Category: Alcohol Education Cards

March Madness is Here. Are You Ready for the Crowds?

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

march mardnessMarch Madness officially kicks off this Thursday and is one of the biggest draws of the year in Las Vegas. Why not make the most of being on center stage to show visitors and locals alike all that Vegas has to offer? Taxi drivers, restaurants, and shops will all be working hard to accommodate the influx of visitors and hotel room prices have skyrocketed for this weekend. Establishments all over town are preparing to face huge crowds of patrons looking for viewing parties, food, drink, quality service, and a good time.

If you’re planning to work during the course of the event, it presents a great opportunity to make extra tip money and wow your guests at the same time. Are you looking for ways to net bigger sales and tips? There are a few things that can set you apart from the competition:

  1. Special events such as March madness are a great opportunity to try special menu items, viewing parties or themed promotions. Why not offer a specially-priced cocktail menu to entice your guests? Your bartenders could create signature team-themed cocktails or sports-themed menu items to get your guests in the celebratory mood and trying something new. Looking for even more inspiration from other local events happening around town? Check out Vegas Chatter’s guide to March Madness celebrations.
  2. Make suggestions to your guests for visiting popular spots in Las Vegas. As a local, you can capitalize on your knowledge of what is going on in and around town and pass on suggestions to your guests on how to fill their time in between games. Guests will appreciate the insider scoop and ability to make recommendations on after-parties, places where locals like the hang out, and off the beaten path sites to visit. You may also want to suggest use of the Las Vegas monorail, trolleys, free trams, and free shuttles. With the huge crowds expected, having a variety of options to get around will be helpful.
  3. Always practice safe alcohol sales and service. The lessons you learn in your TAM® course will help you to serve responsibly. A well-educated server is familiar with alcohol’s effects on the body and can recognize the dangerous signs of over-intoxication. Watch how much you are serving and how often. You can help to cut down on the number of over-intoxicated individuals who ruin the atmosphere for others, or potentially harm themselves. Also, call a cab for any inebriated drivers on your premises. Keeping them off the road helps keep us all safe.

How are you planning to make the most of the March Madness crowds, and what team are YOU rooting for?

Resources

Vegas Chatter’s Guide To March Madness Parties – Vegas Chatter

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Meet Our Instructors: Sherry Cummings

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Sherry_CummingsYou can tell a lot about a company by the people that work there, and here at TAM® of Nevada we have an amazing set of knowledgeable, professional, and fun instructors. Whether you complete your TAM® training online or in the classroom, you can expect to meet some of our staff members. We’d like to introduce you to our staff in a new blog segment: Meet Our Instructors. I had the opportunity to interview each of our instructors, and this is a great bunch.

Let’s kick off this week by getting to know our General Manager and TAM Instructor, Sherry Cummings. Originally from New Jersey, Sherry has lived and traveled extensively throughout the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean.

Hotel marketing in Mexico led her to owning multiple restaurants in Puerto Vallarta. Sherry’s later tenure as Food & Beverage Manager at Pegasus, a Mobile Four Star dining room inspired her to explore and hone her service skills, food knowledge and wine expertise.

The Court of Master Sommeliers certified Sherry and she continues to attend sommelier seminars and training programs. Sherry attended the Sterling School of Hospitality and was also certified by London’s Wine & Spirit Trust.

Later, Sherry worked at the Rio Hotel & Casino, Gatsby’s at the MGM and Southern Wine and Spirits in a variety of roles alongside wine directors, sommeliers and chefs up and down the strip! Now, Sherry brings her unique experience to the classroom and is in a fantastic position to teach responsible beverage service based on real-world examples.

If you’d like to attend a TAM Class taught by Sherry, register for a class on our website. The schedule varies by week, but you can normally find Sherry teaching students on Mondays and Wednesdays at 2:00pm.

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman Recognizes TAM of Nevada for Community Participation

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

TAM® of Nevada has been a part of the Las Vegas community for over 25 years, and is proud to continue offering an important service and superior product to local residents and businesses. We were happy to kick off the New Year by attending the 2nd Annual CNY in the Desert, and look forward to additional community events in 2013.

We are proud to announce that TAM® of Nevada General Manager Sherry Cummings will be recognized by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman on Wednesday, February 20th for her hard work with TAM® of Nevada and her participation in the Annual CNY in the Desert event.

Sherry will be recognized during the City Council Meeting held at City Hall at approximately 11:00am. Las Vegas residents are welcome to attend the proceedings, and the meeting will also be broadcast live on KCLV, cable channel 2 and online at www.kclv.tv.

Join us at the Las Vegas City Council meeting to support our local business and community leaders on Wednesday at:

Council Chambers
495 South Main Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101
 

To learn more about the services we offer visit our website or stop by and say “hello” on February 20th. Also be sure to stay up to date about this and other activities and events TAM® of Nevada will be attending by connecting with us on Facebook.

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada

Caution – New Device Allows Users to Inhale Alcohol for Quick and Powerful Effects on the Body

Published on by TAM of NevadaLeave a comment

Hospitality JobsAlcohol sales professionals have an obligation to serve alcohol responsibly. As such, any responsible seller of alcoholic beverages should be aware of a new product which hit the shelves in December, the Vaportini™. Working like a traditional vaporizer, this new product heats up alcohol with a votive candle, and releases the vapors into a small chamber which the user inhales through a straw.

There is an increased risk of serious intoxication with this device, especially if used irresponsibly. The Vaportini works by bypassing the digestive system and causing alcohol to be absorbed directly to the bloodstream through the lungs. Normally, when a person consumes an alcoholic beverage, the alcohol is absorbed primarily through the stomach and small intestine. The presence of food slows this process further. Food in the stomach keeps alcohol in the stomach for a longer period of time which means that it will be absorbed into the bloodstream at a much slower rate. This is why it’s advisable to offer your patrons a snack or a meal while they are imbibing. However, when alcohol is inhaled, it enters the lungs and goes directly into the bloodstream, causing effects much more quickly and inducing a powerful buzz.

Worth nothing is that the Vaportini shares some similarities with the Alcohol Without Liquid (AWOL) device, a nebulizer which mixes alcohol with pure oxygen. The AWOL device debuted in 2004 and was quickly banned in over 20 states, including Nevada (Nevada Revised Statutes). Alcohol vaporizers like the AWOL are illegal in Nevada, so make sure you are up to date with your TAM® training, and maintain a thorough knowledge of applicable local and state laws.

The novelty of inhaled alcohol is especially attractive to young adults and teens, especially when the Vaptorini retails at a price of only about $35. Peer pressure is a constant concern among young people. Teens want to fit in, and alcohol is not only easily accessible to many, it can also contribute to the party atmosphere at celebratory events. For additional tips to help combat alcohol consumption among teen drinkers, check out our blog post, “Teen Drinking is a Dangerous Business.”

Are you concerned about the potential dangers of alcohol vaporizers such as the Vaportini?

Resources

© 2013 National Hospitality Institute®, TAM® of Nevada