The Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the appointment of Gina Mintzer, CMP, as its new executive director, replacing Michael Consuelo, who is retiring.

Mintzer will begin her new role under the tutelage of Consuelo on Sept. 11. Consuelo announced in April that he was retiring at the end of September.

Mintzer has served as the director of sales for the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) for 19 years. In this role, she assisted in the stabilization, expansion, and evolution of Albany as a visitor destination despite economic and national conditions throughout the last two decades.

She managed a team of six convention sales and services professionals dedicated to quality client, colleague, and community customer service, officials said. She was the information resource for meeting and sports event planners working closely with the Times Union Center, Empire State Plaza Convention Center and all the Albany County hotels on client events ranging from the NCAA tournament to the Maccabi Games.

Mintzer also assisted efforts to ensure strong business for the new Albany Capital Center.

She managed programs, activities, and connections to build and sustain a healthy meetings and convention visitor industry.

STEADfast IT, a managed service provider, announced the launch of an in-house SOS center, an end-user support service designed to eliminate delays associated with requests for help.

The STEADfast IT SOS Center applies concepts from just-in-time manufacturing and hospital emergency rooms to the IT industry. By re-engineering the support process, the level of customer service is elevated beyond industry norms, according to the company.

Dedicated SOS engineers are trained in new methods and utilize proprietary software built specifically for the SOS Center.

STEADfast’s software manages all requests in real-time so that every call for assistance is treated as an emergency triage and is routed directly to the appropriate individual best qualified to address the issue, officials said. This approach to IT support eliminates the traditional ticket escalation process and its support tiers.

Mazzone Hospitality LLC, headquartered in Clifton Park, has added to its portfolio of special events facilities with the opening of its new venue at Courtyard Marriott Lake George.

The 3,900-square-foot banquet hall is located at the lakeside hotel property at 365 Canada St., in Lake George. It opened in late July.

Mazzone Catering will oversee all catering operations at the private event space, which will host weddings, business functions, fundraisers and other special events.

The Courtyard Marriott Lake George brings the total number of exclusive Mazzone Catering properties to seven. The company also maintains a robust off-premise catering division.

“We are excited to introduce our first exclusive ‘venue with a view’ at the Courtyard Marriott Lake George. It is a true delight to expand our operations in this beautiful community,” said Mazzone Catering chief operating officer Sean Willcoxon. “We pride ourselves on providing impeccable food and service, and pledge to continue to uphold this standard in Lake George. We look forward to welcoming the community to tour this exciting new space, which provides a unique range of amenities for truly memorable special events.”

The Courtyard Marriott Lake George features lake and mountain views and access to the signature Mazzone Catering culinary menu.

By Maureen Werther

As thoroughbred racing fans leave the 2017 Saratoga Race Course season behind,the Breeders Cup Association continues to gear up for its own two-day event being held this year in Del Mar racetrack in California.

The Breeders Cup, slated for Nov. 3 and 4, is the culmination of grade one stakes races held at tracks across the country and around the world. It’s the equivalent of the Super Bowl for the thoroughbred industry.

Peter Rotondo, vice president of the Breeders’ Cup, was a very busy man during the running of the 2017 Whitney Stakes in Saratoga Springs. The race became part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series in 2007. The race winner—Gun Runner this year—gets an automatic bid to the racing’s big event in November.

Rotondo’s activities in and around the track  continued throughout the course of the meet, with appearances on panel groups and sponsorship of Equestricon, the first trade show of its kind in the world of thoroughbred racing.

Rotondo said when people think of the Breeders’ Cup, they usually think of just one race, the Classic, which is has a $6 million purse and is the marquis event.

The colorful and multi-themed hot air balloons will take to the skies again in the Glens Falls/Lake George area when the Adirondack Balloon Festival takes place Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 21-24.

It will be the 45th annual event.

It kicks off at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Crandall Park in Glens Falls. Events continue through the weekend at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury.

Some of the unusual balloons will include Owlbert Einstein, Scortch the Dragon, Smiley the Scarecrow and Pokey the Turtle. An American Flag balloon piloted by Barry Delibero will appear for the first time at the festival. It is 70 feet tall and 78 feet wide, organizers said.

Scortch the Dragon also makes his first appearance, piloted by Keith Sproul. He stands 145 feet tall.

This year’s event has band performances during the weekend by the Master Cylinders, North and South Dakotas, Buckeye Rooster, the Old Main and Across the Pond.

Parking passes can be purchased online at www.adirondackballoonfest.org.

**8/17/17 Updated to correct ownership.

By Maureen Werther

Dehn’s Flowers is celebrating its 125th year in business throughout the summer, with sales and special events for long-time customers as well as new ones. While some things at Dehn’s have changed, other things have remained the same, the most important of which is the family’s work ethic and their commitment to the business.

Christian Dehn made the trip from Germany to the United States in 1890 specifically to visit the World’s Fair. While he was there, he met people who told him about the upstate New York city of Saratoga Springs and its growing popularity as a place to relax and enjoy the restorative properties of its healing springs.

Dehn decided to see for himself what all the fuss was about and, soon after arriving here, he opened a flower business on Clark Street. However, he had left his wife, Sophie and their young son, Charles in Germany. Within a year, he closed the Clark Street shop, made the trip back to Europe and brought his family back to Saratoga Springs. In February of 1892, he purchased an existing flower shop on Beekman Street. Five generations and 125 years later, the family business continues to thrive.