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October Newsletter
Vol. 5 No. 19

And the Winner Is.....



Fall Greetings:

What an interesting month it has been in South Florida. Luckily most of us came away from Irma's potential direct hit with minimal impact and greater respect for mother nature.

October ramps up our season and many great things are around the corner. We are releasing our annual event calendar to our concierge members listing over 500+ going on in South Florida. This will be sent under a separate email.

A few weeks ago I shared in the pleasure with GMCVB  of recognizing our concierge colleagues and all their efforts from throughout the year by presenting them with the annual White Glove Award. We held a luncheon in their honor at Smith & Wollensky on South Beach and recognized the best of class in various categories. Each nominee received a certificate. Each winner received a plaque and a check for $500.

Check out the AMAZING pictures taken by Paula Osorno


Concierge Affiliate - Chris Mehmel - COMO Metropolitan
Up and Coming Concierge - Frederik Mate - Acqualina
Concierge of the Year - Andres Meneses - JW Marriott Marquis
Lifetime Achievement - Dilip Pathak - Courtyard Cadillac

Congrats to all 23 nominees on your efforts and a special kudos to the winners. They are listed below:

Concierge Affiliate of the Year - Works in a Boutique Hotel as a Front Desk offering Concierge like services

Chris Mehmel - COMO Metropolitan Miami Beach

Up and Coming Concierge - Less than 2 Years of Service

Sara Satty - SLS South Beach
Karla Ferrer - Four Seasons Miami
Frederik Mate - Acqualina Resort and Spa

Concierge of the Year - 2-5 years of Service

Felipe Toro - Ritz Carlton Bal Harbour
Andres Meneses - JW Marriott Marquis
Vachira Perez- Shoreclub
Brenda Santana -Faena Miami Beach
Domingo Llerande - Clevelander and Essex House
David Castro - Mandarin Oriental Miami
Christian Gamarra - Dream South Beach
Keston Superville - 1 Hotel South Beach
Brad Low - W South Beach
Maria Marchi - Fontainebleau Miami Beach

Lifetime Achievement Award - 5 Years or more of service

Andrew Kahn - St. Regis Bal Harbour
Carol Curry - Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne
Gene Ruotolo - Kimpton Epic Miami
Mario Leon Jelves - Nautilus a SIXTY Hotel
Ernesto Aragon - Biltmore Hotel
John Durham - The Hotel South Beach
Dilip Pathak - Courtyard Cadillac Hotel
Brian Bean - Miami Beach Edition
Martin Padro - InterContinental Hotel Downtown Miami

More awards and recognition's to come.

Until next time...

Kind Regards,

Miguel Pena
President / Executive Director
Southern Florida Concierge Association

MEMBER NEWS

ZERO-G Coming to Miami

Flight dates are:
November 4
December 2
December 9
March 17, 2018

 
October Birthdays
10/02 Rebecca Marquez, Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne 
10/02 Daniel Douglas, Setai Hotel 
10/03 Federico Zerla, Grand Beach Hotel Surfside 
10/05 Kleber Topiol, Honorary Member  
10/07 Michael Romei, Honorary Member / Past President 
10/09 Eduardo Rosello, InteContinental Miami 
10/09 Jessica Loren, EDITION
10/10 Claude Dussault, Grand Beach Hotel
10/14 Domingo Llerandi, Clevelander Hotel
10/15 Jonathan Marin, Acqualina
10/15 Nicholas Van Setlak, EDITION
10/16 Erwin Besems, Fontainebleau 
 
 
EVENTS

Miami Attractions Month

OCT 1-31
Various Locations
Miami, FL
Take advantage of promotions and special discounts to Miami's hottest attractions during Miami Attractions Month.
 
Celebrate Orgullo
OCT 1-15 
Various Locations 
Miami, FL 
Kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with 15 days of cultural events in Miami Beach. The Celebrate Orgullo festival highlights the local Hispanic LGBT community and proceeds from events benefit the LGBT Youth Scholarship Fund. Enjoy music, entertainment, food and fun. Ticket prices vary and some events are free.

Fairchild's Annual Bird Festival
OCT 5-8 
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden 
Coral Gables, FL 
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables is hosting its annual Bird Festival. Learn from expert naturalists, conservationists and birders and participate in family-friendly and educational activities throughout the festival. There will also be food and entertainment. Do you have digital photography skills? Enter a contest for a chance to have your photos used in Fairchild marketing materials for next year's event, displayed throughout the Garden and to win an annual Membership. Tickets to the Bird Festival are $25 per person. 
 
