LAS VEGAS -- "Cooking classes are the new kind of entertainment,
like dinner and the theater in one," said Catherine Margles,
president and founder of a new cooking school here.
It's also the latest new thing in packaged hotel vacations, and
Margles' Creative Cooking School has that idea on the front
burner.
"There are people who need alternatives to gambling, shopping
and golfing," said Margles.
Often an entire group is looking for a "value-added experience,"
she said.
Margles said she can deliver all that -- in part because of her
dual background in the corporate and culinary worlds and perhaps
most of all because of the passion she brings to the table.
At her school, visitors can tap into this phenomenon in a number
of ways: with a hands-on or demonstration format; individually or
in groups; and for groups, in a team-building program.
Scheduled classes cover the spectrum from basic to gourmet, from
pastry-making to spa cuisine, from American to international. All
are taught by credentialed chefs.
Individuals from outside the area typically discover this
offering when visiting a local resident or more often through the
Internet, either on the school's own site (at www.creativecookingschool.com) or by its many links to
key words and other related sites.
Some guests find the school by accident, when they travel around
town and just happen to drive by its West Sahara Avenue
location.
More often, though, students from other parts of the country are
taking a place at the table as part of a corporate event arranged
by an innovative employer.
Margles said she finds that often these groups come to her
through destination management companies, corporate travel
departments and broad-based services that handle out-sourced
corporate travel.
The list of companies that have participated in this program is
impressive, not only in terms of the high-profile names involved
but also because Creative Cooking School first lit the stoves such
a short time ago, late in 2002.
Among other things, companies are finding the cooking class to
be not only fun but a productive method of team-building.
"A lot of [companies] are bringing together people from all over
the country, people who have known each other only over the
telephone," Margles said. "Even if they're not interested in
cooking, they'll still be interested in talking and eating and
drinking and sampling. So if they don't want to chop and cut,
they're still involved with the program."
Groups also can opt for hands-on classes that are not
team-building, although there's still some team spirit built
in.
As a third option, there are straight demonstrations, after
which everyone gets a portion of food.
For any of these formats, groups can choose from a diverse set
of menus with such titles as Asian Adventure, French Bistro and
Comfort Foods. They also can request themes or topics.
Organizations that have participated in these corporate events
include Nike, the Bank of America, Smith Barney, the American
Medical Association and Marriott (national).
They send 10 to 40 people per class, and some have used it as a
reward program or a spousal program, Margles said.
On the horizon for Creative Cooking School is a culinary
vacation program created in conjunction with the Hilton Grand
Vacations Club at the Las Vegas Hilton.
Another program is being set up with a network of country clubs
across the country.
Meanwhile, the corporate roster continues to grow, as customers
pass along the word to other departments and branches of their
respective companies, Margles said.
Similarly, vacation and party planners who have heard positive
comments from a client they sent to the school are now recommending
the classes to their other clients, she added.
Creative Cooking School, fronted by its retail boutique with
decorative and practical tools of the trade, is located at 7385 W.
Sahara Ave.
For more information, call (702) 562-3900.
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