have been touched by the fight against the disease. To show our support, the Convention Center recently participated in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a 5k walk hosted by the American Cancer Society Broward County and presented by Holy Cross Hospital.

We fundraised for months, meeting and surpassing our fundraising goal of $1,500, and walked to together as a team, along with family and friends, on Saturday, October 9th at Huizenga Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

To date, we have raised more than $2,000! Our ever popular Denim Day proved to be a fundraising success. For a $5 donation, Convention Center staff members were able to enjoy wearing jeans at work to show their support the day before the walk. Many of us paired our denim with pink or our popular Making Strides team t-shirts, designed by our very own Andrea Erion, who just successfully finished her breast cancer treatment.

Making Strides is a celebration that honors survivors, remembers those presently and formerly in the battle, raises funds and increases awareness to help beat this disease.

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.

Not only are we going green at the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center, but one of our biggest annual events is going green, too!

Show Management, the company that produces and manages the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show^®, recently announced it will offset 100 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions from its electricity and fuel usage at the 2010 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show^®, the largest in-water boat show in the world.

“As the saying goes, ‘A rising tide lifts all boats,’ so we are pleased that one of the biggest annual events at our Convention Center, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show^®, shares our commitment to environmental responsibility,” said Mark Gatley, Regional General Manager for the SMG-managed Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center.

In our previous blog posts we shared information about the many eco-friendly decisions we’re making at the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center everyday, from energy and water efficiency and recycling to xeriscape, the products we purchase and more. We are on our way to achieving LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Management, working with Sustainable Options, LLC, Green Building Consultants to register our Convention Center with the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

Both the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center and Show Management are making green power purchases by acquiring carbon offsets to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions from transportation, electricity use, and other sources. As part of the process of achieving LEED Certification, our Convention Center is purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for off-site renewable wind energy systems. The Convention Center’s most recent green power purchase will help keep 20,722,187 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, which can be equated to planting 85,276 fully grown trees!

Show Management’s carbon offsets will prevent more than 264 tons of global carbon dioxide pollution. With this offset purchase, Show Management is helping to build a renewable energy project, the Greensburg Wind Farm in Greensburg, Kan., by providing essential funding.

“The marine industry is all about appreciating and conserving the beauty and wonder of our natural resources,” said Dane Graziano, senior vice president and COO of Show Management.  “We are thrilled that the Convention Center, which is such an important part of our show, shares our commitment to sustainability and is on its way to becoming a LEED-certified venue.”

Entering its 20th consecutive year at the Convention Center and attracting more than 15,000 attendees to our venue, this marine extravaganza features more than $3 billion worth of boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics, engines and thousands of boating accessories from every major marine manufacturer and boat builder across the globe.

As we continue in our efforts to be environmentally friendly, we’re happy when our clients go green too!

Sustainably yours,

The Green Team