GOING PLACES

SIMON POWLES has been named president of Lincolnwood, Ill.-based FOOD FOR THOUGHT. Call 847/982-2608; www.foodforthought-chicago.com. • PRA LOS ANGELES has named SUNNY HINCKLEY national sales manager; BECKY FARMER senior account manager; and MICHELLE BLAKE account manager. Call 310/300-0100; www.pra.com. • KATHI BEALE has joined Sunrise, Fla.-based MEDIA STAGE as director of sales and marketing. Call 800/418-8388; www.mediastage.com. • New York-based KNITTING FACTORY ENTERTAINMENT has named EILEEN WOLTER director of business development. Call 212/219-3006; www.knittingfactory.com. • FRANK KLEIN has been named director of food & beverage at the STANFORD PARK HOTEL in Menlo Park, Calif. Call 800/368-2468; www.stanfordparkhotel.com. • Madison, Wis.-based IT'S YOUR PARTY has named ANNIE MARTIN meetings and conventions manager and ANGIE CONNORS director of staffing and SARA MROZ staffing coordinator. Call 608/845-3450; www.iyparty.com. • VINCENT SCIABARASSI has been named director of sales and marketing for the PARK CENTRAL NEW YORK hotel. Call 212/247-8000; www.parkcentralny.com. • KATE LARRY has joined ABSOLUTELY ATLANTA as convention sales manager. Call 770/955-6656; www.absolutely-atlanta.com. • Atlanta-based CAREER SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT has named DJ MACKOVETS senior director of event services and property consulting. Call 770/955-1300; www.careersportsentertainment.com.

BRANCHING OUT

NATALIE KENNEDY, formerly of Austin, Texas-based PLANIT EVENT GROUP, has launched KENNEDY CREATIVE, an event design and management firm. The company is located at 1515 S. Capitol of Texas Highway, Suite 220B, Austin, TX 78746; 512/899-8991; www.kennedycreative.com

CALLING TOP EVENT COMPANIES!

Our September issue will present the third edition of our “Top 50 Event Planning Companies” list. The feature profiles companies with overall responsibility for creating and producing a special event, ranked by annual revenue. Should your company be included? Contact Special Events Magazine editor Lisa Hurley at lhurley@primediabusiness.com.