JetBlue Airlines Named “Large Business of the Year;” Palm Springs Modernism Week, Arrive Hotel Developers, Palm Springs Style Magazine, Bella daBall and Other City Stars Honored June 2 at the Renaissance Palm Springs
By Amy Blaisdell
As the City of Palm Springs continues to experience a historic renaissance as one of the hippest, most happening, ultra-cool resort destinations in the country, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce will present its annual awards to a host of glittering community stars on Thursday, June 2 at its annual awards and installation luncheon.
The 11:30 a.m. event will be held at the Renaissance Palm Springs, 888 Tahquitz Canyon Way. The galaxy of city stars slated to be honored include:
Ezra Callahan, Chris Pardo, Peter Karpinski, Chris Putnam, David Isen, Matt Steinberg, “Business Persons of the Year” – These six entrepreneurs had a dream to build a new hotel from the ground up in Palm Springs, a feat which had not been accomplished in decades. Mission accomplished! With the recent opening of the new 32-room Arrive Hotel in the City’s Uptown Design District, the dream is reality and a new generation of visitors is flocking to Palm Springs to hang by the pool and enjoy gorgeous mountain vistas and high tech amenities never seen before in a Palm Springs boutique hotel. Not to mention, the Arrive has received unprecedented media buzz which has hipsters excited to literally “arrive” in town for a one-of-a-kind vacation. To check in, visit www.ArriveHotel.com.
JetBlue Airlines, “Large Business of the Year” – Thanks to the arrival of a wildly successful new seasonal non-stop flight to and from New York City to Palm Springs International Airport, JetBlue Airlines has served as a tremendous economic booster to the City of Palm Springs and the entire Coachella Valley, providing new jobs and countless tourism dollars to local businesses and hospitality partners. The popularity of these new flights literally had East Coasters “chomping at ice” to get out of the cold to sunny Palm Springs and the word is JetBlue customers are so enamoured with the Palm Springs destination… they’re never leaving! For ticket information, visit www.JetBlue.com.
Sherman’s Deli and Bakery, “Medium Size Business of the Year” – One of the City’s longest running and most successful deli’s, Sherman’s is a true Palm Springs icon and a favorite among locals and visitors alike who appreciate the delicious food and excellent customer service provided by Sherman’s son Sam Harris and his much loved staff. Sinatra and all the stars of the desert used to dine at Sherman’s… and today you’ll find some of the biggest stars in the world still love Sherman’s Deli and Bakery. View the menu at www.ShermansDeli.com
Locations 760, “Small Business of the Year Award” – Locations 760 owner Kip Serafin specializes in worldwide location scouting and logistics management for large corporations, film, photo shoots and event management at a host of iconic Palm Springs celebrity homes, hotels and other locations. The company may be best known for securing the iconic Bob Hope estate in Southridge for the Louis Vuitton Cruise 16 Collection last May in Palm Springs. The event was major economic booster and brought hundreds of global fashion and business insiders to town, not to mention celebrities from all over the world and more than 15 million media impressions. Visit www.Locations760.com for more information.
Coachella Valley iHub, “Business Innovation Award” – This award goes to a visionary non-profit or organization working to create jobs, stimulate the local economy and transform the business community through innovation. Operated by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership, the iHub is a state-designated incubator funded by the City of Palm Springs, Desert Healthcare District and Wells Fargo Bank which focuses on cutting-edge start-up businesses in the renewable energy and associated technology space. For more information about the iHub, visit www.CVEP.com.
Officer Baron Lane, Palm Springs Police Department, “Business Community Appreciation Award” – Officer Lane has served as the Police Department ‘s liaison to the homeless community and to local businesses impacted by the many issues surrounding the problem of homelessness in their neighborhoods. Lane has been an invaluable asset to businesses looking for assistance and his tireless commitment and dedication to serving our community has been unparalleled.
