COOLHAUS: Mobile Food Craze Hits Miami!

At the VIBE Agency, we always love finding new and cool products and COOLHAUS has definitely cornered the market on cool, not only in concept, deliciousness and designer food – but for your next event as well!

 If you don’t know COOLHAUS, let us tell you a little about them.

Let’s start with three intriguing words that when stuck together create something that might raise your eyebrow – artisanal ice cream.  Yep, you read that right!

 It’s no secret that food trucks have taken Los Angeles by storm and are popping up in cities nationwide.  In act, I’d say there’s a cult following that is ready to take the whole country by storm.    If you’re not hip to the secret…you can now get cuisines from all over the world served up from trucks that we used to call the Roach Coaches.  Mixing a great idea with a foodie’s dream, mobile dining is reaching new heights on the “coolest thing ever” billboard.

These designer spin-offs are nothing like their predecessors and offer up delicious gastronomy in a variety of styles while inspiring flash mob style gatherings wherever they show up. COOLHAUS has taken the concept of mobile dining to another level with their take on savory and sweet ice cream sandwiches and architecture…and…they are RIGHT HERE IN MIAMI!

COOLHAUS, an architecture- inspired ice cream truck owned by partners Natasha Case and Freya Estreller, can usually be found parked at farmers markets, crafts fairs and the like. Their only product is an American favorite, an ice cream sandwich – AKA a generous scoop of gourmet ice cream wedged between a pair of chewy cookies, and served in edible rice paper.

Flavors are named after well-known architects.  Try out delicacies like Brown Butter and Candied Bacon ice cream on Chocolate Chip cookies. Or maybe our seasonal Olive Oil Rosemary ice cream on Brioche cookies will do the trick. Going classic never hurt either – Mies Vanilla Rohe (Vanilla ice cream + Chocolate Chip cookie) or Frank Berry (Strawberry ice cream + Snicker doodle cookie) are both very respectable choices.  Designer and ice cream lovers should seek out the pink-topped, converted postal truck to indulge in a unique take on everyone’s favorite snack!

On top of just being plain cool, COOLHAUS is SUSTAINABLE!

But first and foremost is our dedication to quality and sustainability. Every COOLHAUS Ice Cream Sandwich is all-natural, handmade and organic whenever possible. Our dairy is sustainably produced and artificial growth hormone free. We use local and seasonal farmer’s market fresh ingredients. Plus, every ice cream sandwich is wrapped in a customizable edible wrapper that is all-natural and calorie-free. Talk about being Green! Instead of throwing away your wrapper, you get to eat it! Not to mention, the wrapper can be printed on with edible ink, which means it can sport your company logo, birthday mug-shot, or a message to friends.  Now if that deal wasn’t sweet enough on its own, we can book them for your next private event.  With packages to rival any sweet tooth or tickle the fancy of a the most distinguished palate here is a new take on food for your event that will have your guests going wild. We agree that it’s the perfect marriage of creativity and sustainability.

So, where can you find these outrageously delicious ice cream “sammies”?  Check out their website at www.eatcoolhaus.com or follow them on Twitter @COOLHAUSMIA to find out when they will be near you, or you can reach us at valerie@thevibeagency.com to get information and a sweet deal for your next event.

*This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. We write for our own purposes. However, we may be influenced by our background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.

**The owner of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.  

RFP’s – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly!

As business owners, we all love receiving those RFP’s (Request for Proposal) because when they cross our desks because they mean there’s an opportunity to win some business.  But I’m not going to lie, there are times they make my heart sink.    A poorly written RFP can drive me over the edge of a cliff in frustration.  It costs time and money when it’s not complete and thorough.

A well thought out RFP makes me smile…it means we can be more creative, more productive and save our clients extra phone calls, emails and often times MONEY.  Most importantly, our clients receive better quotes to help manage their budgets.   Let’s face it, these days it all comes down to the bottom line after all is said and done, doesn’t it?

RFP’s area consistently hot topic and one that will most likely keep coming up over and over…so in the meantime, until we figure out a solution to fix the problem, here are some things that MUST be included when putting together an RFP for a program.

1. Include the program and its history.  This should include destinations and locations where you’ve held the program before (especially if it’s in the same city every year and you are looking for a venue or theme that’s different).
2.  What are the dates of the program?  If you don’t know, then give your preferred dates.  When dealing with destinations and hotels, rates can change between high and low seasons which can have a major impact on the overall budget.  If you start planning early enough, there are many ways that event professionals can help you save money when choosing a destination or venue for your program.
3. What’s the objective of the program?  Is it a sales meeting or an incentive trip? Tell us why you are having the event.  There are many different ways we can tailor a program to deliver your message from start to finish.
4. Tell us what’s important and what’s not.  What level of food and beverage do you like?  What amenities do you want the hotel or venue to have?  Do you want room gifts?  Group transfer or individual car service.  Do you want headline entertainment or a show band?  Every detail helps an overall picture emerge that will help us provide you with exactly the right program.
5. Tell us about the demographic of the guests that are attending.  How many people will be attending?  What is the age range?  Level within the organization?  All men?  All women?  Will there be spouses or significant others? Can they understand or speak English or are they all from Japan or France and we need to consider translation in the budget? I would propose a completely different idea for a Japanese client than I would for a Turkish client.
6. PLEASE give us a budget.  It saves time to know rather than guessing and redoing a proposal and budget over and over.  Even if it’s a first time program, there is still money allotted to it, so put it out there.  I promise we will still be creative no matter the budget!
7. Give us an agenda or outline of the program. If you don’t know, then we can assist you in creating one from those objectives that you’ve given us above.  That way we have parameters to base the proposal on – again saving time and money!
8. Do you have any existing contracts that you need to respect which could impact your program?  It’s important to consider anything that could have an impact on your budget for your program.
9. What are your audio/visual needs?  We’re going to ask questions like how many speakers?  How many awards?  Do you need A/V in breakout rooms?   No detail is too small.
10. Do you need Team Building? What about recreational components? What have you done in the past?
11. Tell us what worked and what didn’t in past programs.  Share as much information from your last program as possible.  We need to know so we can either capitalize on them or stay far away from them. Investing the money into a proposal and then pitching something the CEO hates or was disastrous hinders our ability to win the business.  In addition, we like to be original, if we know what you did last year, we don’t want to suggest the same thing again – we want to raise the bar!

