Today we’d like to introduce you to Carmen Cacia.
Carmen, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always had a gift and the natural talent to put people and company in the position to succeed no matter how big or small the companies were.
I got my start on April 11th, 1998 at a local restaurant/party house called Golden Ponds in my hometown of Rochester, NY where I still live six months a year today. I immediately showcased my talent and became shift supervisor. I then was looking for the next challenge and what was next to come in the hospitality industry. I then moved up the ladder by receiving the offer to be the Banquet Set-Up Manager at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown Rochester where I became Service Star of the month, Brand Champion, Brand Ambassador and Staff Trainer.
I then realized I was destined for things bigger than Rochester, NY so I decided to test my talents in the South Florida market. Immediately received the job of Banquet Set-Up Manager at the Bonaventure Resort and Spa where I went from one banquet room and a few conference rooms to eleven ballrooms, Amphitheater, eleven conference rooms and four restaurants with a crew running around the clock. Shortly after that, the hotel was purchased by Hyatt and that’s when things took off and would never be the same. They immediately built a Four-Diamond Steakhouse and wanted me to make the transition out of banquets to assist them in this journey to become the hidden gem of Weston, Florida. We were Four-Diamond every year I was there and we were voted the best Steakhouse in Weston. The Steakhouse was the best it has ever been during my time there Then the awards started coming in. I was nominated for Floridas SunSational Award, then I became Employee of the Month, Brand Ambassador, Employee of the Year, then I became a Certified Departmental Food and Beverage Trainer. When the Hyatt decided to depart from the Bonaventure property so did I.
At this time in my life, I decided to try something new and contract myself out to local small restaurants and caterers. I was immediately discovered by local caterers and it took off from there. I was catering an event for them two local wine bar owners who owned Naked Grape Wine and Tapas. They loved my work and asked if I was available to assist at their Wine Bar a couple nights a week. I said, sure. I then assisted them in adding to their current clientele and slowly brought in my own team of employees who have worked for me in the past. We turned out to have a great four-year relationship with each other which resulted in the company’s most profitable years during the company’s eleven-year run. They were able to sell the Wine Bar at its peak and as a thank you, the owners at the time, took me my wife and the entire staff to Paso Robles for a great week of wineries and creamery. I then found myself with so much catering and connections that I started to refer events and staffing to local temp agencies and caterers. I am now looking for the next chapter in my life, so I decided to open Island City Entertainment.
My hopes with this company are in addition to continuing to help refer events and staffing to caterers and agencies, I would like to get involved with assisting local nonprofits and charities with their financial woes and help bring recognition and capital to the Causes and Charities in need. I am currently working on a Concert for Life and have started a GoFundMe campaign called Concert for Life 2018 in the hopes to assist in bringing awareness and financial assistance to some of the many great Causes out there. The goal with that is to hopefully make it an annual event. Even if it doesn’t take off Island City Entertainment plans to continue our effort to grow and make our home a destination for everyone.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
At the moment, very smooth. I feel like I climbed through the rankings enough to understand the business in and out and from every angle to help myself and others.
Island City Entertainment – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We specialize in the assistance of staffing, networking and event referrals. I discovered at a young age that not everyone is groomed for being front and center with networking or going out after clients or business. Our people have an excellent approach, appearance, time management and personal skills.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
There is a few that are hard to put over one another. Winning Employee of the Year at Hyatt which resulted in the company sending me to Hawaii and paying for my beautiful wedding on a mountaintop in Kauai. The other was my success at Naked Grape Wine and Tapas by bringing them to such financial and business success which resulted in them taking is all to Paso Robles for a week-long trip of wineries and creameries. Then the pleasure of being my own boss at 30years of age.
Contact Info:
- Website: Island City Entertainment
- Phone: 585-880-4835
- Facebook: Island City Entertainment
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