The Search for 2010 Administrative Professional is On!

Nomination forms have just been sent out by us as we prepare to host the second annual ‘Administrative Professional of The Year Awards’ ceremony on Administrative Professionals Day, Wednesday 21nd of April at 6.30p.m., at Celebrations Concierge Lounge in the Mirco Centre.

Administrative Professionals Day formerly known as Secretary's Day is an unofficial secular holiday observed on the Wednesday of the last full week of April to recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals. Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for community events, social gatherings, and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff with gifts of appreciation. The day is often celebrated by giving one's assistant such gifts as flowers, gift baskets and gift cards.

In recent years we have seen Administrative Professionals Week grow in significance in Grand Cayman. Employers are aware of the importance of rewarding and encouraging their staff. We decided last year that that we would like to go a step further and create an award nomination process culminating with one deserving person receiving the top award for Administrative Professional of The Year. Last year’s winner was Cindy Tiofilo of Dart Management Ltd. Cindy was nominated by colleague Jennifer Huys. Read more about it here!

The winner will receive a beautiful plaque, a wonderful first prize gift package including a Digicel Blackberry, Westin Hibiscus Spa Gift Certificate and a Celebrations Gift Voucher. Veuve Clicquot, courtesy of Blackbeards, will also be served during the awards ceremony.

We encourage everyone to nominate a colleague or employee that they think is worthy of receiving the ‘Administrative Professional of The Year’ Award. This is an exciting new way to recognize outstanding employees and colleagues. It only takes two minutes to nominate somebody, click here to fill out to the nomination form.

Nominations can also be made by emailing customerservice@celebrationsltd.com and requesting a nomination form. A panel of judges will select five finalists who will all be notified accordingly. All nominees will be invited to the ceremony along with the person who nominated them and the winner will be announced at the Award Ceremony on Administrative Professionals Day.

Administrative Professional of the Year Winner Chosen

Celebrations have successfully hosted Cayman's first ‘Annual Administrative Professional of The Year Awards’. The Champagne Cocktail Reception & Ceremony was held on Wednesday 22nd of April at 6.30p.m. in their Concierge Lounge located in the Mirco Centre.

Celebrations joined forces with Digicel to give away an amazing prize for the winner who received a beautiful plaque, a Gold Blackberry Pearl, $100 Celebrations’ gift card and bouquet of flowers. There were also four other finalists who received bouquets. All Nominees received a Certificate recognizing their hard work and dedication.

After much deliberation, with so many worthy applicants, with nominees coming from both sectors: government & corporate, our panel of judges announced the winner to be Cindy Tiofilo of Dart Management Ltd. who was nominated by Jenni Huys for her outstanding commitment to their organization. Cindy was delighted to receive her award having worked with Dart for the past 11years and considered it an important professional achievement in her life, she advises to always have a positive attitude and do everything to the best of your ability. Elfreda Ebanks (AON Management), Lisa Welman (Nelson & Company), Antonella Masabo (Ritz Carlton) and Chastine Rankine (Immigration) were the four finalists each who received a stunning floral bouquet.

Cindy Tiofilo of Dart being awarded her plaque by Jo Anne Brown of Celebrations

Jo Anne Brown flanked by the finalists from L-R:Chastine Rankine of Immigration, Lisa Welman of Nelson & company, Cindy Tiofilo of Dart Management, Antonella Masabo of Ritz Carlton Cayman, Nora Ebanks on behalf of Elfreda Ebanks of AON Management.

Mr. Phillip Jackson, President of CIHRSP attended the Awards Ceremony and was invited to speak to all the attendees about the importance of motivating staff, especially during this current economic climate when staff need to be as diligent and effective as possible in their respective roles.

Phillip Jackson president of the Cayman Islands Society of Human Resources Profesional

Jo-Anne Brown, Managing Director of Celebrations also addressed the attendees and outlined the importance of recognizing, appreciating and rewarding staff, stating that Administrative Professional’s Week has become one of the largest workplace observances worldwide.

