Goldenvoice Partners Paul Tollett, Skip Paige & Bill Fold to be Honored as “Businesspersons of the Year” at Palm Springs Chamber Installation and Awards Luncheon
by Amy Blaisdell
Palm Springs is undergoing a historic renaissance as the hippest, most happening resort destination in Southern California and beyond – and much of the city’s success would not be possible without the tremendous contributions of some key community visionaries who will be honored on Thursday, June 5 at the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce’s annual Installation and Awards Luncheon.
The 11:30 a.m. soiree, hosted by Mayor Steve Pougnet, will be held at the Renaissance Hotel Palm Springs, 888 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way.
This year’s outstanding honorees include:
Paul Tollett, Skip Paige and Bill Fold, partners in Goldenvoice, Businesspersons of the Year. Partnering with the Desert Sun, community leader Harold Matzner, the City of Palm Springs, P.S. Resorts, and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Tollett, Paige and Fold produced the hugely successful Tachevah Block Party in downtown Palm Springs, bringing more than 10,000 music fans to the city mid-week between the two Coachella Fest weekends. The trio, recognizing the current renaissance underway in the city, continue to invest in the Palm Springs brand and have additionally forged important partnerships with the Hard Rock Palm Springs, Palm Springs Modernism Week, SplashHouse, a Palm Springs Pool Party – and more projects are in the works.
The Desert Sun Newspaper – Large Business of the Year. One of the largest employers in Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, over the past year the Desert Sun has increasingly focused its coverage on the resurgence of the Palm Springs destination and the renaissance currently underway in the city. In addition, the Desert Sun and executive editor Greg Burton formed a partnership with Goldenvoice, P.S. Resorts, Harold Matzner, the City and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to produce the Tachevah Block Party, a huge economic tourism stimulator which continues to get bigger every year.
Tony Marchese & Mark Van Laanen, owners of Trio Restaurant and the Purple Room – Medium Business of the Year. Marchese and Van Laanen’s hugely successful restaurants, Trio, located in the city’s thriving Uptown Design District and the newly opened supper club Purple Room in South Palm Springs have both played a key role in the resurgence of the Palm Springs destination. Over the past few years, Trio, “Where Palm Springs Eats,” has become one of the most successful dining destinations in Uptown while the Purple Room has fast become the new hot spot to hear live music and entertainment in Palm Springs.
Esser Air Conditioning – Small Business of the Year. One of the most successful air conditioning and heating companies in the Coachella Valley, owner Tim Esser is well known in Palm Springs for his excellent customer service and for founding the world famous Tour De Palm Springs Bike Race, a huge economic stimulator which has given back hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity.
Inaugural Community Vision Award- Harold Matzner, P.S. Resorts, the City of Palm Springs and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. This newly established award celebrates a partnership which over the past few years has developed and/or sponsored several key economic tourism stimulators in the City of Palm Springs which have led to the current renaissance, including the Mayor’s Race and Wellness Festival, Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade, the City’s spectacular 75th anniversary celebration and free screenings of the Steven Soderbergh film “Behind the Candelabra,” Tachevah, a Palm Springs Block Party, the arrival of the wildly successful “Forever Marilyn” sculpture in downtown Palm Springs — and more to come!
In addition to the awards, Ulrich McNulty, president of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce will be turning over the gavel to James Canfield, executive director of the Palm Springs Convention Center. Board of Directors to be installed this year include:
• Carolyn Caldwell, CEO of Desert Regional Medical Center
• Brady Sandahl, HOM Sotheby’s International Realty
• Lance Levitt, Enterprise Rental Car
“The City of Palm Springs is experiencing a tremendous renaissance and it is important we celebrate the business and community leaders who have helped us once again become the hippest, most happening resort destination in Southern California and beyond,” said Mayor Steve Pougnet. “It’s amazing what a business community can accomplish when we work together and I am incredibly proud of our city, truly like no place else.”
Luncheon tickets are $60 per person and may be purchased by visiting www.pschamber.org.