Samuel Adams Octoberfest 
OCT 6-8
Mana
Wynwood, Miami, FL
Celebrate Bavarian culture at the eighth annual Samuel Adams Octoberfest in Wynwood. Highlights include an authentic Bavarian Beer Hall with seasonal brews, live music and entertainment, beer games, authentic food and more. There is even an ice luge. Entry is free.

Italian Film Festival
 
OCT 6-8
Colony Theatre
Miami Beach, FL
Enjoy the best short films and documentaries that Cinema Italia has to offer. The Italian Film Festival takes place at the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road in South Beach. Tickets start at $12 per person.
 
Miami Broward One Carnival
OCT 8
Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds
Miami, FL 
Dress in masquerade style and celebrate the heritage and traditions of the Caribbean at the
held at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds. The event includes authentic eats, live music, lively parades and contests. Ticket prices vary and start at $10 per person.


III Points Music Festival
OCT 13-15
Mana
Wynwood, Miami, FL
Enjoy three days of international art and live performances during the III Points Festival at Mana Wynwood. The festival will showcase both local and international artists and will include street installations, gallery shows, lectures, panels, parties, performances and more. Tickets start at $190 per person for three-day admission.
 
Grovetoberfest
OCT 14
Peacock Park
Coconut Grove, Miami, FL
Join Miami locals for the ultimate craft beer experience in South Florida. Located at Peacock Park in Coconut Grove, Grovetoberfest offers festival-goers the opportunity for unlimited samples from a variety of 400 local and regional brews. Tickets start at $44 for general 4 p.m. admission, $74 for "Beer Socialite" 3 p.m. admission, a souvenir pint glass and a backpack, and $89 for VIP 2 p.m. admission, a souvenir pint glass and a t-shirt.

Redland Growfest
 
OCT 14-15 
Fruit & Spice Park 
Homestead, FL 
Get great cooking and gardening tips at the Redland GrowFest at the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead. The festival will feature workshops, presentations and cooking demos. Tickets in advance are $8 per person or $10 at the door. Children under 12 are free. 
 
Sports
SPORTS
Miami Marlins

Post Season TBA









Miami Dolphins
vs. Tennessee
OCT 8: 1PM 

Hard Rock Stadium
347 Don Shula Drive
Miami Gardens, FL 33056
ArtsConcerts
ARTS & CONCERTS
Building the Wall

SEPT 21 - OCT 8
Adrienne Arsht PAC
Miami, FL
Written by Robert Schenkkan immediately prior to the recent presidential election, inspired by Candidate Donald Trump and his anti-immigration campaign rhetoric, Building the Wall  reveals a scenario of how campaign promises made law might lead to a terrifying, seemingly inconceivable, yet inevitable conclusion.

John Mulaney

SEPT 29: 7:00PM
Adrienne Arsht PAC
Miami, FL
John Mulaney is an Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian. He most recently starred in the Broadway hit, "Oh, Hello on Broadway" alongside Nick Kroll. In 2015 Mulaney released his 3rd hour stand up special a Netflix Original titled "THE COMEBACK KID" which the AV Club called "his best hour of his career."

Concerts in South Florida
FeaturedRestaurants
FEATURED RESTAURANTS
Stubborn Seed

101 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139
786-322-5211
Stubborn Seed is the result of pairing unrelenting passion with an unapologetic approach. It aims to unearth cravings of the palate while constructing a reward in each bite. This philosophy takes honest ingredients and elevates them to be splendidly elegant through rigid and persistent execution.

Stiltsville Fish Bar

1787 Purdy Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
786-3353-0477
Located in the heart of the Sunset Harbor neighborhood, Stiltsville Fish Bar encapsulates a relaxed and casual neighborhood restaurant. Drawing locals in for quality Seafood & Key West inspired drinks, the restaurant is centered around the glistening view of the harbor and stunning sunsets.