Adonza Harrison of Home Gas, who attended the Awards, said of the nominees “It was inspiring to see their appreciation of being recognized. By holding these Awards, Celebrations are making a huge difference in the workplace, not just for the nominees but for the persons nominating!”

‘We had a very positive response from all attendees and are looking forward to an even bigger and better awards Ceremony in 2010!’, Mrs. Brown added.

Celebrations would like to thank Digicel and Mr. Phillip Jackson for their support and participation in the first Awards Ceremony of this kind to be held in the Cayman Islands.

Nominations for Administrative Professional of the Year

What started out as just as small idea is now turning into something really BIG! And I'm really excited about it.

As part of our efforts to make more people aware of Administrative Professional's Week or Secretary's Week, we came up with an award wherein local companies can nominate anyone within their ranks who they think is doing an outstanding job. When we sent out the email asking people to fill-in the nomination forms, we were quite aprehensive as to how people would react to it.

Lo and behold! After the initial email asking people to nominate either a friend, a colleague or an employee, we've received quite a number of nominations from different companies! It is always great for companies to reward and recognize hardwork. Nothing motivates a workforce better than recognition and appreciation.

Here's a complete list of all the nominees, so far .( this list will be updated whenever a nomination comes in)

1.Brittany Webster of ICG Management

2.Charlotte Wright of Kirk Freeport

3.Charmaine Beezer-Tanis of Global Captive Management

4.Chastine Rankine of Dept. of Immigration

5.Claudia Packer of Solomon Harris

6.Claudine Dixon-Dubrey of Celebrations

7.Dianne Gordon of Trident Trust

8.Elaine Whitefield of Butterfield Bank

9.Elfreda Ebanks of Aon Insurance Managers

10.Florence Manderson of Cayman Islands Dept. of Tourism

11.Jane van der Bol of AutoHaus

12.Karen Williams of Solomon Harris

13.Lavinia Hernandez of Maitland Attorney at Law

14.Lisa Welman of Nelson & Company

15.Michael Amelio of Mike's Ice

16.Norjehan Marsangca of Kozaily Designs Limited

17.Pamella Small of Westar

18.Roxan Bolt of DMS Broadcasting

19.Shahla Gilman of Chrissie Tomlinson Hospital

20.Stephanie Sommerville of REMAX

21.Susan Bonham of Cayman National Bank

22.Talitha Kitti Conolly of Walker's

23.Gillian Davidson of Picture This!

24.Wilma McLaughlin of Junior Achievement

25. Sasha Carrig of Digicel Group

26. Carol Caputo of Apex Videos

27. Julie Campbell of Dept. of Environment

28. Suzie Lidstone of Teachus Ltd

29.Annelize Dupreez of Mike's Ice

30.Monica Singh of UCCI

31.Kim Bullings of CI Government

32.Daphlyn Solomon of Foster's Group

33.Antoinette Hewitt of Tortuga Rums

34.Ionie Blazevic of Mourant

35.Charlotte Rankine of Hurley's Group

36.Estella Powery of CI Government

37.Vicky Pitta of Boatswain's Beach

38.Maria Romero of Courtyard Marriott

39. Alva Mae or Sue Wood of CIMBOCO

40.Debra Barnes-Tabora of National Museum

41.Glenda Duarte

42.Ethel Mclean of Barclay's

43.Sanalee Colon of CWCO

44. Sandra McKenzie of GCBS

45.May Ursua of St. Ignatius

46.Jacqueline Hennings of CI Government

47.Karen Edie of Edie's Decor

48.Michelle Ebanks-Barnes of Workplace Environment

49.Rachael Hanson of Furniture Depot

50.Rosita Brown of Reliable Industries

51.Shirley Morse of Cayman Distributors

52.Lorna Reid

53.Roxy Oliver of Celebrations

54.Sandra Marie Pars-Myles of British American Insurance

55. Antonella Masabo of the Ritz Carlton

Congratulations and good luck to everyone on this list! We look forward to meeting all of you at our awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 22, 6pm at the Celebrations Concierge Lounge, Mirco Centre.

