In the spirit of the Halloween holiday, the LANE team coordinated an event hosted at the historic Heathman Hotel in Portland.

The hotel invited 20 children from Martin Luther King elementary school for a Halloween book reading in its library.

The little pre-kindergartners dressed up in their Halloween costumes for the reading and ate candy and treats while they listened to stories read by Carol Gardner, author and creator of Zelda Wisdom, a line of children’s books and greeting cards honoring English bulldog star Zelda. The Heathman donated a book for each child, as well as Halloween treat bags.

To add to the fun, Gardner brought two of Zelda’s “understudies” to the event, Otis and Lil Zelda, to play with the children, and to celebrate the hotel’s long-standing pet-friendly tradition. The hotel holds a bronze sculpture honoring of Zelda at its front entrance, generously donated by Banfield, The Pet Hospital® in 2010.

The kids, costumes, doggies and Carol were a great delight, and a fun way to get us all in the Halloween spirit!

With the weather turning chilly in the North East and West, it was a welcomed escape for some of the LANE staff to head to South Florida for a client event last week. 

We were met with rain, but we weren’t about to let that get us down or deter our excitement for the Neighborhood Night party in Hollywood, Fla, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Save-A-Lot food store in the area. 

The neighborhood was a buzz about the store due to street teams dropping off nearly 3,000 bags of groceries to residents in the community, and we were able to drum up additional enthusiasm through grocery deliveries to the local TV and radio stations. 

We arrived at the store on the morning of the event and got right to work, blowing up festive Save-A-Lot balloons and dispersing them throughout the store.  We set up tables with sign up sheets, entry forms for a chance to win a year’s worth of groceries – what a great prize!! – and raffle tickets for drawings throughout the night.

As we neared 5pm, the band was tuned up and ready to play, the sampling stations were prepped and ready to serve, and the line of people began to accumulate outside the store, anxiously awaiting the opening. 

Throughout the night from 5-8pm we welcomed a staggering 1,612 people into the store and everyone had a great time eating, dancing and talking.  We were thrilled to be able to donate $5,000 to Feeding South Florida, a local chapter of Feeding America and were moved by the inspiring words the Director of Development shared with the crowd about how this donation will help the community.

The overwhelming response was excitement and gratitude and everyone couldn’t wait to come back with their reusable tote bags (given as gifts) the next day for the grand opening when they could shop till they dropped.

The event was deemed a success by LANE, the Save-A-Lot staff and the client alike.  We are excited for the same successful response in Port St. Lucie, FL in a few weeks!

-Kristen S, Kristen R, Jamie and Whitney – the Hollywood, FL Save-A-Lot Team

Nadia Arumugam, Contributor

I was lucky enough to have been invited to the Louis M. Martini Winery in St. Helena, Napa Valley, earlier this month. This is a wonderful place to visit anytime of the year, but especially so in October and early November when the the vineyards and wineries are a hive of activity.

During a period of about 6 weeks in the fall, the grapes are harvested and crushed to provide for the year’s wine production. Drop by at Louis M. Martini, and you’ll be given a tour of the wine-making facilities complete with dramatic sky-high towers of barrels and casks. One of the winery’s experts will talk you through the whole wine-making process and you’ll actually get to see the grapes being sorted, crushed and sitting in extraction tanks as they ferment and turn into that magical elixir. You’ll even be allowed to try the freshly pressed juice, called “must”  at different points of fermentation. After these exertions, you’ll round off your day with a visit to the winery’s tasting room.

If a last minute getaway is out of the question, and you can’t wait until next year, here’s the lowdown in photos and text on how a great bottle of red comes to be.

Click here to read the full article.

Developing Trends:  Goat and Greens, Anyone?
Hello Comforting “Homegrown” and “Homemade”; Good-bye Fussy “Foodies” and “Locavores”

NEW YORK — Oct. 24, 2011 — LANE PR, an independently owned, national public relations agency, announced the results of its third annual survey of food and beverage professionals from coast to coast. According to the LANE PR U.S. Food and Beverage Trends Report: 2012 Outlook, the top trends to watch for in the coming year include a relatively exotic choice of meat for American palates: goat; as well as efficient, nutrient-packed vegetables: greens.

The survey, which elicited responses from nearly 70 influential journalists, restaurateurs and epicureans this summer, consisted of 10 open-ended questions developed to get a sense of changes afoot in America’s food landscape. In addition to finding out the latest trends in proteins and vegetables, the survey also asked for insights on the next big trend in spices, artisanal ingredients, wine, beer, cocktails and buzzwords.