Hot Purple Energy, “Green Business Award” – This solar company is much appreciated in Palm Springs for its commitment to the environment, excellent customer service and for an incredible cost-saving solar installation at Las Casuelas Terraza in downtown Palm Springs. In addition, owner Nate Otto was a long-time member of the City of Palm Springs Sustainability Commission and his dedication to helping businesses “go green” is well known throughout the Coachella Valley.
Palm Springs Style Magazine, “The Palm Springs Buzz Award” – The city’s coolest new magazine celebrates the iconic style of Palm Springs… and it’s called Palm Springs Style of course! Editor and publisher Katy Carrier’s beautifully photographed magazine publishes four times a year and has become a must read for locals and visitors alike — showcasing the city’s fashion, architecture, local shops, boutiques, designers, restaurants and super chic resorts with a distinctly stylish Palm Springs flair that everyone is buzzing about! Visit www.PalmSpringsStyle.com to catch a glimpse.
Palm Springs Modernism Week, “Community Vision Award” – With more than 80,000 lovers of the City’s famed mid-century modern architecture in town this past February, Modernism Week is a uniquely visionary 10-day special event that has reached the greatest of heights over the past 12 years, boosting the city’s economy and forever transforming Palm Springs into an international mecca when it comes to celebrating the aesthetics of all things modern. In addition, a new preview week has been added in October which continues to bring the spotlight to Palm Springs. Visit www.ModernismWeek.com for the latest on next year’s swanky events and happenings.
Bella daBall, “PS I Love You Award” – Brian Wanzek, also known as Bella daBall, is one of the city’s most recognizable and exuberant ambassadors. Often called upon to serve as emcee at local charitable events, ribbon-cuttings and grand openings, residents and visitors alike have become so enamoured of Bella, she’s become a city celebrity whose passion for Palm Springs is known far and wide as a blogger for Huffington Post and one of the stars of a recent national advertising campaign for the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism.
Kristy Kneiding, Desert Tasty Tours, “Entrepreneur of the Year” – Kneiding, a self-described foodie, is the founder of Desert Tasty Tours, an innovative company which provides walking tours and a yummy “Taste of Palm Springs” from some of the city’s most fabulous dining destinations. Eating your way through the tour is just one of the many ingredients… add a dash of Palm Springs history, a cup of culture and a dollup of famous resident name dropping… and you get a delicious day of fun along legendary Palm Canyon Drive. For more info, visit www.DesertTastyTours.com
Candice Held Palm Springs, “Rising Star Award” – Palm Springs fashion designer Candice Held designs her own original prints for elegant scarves and unique silk scarf dresses at her flagship boutique located in the Shops at Thirteen Forty Five on North Palm Canyon Drive. Held has even designed a signature “Palm Springs Scarf.” Celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Maria Sharapova and Tyra Banks are big fans of Held’s colorful designs which perfectly complement the iconic Palm Springs style. To see the stylish designs everyone is talking about, visit www.CandiceHeld.com.
Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, “Superstar Award” – As Palm Springs continues to experience a renaissance as one of the hippest, most happening, ultra-cool resort destinations in the country, this incredible success is due in large part to the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism, whose mission is to market the iconic Palm Springs “Like No Place Else” brand to visitors from around the world. Thanks to their tremendous success, local business is thriving, developers are investing in new hotel properties and renovations, the City’s hotel transient occupancy tax is soaring, airlines like JetBlue and WestJet continue to add flights and global brands like Kimpton, Andaz and Virgin are chomping at the bit to serve a new demographic of younger visitors excited about the city’s ultra-cool vibe. Go to www.VisitPalmSprings.com to check out the bureau’s phenomenal work promoting Palm Springs, like no place else!
“It’s definitely an “A” list of award honorees this year,” said Nona Watson, CEO of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce. “We are thrilled to be paying tribute to the innovative people and businesses that are such an important part of the magic that makes Palm Springs like no place else and we thank them for investing our city.”
For tickets, call (760) 325-1577 or visit www.pschamber.org.