For those who have yet to fill in the nomination form, click here.

Administrative Professional of the Year Award

Celebrations is set to host the first ‘Administrative Professional of The Year Awards’ ceremony on Administrative Professionals Day, Wednesday 22nd of April at 6.30p.m., at their Concierge Lounge in the Mirco Centre. Administrative Professionals Day formerly known as Secretary's Day is an unofficial secular holiday observed on the Wednesday of the last full week of April to recognize the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.

Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for community events, social gatherings, and individual corporate activities recognizing support staff with gifts of appreciation. The day is often celebrated by giving one's assistant such gifts as flowers, gift baskets, and gift cards.

I know that in recent years we have seen Administrative Professionals Week grow in significance in Grand Cayman. Employers are aware of the importance of rewarding and encouraging their personnel. We decided that we would like to go a step further this year and present one deserving individual with the award for Administrative Professional of The Year.

The winner will receive a beautiful plaque, a gold Blackberry Pearl kindly sponsored by Digicel and a Celebrations Gift Card worth $150.

Digicel Cayman CEO, Victor Corcoran says “Digicel takes great pleasure in recognizing and commending all Administrative Professionals in the Cayman Islands. It is through their hard work and unfaltering commitment that organizations succeed in their everyday activities. They continue to earn our admiration and respect; today we acknowledge and celebrate their invaluable contributions to all businesses island wide.”

Celebrations encourages everyone to nominate a colleague or employee that they think is worthy of receiving the ‘Administrative Professional of The Year’ Award.

This is an exciting new way to recognize outstanding employees and colleagues. It only takes two minutes to fill out the nomination form (click here!) or give us a call today on 623-2044.

A panel of judges will select five finalists who will all be notified accordingly. The winner will be announced at the Award Ceremony on Administrative Professionals Day.

We look forward to lots of nominations and a great evening on the 22nd! Let's salute our invaluable administrative personnel!

Winner of Celebrations' Luxury 5 Night Cruise Announced!

Celebrations joined forces with Cayman Airways to give away an amazing Valentine’s Day prize for one lucky customer. Anyone who purchased a floral arrangement valued at $100 or over by February 14th was automatically entered in a draw to win a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise for two from Celebrations including round trip flights to Miami courtesy of Cayman Airways. Conroy Wright was announced as the winner of the prize live on Daybreak. He was overjoyed when he heard the good news as he says he ‘never wins anything’!

Celebrations wanted to giveaway a romantic prize with extra pizzazz especially at this time, and decided that nothing could beat a trip and a cruise for two for five days! The luxury prize trip will comprise of stops in Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Cozumel in Mexico and Belize City. The prize has a value of over $1,500.

‘Conroy will be able to bring a guest with him to enjoy this absolutely free giveaway vacation," said Jo-Anne V. Brown, Managing Director of Celebrations.

‘We are very proud of our association with our national carrier and would like to thank Cayman Airways for their support and involvement with this amazing prize. This free vacation getaway is our way of expressing our heartfelt thanks to our customers. We wish Conroy the best of everything and a fantastic time on the golden beaches’, she added.

Ms. Jo-Anne V Brown is looking forward to many more exciting promotions at Celebrations. ‘The response we have received from our customers for our Valentine’s giveaway and indeed our entire ‘James Bond Nobody Does It Better’ theme this year has been great. We are already looking forward to Mother’s Day’, she enthused.

Speed Dating With Celebrations and DMS!

We have partnered with DMS (http://www.dmsbroadcasting.ky/) to bring an exciting new event to Cayman! Make sure to attend our fun Speed Dating Event at Cafe med on February 11th if you are looking for romance this Valentine's! Admission is free and the first 30 ladies will receive a beautiful long stem rose compliments of Celebrations.

