The Naples Area Professional League of Executive Services, a business-to-business networking organization, today announced details of the organization’s annual Big Event scheduled for Wednesday, October 14, at Shula’s Steak House in the Hilton Naples.
The event is open to the public and will begin with a cocktail reception followed by a three-course meal with guest speaker, Norman Love. The award-winning Mr. Love is chef, president and founder of Norman Love Confections, with chocolate salons in Naples, Fort Myers and Estero.
“Our annual Big Event is a time when members look forward to dressing up and exposing the community to the group we all care about so much,” said Michelle Borders, president of N.A.P.L.E.S. “It is a night to be inspired by a speaker with a great business story, and we can’t think of anyone to better inspire us than internationally renowned local business owner Norman Love.”
This year’s Big Event is sponsored by Florida Weekly, Gulfshore Life Magazine, Shula’s Steak House and the Hilton Naples, Naples Flowers and Naples Print Source.
Prior to opening Norman Love Confections in Fort Myers in 2001, Mr. Love learned the craft of pastry making in France, then served as executive pastry chef for many luxury resorts including The Beverly Hills Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton. During his career with The Ritz-Carlton he was appointed to the position of corporate executive pastry chef where he oversaw global pastry and baking operations. In 13 years, he opened 30 hotel and resort pastry kitchens in international and domestic locales such as Boston, Dubai and Bali.
Mr. Love’s accomplishments include being named a top 10 pastry chef in America, a top 10 chocolatier in North America, one of the best chocolatiers in the world, one of 40 people of influence in Southwest Florida, National Geographic The 10 Best of Everything’s one of the 10 Best Chocolatiers in the world, Florida Retailer of the Year for Leadership from the Florida Retail Federation and the Cordon d’ Or gold ribbon International Cookbooks & Culinary Arts Culinary Academy “Great Tastes” Florida Product Award.
The N.A.P.L.E.S. organization is based in Southwest Florida, but many members are internationally recognized business leaders and experts within their fields of expertise. In addition to the annual community Big Event, members meet on the first and third Thursday each month for breakfast networking sessions which include guest speakers and time for alerting each other to business opportunities.
Tickets and information are available for the October 14th N.A.P.L.E.S. Big Event beginning June 15 at www.naplesgroup.net or contact Jeff Jerome at (239) 659-3176.