Glam Vegan

3301 NE 1st Ave, Suite 103-1, Miami, FL 33137
786-864-0590
Vegan food made for vegans and non-vegans alike is the aim of the newly opened GLAM. Featuring a menu of global inspired dishes like al pastor tacos made with jackfruit in lieu of pork, cashew cream based risotto and a variety of soups, salads and flatbreads, it will make even the most vegetable hesitant a fan of vegan cuisine.
Fabulous5
FABULOUS 5
Extreme Everglades Tours

If you are a Tourist in Florida, discover something new!!! A great party awaits you at Big Cypress National Preserve at Everglades National Park!! Discover a magical place in Miami and adventure through the core of Big Cypress while listening to your favorite music aboard our spectacular 4x4 vehicles that allow you to have direct contact with the geology, history and culture of Big Cypress.
 
Fly a Fighter Jet

A fantastic L-39, sun and fun - that's what's waiting for you in Tampa, Florida. Get ready to take a Florida Fighter Jet Instruction Flight in the L-39 Albatros military jet right above the gulf of Mexico. This L-39 jet is also used by the Russian cosmonauts and fighter pilots for training. It is a perfect trainer. Students will get the opportunity to fly this exciting and responsive jet under the close supervision of flight instructors. No flight experience is needed to take part in a fighter jet training flight.

Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing

Miami Wake Academy was born from a love of watersports and Miami's lack of quality watersports coaching. We have experience teaching five-year-olds to 65-year-olds and everyone in between. Our small owner operated company brings you the personal touch that makes a huge difference compared to waterpark style companies that treat their riders impersonally due to the corporations disconnect from riders.

Personal Speedboat Tour

Experience the adventure of a lifetime on our Speed Boat Adventure Tour. A guided and narrated Tour of Biscayne Bay with a twist. You are able to navigate and captain your own speedboat for the entirety of the tour while following our trained and knowledgeable guides to experience the best of both worlds - the THRILL of driving your own speedboat, and the safety of having a skilled guide introduce you to the beauty of Miami's Biscayne Bay.

Mountain Biking on beautiful Virginia Key

Located on the north end of Virginia Key, the mountain trail was built by hand through volunteers from the Virginia Key Bike Club (VKBC) with resources provided by the City of Miami. The trails have been built to allow all levels of bicyclists access to the opportunity to be surrounded by nature and water (Biscayne Bay) in the heart of Miami while getting the thrills of mountain biking.
CoolApps
COOL APPS
Wikipedia Mobile 
Wikipedia finally made a revised version of its iOS app, which aims to give you better recommendations for content that you're interested in and match you with articles that pertain to your interests. The app now offers users an "Explore" feed with a number of the most popular articles, as well as a featured article and picture of the day.

Signal 
Signal, from Open Whisper Systems, is one of the most highly recommended apps when it comes to chat encryption and security. This app has military grade encryption for all your messaging and voice calls. It supports sending texts, voice calls, group messages, and sending media attachments. Edward Snowden famously recommended this app, which makes it a top pick for people who are looking for security, first and foremost.
Tab 
Everyone dreads the moment when it's finally time to split up the check. Tab makes it easy. The app allows you to snap a photo of your receipt, designate items for individuals in your group, and split up the prices, tax, and tip. You can share the receipt with others, and the app even supports Venmo - so there's no excuse for that one friend who always seems to dodge the bill.
WallOfFame
WALL OF FAME
Submit your TripAdvisor reviews to info@sfcaonline.com to be featured in the Maestro.

Cadillac Courtyard 
I would like to send out a great big "Thank You" to Dilip Pathak for helping me during my stay at the hotel in Miami. It was awhile back (July 7-8 2017), but I just found the information about him. He was wonderful and supportive to me when I lost my prescription sunglasses - I arrived on an Uber ride from a cruise ship and lost my sunglasses in the car. When I finally located my Uber driver, he only spoke Spanish. Mr. Pathak was able to speak to the driver and get him to return to the hotel with my sunglasses. He went beyond his job to help - as did several other employees (both outside and at the front desk) as my sisters, mom and I were celebrating my mom's 80th birthday in Miami. Thank you!!!! He helped make the trip a memorable one!

The Hotel 
Thanks to John for showing us a great time and stay.    

The Miami Beach EDITION
I had the pleasure of staying recently at EDITION, and used the services of the concierge team extensively. They arranged my tours, dining, helped with all my questions regarding shopping and Miami. The team is led by Brian, who has a vast knowledge of Miami (he wears the important golden keys!) and is eager to share his expertise. Joey, Jessica, Youssef and Nicholas were amazing too. I feel like I made new friends! 
 
TELEPORTATION
Arts & Concerts
Featured Restaurants
Fabulous 5
Cool Apps
Wall of Fame
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