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER - WIN A LUXURY 5 NIGHT CRUISE WITH CELEBRATIONS

I am delighted to inform you all that this Valentine's we are offering our customers the chance to win a 5 Night Western Caribbean Cruise for two. Also included in this fabulous prize are two round trip tickets to Miami courtesy of Cayman Airways http://www.caymanairways.com/ All you have to do to win is place an order for over $100! So give us a call today on 623-2044, shop online at http://www.celebrationsgifts.com/ or visit our store in the Mirco Centre and choose something from our huge Valentine's Day selection. We have everything you could possibly need; delicious chocolates, cuddly toys, spa gift baskets, romantic candles, stunning floral arrangements and much much more.

You'll make this Valentine's day unforgettable by sailing off into the sunset with your loved one so enter our competition today!

The Art of Stylish Dinner Parties in Retrospect

Gardenia Court, Camana Bay was transformed into an elegant outdoor class room setting on the evening of Tuesday 22nd of July. The Art of Stylish Dinner Parties, a workshop held by Celebrations, was attended by over sixty guests all of whom were eager to learn the secrets of throwing an unforgettable dinner party. They were not disappointed!

Ms. Jo-Anne Brown, Managing Director of Celebrations, and Ms. Anne Ogden, Event Designer wowed the audience as they transformed two bare tables into masterpieces. On going commentary of what was being done, and all the information relative to the setting, and ambiance of creating a stylish dinner setting, was discussed as the tables were being transformed. The first table was transformed into an exquisite, classic setting adorned with beautiful dinnerware fit for a palace. A magnificent yellow and blue floral centerpiece was the final embellishment. The second table was given a less formal makeover. Chic black table cloth with alternating black and white chairs gave it a rustic, casual look. Lush red roses in square vases added a splash of color.

Ms Nadia Fagan, Retail & Executive Services Manager at Celebrations, entertained the crowd with her ‘Do’s & Don’ts’ speech on etiquette at dinner parties. She also spoke about ‘The Art of Conversation’ during her interesting and informative discourse. The interactive part of the workshop began as Ms Anne taught the attendees how to fold a napkin into a decorative ‘Bird of Paradise’. Each attendee was given their own napkin so that they could follow Ms Anne’s instructions and create their own.

At the end of the evening a beautiful centerpiece was raffled and guest enjoyed hors d’oeuvres and wine.

‘It was a truly inspiring lesson, it really is an art form’, enthused one guest. ‘I can’t wait for the next workshop!’

The Art of Stylish Dinner Parties

We at Celebrations, are delighted to be partnering with our good friends at Camana Bay to bring a fantastic complimentary workshop to the Cayman community.

At ‘The Art of Stylish Dinner Parties’ workshop, Celebration’s finest designers including myself will teach attendees how to transform their tables into masterpieces! With special attention given to cutlery settings, accents, personalized details and color schemes. Attendees will also learn the art of napkin folding.

Our designers and event planners have a wealth of experience in creating stunning private dinner parties in private homes. Anyone interested in attending this workshop should call us at (345) 949-2044 or click on the image below for more information.

Celebrations Featured in International Special Events Magazine!

Special Events Magazine is the “official and premier magazine of the special events industry in North America,” according to the International Special Events Society. It offers comprehensive, behind-the-scenes analysis of events from the professional's perspective covering all aspects of the burgeoning special event industry, from design and menu inspiration to practical tips, sources for great products and services, and business management tips.

Celebrations was chosen for the feature 'Seeing Red - Event Pros embrace the latest trends' in the February 2008 edition. The images used were from the fabulous Hindu style wedding that Celebrations orchestrated in Little Cayman.

The article reads;

Want to see the hottest event products? Just look at these events.

A 40-guest Hindu-style wedding featured on the Style Network by Jo-Anne V. Brown, managing director of Celebrations in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. This wedding blended “the groom's Hindu background, the bride's Catholic tradition and local island culture,” Brown says.