“We found that survey participants highlighted foods that are popular in most other parts of the world for their efficient production and delivery of nutrition, such as goat, legumes and greens, all of which  lend themselves to healthier diets and lifestyles,” said Kristen Siefkin, head of the food and beverage group at LANE PR. “However, we want to assure the public that pork has not lost favor; it was the second most popular protein mentioned, and we anticipate it will continue to be featured at mealtimes, at home and in restaurants across the country.”

Highlights of the Survey
A number of other trends appear to be underway in the nation’s food and beverage arena, including:
• A variety of peppers as a way to spice up dishes, from an old standby like black pepper to more complex smoked paprika or Spanish pimento
• Simple meals can be made special with the addition of an artisanal product, with unique cheeses, honey and vinegars among the products to watch for
• A revival among Bordeaux varietals, including Carménère, Merlot and Sauvignon blanc, to name a few
• Experimenting in brewing will continue, particularly in creating flavored beers
• Fresh herbs and vegetables will be found behind the bar as ingredients for cocktails
• Fussy buzzwords like foodie, locavore and molecular gastronomy are on their way out
• Comforting buzzwords like homegrown, homemade and local are on their way in

For a complete summary of the LANE PR U.S. Food and Beverage Trends Report: 2012 Outlook, please visit http://www.lanepr.com/expertise/food-beverage.

About LANE PR  
LANE PR is a national, independent firm specializing in business-driven marketing strategies with offices in New York and Portland, Ore.  Founded in 1990, LANE PR provides integrated public relations, social media and investor relations for a host of industries, including consumer, food and beverage, technology and financial services.  The agency has won several awards during its 20 years, including the 2009 PR Week Young PR Professional of the Year, 2008 PRSA Bronze Anvil Award for outstanding public relations tactics, the 2008 Gold Bulldog Award for excellence in media relations and the 2010 Bronze Bulldog Award for Best New Product Launch. For more information about LANE PR, visit www.lanepr.com.

# # #

On October 3, Louis M. Martini Winery, in partnership with Certified Angus Beef brand, welcomed eleven media for a three-day wine and beef-filled trip to the Napa Valley.

The trip kicked off with a “Red on Red” dinner at the Louis M. Martini Winery in St. Helena. Third generation winemaker, Mike Martini, shared his family’s history as the different courses - each one as delicious as the other - arrived at the table. The night’s menu featured a Wild Boar Farms Heirloom Tomato and Bread Salad, Grilled Pancetta-Wrapped Prime Ribeye on Chestnut Puree, Thyme and Red Wine Braised Short Rib and Granny Smith Apple Frangipane Tart – among a few other dishes! The wine pairings included  2010 Ghost Pines Chardonnay, 2009 Louis M. Martini Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007  Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon and 2007 Louis M. Martini Lot 1 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

The media spent the following day at the Louis M. Martini Winery in St. Helena. Mike Martini and wine ambassador, Kendall Limon, gave a tour of the winery and the vineyard, educated the media on the different wine-making methods used at Louis M. Martini, as well as what grape varietals grow in the Martini vineyard. The media also had the opportunity to sort grapes right after they were picked off the vines. Mike Martini and wine ambassador, Kendall Limon, informed the media about the different Cabernet Sauvignon varietals and what to look for while tasting and smelling each. At the end of the day each attendee had the opportunity to put the day’s learnings to use in a blending session whereby they blended their own “signature” Cabernet Sauvignon wine. The rookie winemakers seemed pleased with their newly acquired skills, and their take-home gifts.

Day two concluded with a tour of Monte Rosse Vineyard in Sonoma County and a delicious dinner at the historic Monte Rosso Vineyard with hand-selected steaks which were cooked custom to each person’s order. Wines paired with the dinner included 2008 Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vine Zinfandel, 2010 Ghost Pines Chardonnay, 2007 Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, NV Petite Sirah Port and 2007 Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon. Although it was raining, it certainly didn’t seem to damper anyone’s spirits.

On the third day, the media visited the 5 Star Land and Livestock Ranch in Wilton, California, about two hours from Napa.  Ranch owner, Abbie Nelson, took the group on a tour of the ranch on a chuck wagon, while riding on horseback herself, and shared her family’s history and what it really means to be a “certified angus beef” breed. Certified Angus Beef brand representatives further educated the media on the history of Certified Angus Beef, the differences between angus and other beef types as well as what issues cattle ranchers face today.

The three-day long trip finished with a dinner on the ranch. Certified Angus Beef brands’ chef, Michael Ollier, educated the media about the different types of steak cuts and shared some valuable grilling tips. Each member of the media branded their steaks with their initials before having it grilled to order. The dinner menu also featured Certified Angus Beef Flank Steak Tacos, Mexican Papitaks with Smoked Paprika, Corn Bread, Ranch Beans, Smashes Yukon Potatoes and a Seasonal Stone Fruit Cast Iron Upside Down Cake. There was of course,  plenty of wine and cowboy poetry too!

Cheers