Hospitality leader creates a boon for the Miami job market and delivers local gourmet flavors to over 40,000 guests at North America's premier art exhibition

STAMFORD, Conn. (December 7, 2009) -- Centerplate, the hospitality partner to North America's premier convention centers and entertainment venues, is proud to have supported the Miami Beach Convention Center in hosting the eighth edition of Art Basel Miami Beach, the nation's most prestigious and cutting edge art exhibition, from December 3 to 6. Centerplate brought on over 500 new staff to help facilitate all facets of culinary and service execution, offering both innovative menu concepts and the best of Miami's gourmet traditions to the upper echelon art scene and exclusive celebrity clientele that included Sylvester Stallone, Calvin Klein and Pharell Williams. Centerplate served over 60,000 meals to the exhibition's 40,000 guests, with efforts ranging from catering the exclusive Vernissage gala held on December 2 to providing gourmet culinary offerings at each of its restaurants throughout the four-day event.

The Swiss-born Art Basel show, this year featuring collections from Joan Miro, Raymond Pettibon and Tom Sachs, allowed Centerplate to provide an economic boon to the Miami community, nearly quadrupling its workforce from its usual annual staff of 200 to 300 team members. The art show, similarly, showed an optimistic increase in its art sales over last year. The four-room exhibition hall at the Miami Beach Convention Center was home to nearly 30 restaurant locations, coffee bars, smoothie shops and champagne stations. During the four-day event, Centerplate served over 4,800 bottles of Perrier Jouet Champagne, 17,000 bottles of Fiji water, 8,400 orders of sushi and 600 pounds of gulf coast shrimp.

Jonathan Barnett, Centerplate's Executive Chef at the Miami Beach Convention Center, oversaw a hand-picked team of Centerplate's culinary superstars including Carmen Callo from the Colorado Convention Center, Robert Prahst from Orlando's Orange County Convention Center and Josh St Pierre and James Boyd from Tropicana Field. Barnett worked with Art Basel's Swiss culinary liaison to create menus both in keeping with the event's flare for creative execution and Miami's own culinary persona. The menu for Wednesday's Media Reception included Churrasco Beef Chimichurri Kebobs with Parsley-Garlic Marinade, Ceviche Shooters with Florida Gulf Shrimp and Profiterole with Tuna Mousse. Visitors also enjoyed Nigiri Sushi, Cuban Paninis and Grilled Blue Fin Tuna Nicoise Salads at various restaurant locations.

"We are dedicated to the Miami community and are proud to have supported the local economy with hundreds of new jobs for the eighth edition of Art Basel Miami Beach," said Eric Bayne, Centerplate's General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center, who traveled to Switzerland to experience the original event, allowing him to help craft the distinctly American counterpart. "Our inspired culinary offerings were a perfect fit for Art Basel's arbiters of taste."

"We are proud to host guests from the art community and around the world," said Anwar Frick for Art Basel. "With Centerplate's unwavering commitment to culinary excellence, we look forward to continuing to deliver best-in-class service to each and every attendee for years to come."

Centerplate's successful service at Art Basel Miami Beach comes on the heels of its announcement of a 100 percent biodegradable foodservice solution at Orlando's Orange County Convention Center, a move that dramatically reduces the environmental impact of the nation's second largest convention center. Centerplate is also preparing menus as hospitality partner to Super Bowl XLIV at South Florida's Dolphin Stadium as well as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

About Centerplate

Centerplate crafts and delivers extraordinary entertainment experiences in more than 260 prominent sports, entertainment and convention venues across North America. Centerplate has provided services to Super Bowl XLII, the Belmont Stakes, key events for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, and six official Presidential Inaugural Balls. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com.