“The bride loved pink, but the traditional color for weddings in India is red,” Jo-Anne Brown says. The solution? Use a shade of each that complemented the other.
The clear-top tent, from the SEC Group, is accented with fuchsia silk organza, crystal curtains and a Castilian Imports crystal chandelier with pink lights.
The ceremony was conducted in a bamboo mandap draped in gold-beaded red voile with white satin accents. The garland at the top of the mandap includes cherry lady roses, dark pink hydrangeas, pink and white ranunculus, gloriosa lilies, viburnums, red calla lilies and orange passion roses. The Celebrations team hand-strung clusters of Morocco orchids alongside beading to create the hanging-flower effect.
Gold chiavari chairs topped with fuchsia and red cushions provided seating. Fans kept everyone cool.
While the Catholic bride incorporated the traditional Indian red into her wedding, her husband-to-be and his bridal party show off other traditional touches. The groom and groomsmen all wore sherwanis, which are long, coat-like garments that fit close to the body and extend slightly below knee-length. Brown calls them “stunningly regal.”

Celebrations Partners with Leading Edge School

Celebrations is partaking in the Learning through Internship Programme with Leading Edge High School. Four students, Annisa Widett, Cassandra Wallace, Oliva Jackson and Chelsea Watler will intern at Celebrations every Monday morning for two months.

Students are placed within various departments in Celebrations and have the opportunity to participate and learn directly from such job functions as marketing, client communications, customer service, retail, floral and the overall process of running a successful company.
“The program also gives us the chance to give back and share the knowledge we have acquired in this ever-evolving Special Events Industry,” says Jo-Anne Brown, Managing Director of Celebrations, “It is a very worthwhile project and we are very committed to it. Internships are valuable starting points to any career. They provide students with the opportunity to gain valuable experience doing interesting work and networking with great people along the way. We are passionate about helping the youth of Cayman realize their full potential and so we are heavily involved in projects such as the YCLA and Stay Focused too.”

February is an extremely busy month for Celebrations due to the lead up to Valentine’s Day. The students get to see operations in full flow and will have an important role to play in their chosen department.

“The internship gives students an inside look at a very specialized industry here in Cayman, and the ability to learn what aspects fit their own talents,” says Innocenza La Civita, Human Resource Administrator of Celebrations, “The program also nurtures the unique talents of the next wave of coordinators, floral and creative designers in the Industry. We’re seeing an increasing need for creative talent and event coordinators to become educated about the array of business opportunities that exist specifically related to the Special Events Industry. Celebrations is meeting this need by offering this type of internship opportunity.”

Love Blossomed at the Pines Retirement Home

Thursday afternoon February 14th at the Pines Retirement Home was a joyous occasion as residents were treated to a Valentine’s Tea Party from Celebrations. Love blossomed as each resident was given a beautiful long stemmed rose for Valentine’s Day. A table was filled with delicious cakes and pastries for all the residents and staff to enjoy.


“It was a very enjoyable afternoon for everyone,” says Lisa McGinty, Marketing and PR executive for Celebrations, “It is always nice to give back to the community and to spread a little cheer. Valentine’s is the perfect time to do that. We would also like to commend the staff at the Pines who work tirelessly to take care of all 33 residents”.


Mrs. Sue Nicholson, the Manager of The Pines said, “All of our residents we delighted and touched by the generous gesture and The Pines is very grateful for the continued support and kindness of the staff of Celebrations”.


Celebrations have been playing a very active role in the Cayman community since the company was established back in 1987. “Valentine’s Day is a day to show our loved ones we care about them, it is important that we remember our elders at this time too,” says Jo-Anne Brown Managing Director of Celebrations.


Celebrations also supportied another very worthy cause this Valentine’s, by donating a beautiful long stem rose to anyone who donates blood this week at the blood bank as part of the Health Smart Heart Week initiative.