Great RFP’s set your suppliers up for success…and when we are successful…you ARE the star.  As an event planner, I realize I have sounded like I’m addressing only clients, but we all must pause and remember…we are OUR suppliers, clients…all of us need to be specific and thorough in requesting proposals.  If we do that, we all will win in the end.

While I realize that these ten questions are just the tip of the iceberg, I’d love to hear what questions you think are good to include in addition to the ones I’ve listed out here.  Perhaps once I your suggestions, we can begin to create a standard RFP form that will make everyone’s life a little easier.  What say you?

I’ve got to run – that RFP that prompted this blog topic is calling my name.  Please don’t forget to send in your RFP question suggestions to valerie@thevibeagency.com

We Love To Celebrate! This One’s For YOU!!!!

With as hard as we work as event planners, we learn to celebrate every moment that we can we it comes upon us.  Last year I had the pleasure of being bestowed with a Proclamation from the Mayor of Miami which declares May 26^th as Valerie Bihet Day.

Whoohoo! -  another reason to celebrate how hard we work at the the Vibe Agency to create programs that creatively deliver the message of our client’s objectives.    While this may not hold national holiday status for everyone…in our hearts it is certainly a reminder to stop, smell the roses and appreciate all that our passion and hard work has accomplished.  It’s the little things that truly make this crazy and chaotic lifestyle so worthwhile…and this Proclamation is one of them.

I share this with my staff, my clients and all the countless people that I work with, for if it were not for the people that surround me with support, we would not be nearly as successful.

Please stop for a moment, accept my thanks and gratitude.  If you’re a client, thank you for your trust and your business.  If you are part of our team, thank you for your hard work and dedication.  If you’re a partner, thank you for working together with us to create spectacular programs that raise the bar in the world of meetings and events.

So on May 26^th….stop, smile, and raise a glass.  I’ll be saluting you!!!!  Yes, it’s time to celebrate YOU!

It’s ICY HOT in Orlando!

We always love to share awesome new ideas and cool products with you, but today, we have a venue that we think is just icy cool!  I got to spend some time chatting with the owner of the venue, Patz Turner, and the more we chatted, the more enthusiastic I became.  She has such a clear vision of how the venue can become not just visually stunning, but in delivering the message that you need to communicate to your guests.

There are so many different ideas that we can put into play in this flexible venue, we are out looking for the perfect client to take there.  Let’s tell you a bit about it.

From customized vodka tastings and 27 different varieties and flavors of vodka to choose from, the experience and the variety of drink packages are as flexible as you need them to be.  Even the glasses are created from ice.  As Patz likes to say, “We serve our drinks, in the rocks, not on them.”  What fun!

In addition to a creative beverage package, Patz loves getting creative with the menus they design.  From the wildly exotic to the more traditional menus, food can be as spectacular as you want it to be in a manner that will suit your budget perfectly.  Don’t you just love this place already?

The final sell to us is the many custom branding options to make the venue your own.  From the four flat screens outside the entrance to a projector wall in the venue, the opportunities abound to deliver any message effectively.  With custom ice carving services available in house,  you can really get your company logo and message into the ice.

So, you’re intrigued, but like any great planner out there, you want to know the details.  We understand.  Let’s take a look!

Conveniently located in the heart of Orlando’s tourist district less than a mile from the Convention Center, ICEBAR Orlando is the perfect event venue within walking distance of nearby hotels and the convention center.

From corporate functions, meetings, receptions, product launch and dinners to an unconventional tradeshow booth option – whatever the occasion, you’ll find attentive service and an unforgettable experience at the ICEBAR.

• There is over 4,000 sq. ft. of function space in addition to the ICEBAR itself.
• The space can be configured to handle a wide range of functions
• Space for groups from 50 to 875 guests
• Partial and full buy outs available
• Outdoor Polar Patio for private gatherings or additional event space
• Wide range of food and beverage options available.
• Sophisticated audio-visual services and  wireless internet access
• Custom designed ice sculptures and carving available
• Complimentary parking for 200 cars adjacent to facility

See?  What did we tell you?  Whatever the requirements of your event, the ICEBAR experience can be individually tailored to ensure your event is chillingly successful!  Take a moment and find out more about ICEBAR Orlando at www.icebarorlando.com or contact valerie@thevibeagency.com.  We think we’ve just stumbled onto the hottest cool venue ever…just in time for summer!