Recently, more than 200 industry guests from across the nation spent the day at Rizzo Ranch in Santa Ynez, California to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bentley Price Associates, Inc.
It was my pleasure to host friends, colleagues, and associates from more than four decades in the Hospitality and Casino Gaming industry.
Bentley Price Associates was founded in 1976 after a career that included stints with hotels in Miami, San Diego, and Los Angeles, including the legendary Hyatt House on Sunset, a favorite home-away-from-home to some of the world’s biggest name rock and roll bands, and immortalized in the media and in liner notes on albums.
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The Western-themed event invitation was designed for families, and about 3 dozen children accompanied their parents and enjoyed supervised playground activities, refreshments, and special entertainment.
A post-dinner program produced by Don Kelley, a longtime friend and business associate, gave guests an introduction to highlights of my career and provided an opportunity for some well-deserved recognition for some of those long-held relationships. Several guests participated in the night’s presentations, most with a wink at my storied decades in the industry.
I greatly value my many trusted relationships and this was my chance to say “Thank you” to so many of the people with whom I work with closely.
Guests dined on locally-sourced food presented by local chefs at four food stations that included Italian, Asian, Santa Maria-style ranch barbecue, and pastries. And I was proud to serve my own Santa Ynez vineyard private-label wine, Ambrulée.
Rizzo Ranch is situated in the scenic Santa Ynez Valley of Central California near Santa Barbara. Sitting high atop the hills, the overlooks 20 acres of property adjacent to working vineyards and cattle ranches, just minutes from the tourist village of Solvang.
It is an honor to have built one of the executive search and recruiting industry’s premier firms. Bentley Price Associates, Inc. represents major national and international hospitality and casino gaming corporations, Native American tribal properties, independently-owned hotels, restaurants, resorts, clubs, cruise lines, and luxury senior living properties.
The entire Bentley Price Associates team looks forward to the next 40 years!
(Top Row, L-R) Melina and Peter Arceo, CMO, San Miguel Indian Bingo & Casino; Dennis Rizzo and Tim Riester, Principal and CEO, Riester Advertising; Holly Gagnon, CEO, Seneca Gaming Corp. and Andrew Economon, Executive Director of Hospitality, Chumash Casino; John Arnesen, Executive VP Operations, TEAM Hospitality Management (Bottom Row, L-R) Dennis “Frank” Rizzo, II, COO Bentley Price Associates and President, HospitalityMatches.com; Dennis Rizzo and Laurent Rizzo; John James, COO, Morongo Casino Resort & Spa; Andrew Economon, Dennis Rizzo, and Bill Phelps, Regional Director, Aegis Living.
