Annual Networking Event
Annual Community and Business Partner Cocktail Party
Kingsborough Holds Annual Networking Event--but This One’s a Test
Like most after-work networking events, Kingsborough Community College’s annual Community and Business Partner Cocktail Party features local business and community leaders exchanging numbers and growing their contact lists as they nosh on pre-dinner refreshments.
But the 18 Kingsborough Culinary Arts program students in attendance the recent after-work networking event weren’t there to eat spanakopita and cured salmon canapes—they made and served them--because the cocktail party with more than 30 attendees from South Brooklyn businesses and nonprofits such as the Brooklyn Cyclones, Green Street Capital and TraNa Relief Association, was also the Event Catering and Food Production class’s practical exam.
“The students did everything from start to finish—the front of the house and the back of the house,” said Chef Anthony Marzuillo, the program’s director.
The menu, conceived of by adjunct faculty member Chef Michael DiGiovanni, consisted of eight hors d’oeuvres and a dessert, which the students practiced making during the semester, Marzuillo said. “They practice each item on the menu, they prep the week before and then they come in the day of the event and execute the event.”
This is the second year the culinary students’ catering course culminated in a public event. Prior to that, “it was just a theoretical class,” said Marzuillo. “They had to write a menu, cost the menu and do the business end of catering, but now they’re actually doing the hands-on work.”
The Dec. 4 event was held in partnership with the college’s Workforce Development Division and the Office of 47th District Assemblyman Michael Novakhov.
“Events like this remind us how powerful it is when local businesses come together with educational institutions and elected leaders to support one another,” Assemblyman Novakhov said. “Collaboration is the key to building a resilient and prosperous community.”
During the event, representatives from Kingsborough Community College highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between education and local commerce, noting that partnerships with neighborhood businesses create opportunities for students, residents and employers alike.
“The event underscored a shared vision,” said Vice President of Workforce Development and Continuing Education Dr. Simone Rodriguez, “that by working together—schools, businesses, and government—we can create a stronger foundation for economic development and a brighter future for the community.”
Assemblyman Michael Novakhov stands with Kingsborough Culinary Arts students at the recent Business and Community Cocktail Party at Kingsborough Community College.
Kingsborough Culinary Arts students provided front- and back-of-the-house service during the Kingsborough Community and Business Partner Cocktail Party that also served as their final practical exam.
Students prepare to serve one of eight types of hors d'oeuvres during the event.
More than 30 South Brooklyn business and community leaders attended the event, organized by Kingsborough's Division of Workforce Development and Continuing Education and the Office of Assemblyman Michael Novakhov.
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