Nancy Sergio, Director of Catering and Conference Services

For Nancy Sergio, The Boca Raton’s director of catering and conference services, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to celebrations and events.

The Certified Meeting Planner has been leading a team of seasoned event professionals for many years, and by her own admission has seen it all. Here, she describes what makes The Boca Raton a truly memorable location for a celebration.

What types of celebrations have you seen over the years?

We’ve done it all, including weddings, sweet 16 birthday parties, christenings, bris ceremonies, a private dinner or event with our chef, interactive cooking demonstrations in our kitchens, a tailgating party with Bentleys and Rolls-Royces, fireworks and laser shows, team – building events at the golf course with our Toptracer tracker, and pretty much anything else you can think of.

Where are some unique venues on property?

It’s important for us to give options to our clients. For example, we had a family whose three kids got married here, and we had to find three different venues for them. By far, the most popular venue is our Cathedral, an indoor space that truly resembles a cathedral. There are also more unique areas, like the golf course and the tennis courts, where we’ve hosted cocktail events and group activities.

How do you incorporate the tropical setting?

We do a lot at Beach Club, including on the beach, on the pool deck and inside Beach Club ’s ballroom that accommodates 120 people. We have a lawn in front of the beach that is popular for a more relaxed setting. In addition, we’ve hosted parties on yachts and at the marina.

What are some additional ways to make an event memorable at The Boca Raton?

At Harborside Pool Club, we offer buy-outs of cabanas or the garden roof top, where you can have the entire space for your private event. For those looking for a girl’s day with a group, you can make a day at Spa Palmera, including enjoying lunch at the spa garden.

Your career at The Boca Raton has spanned decades. How do you keep such a refreshed outlook to your work?

You learn over the years that the people coming in have their specific ideas on what they need or want, and those are learning points for us. That’s the fun in doing this: exploring, not doing the same thing every day, and building relationships.

Parties for adults can be fun, but kid themed celebrations can be memorable. Tell us about some kid parties over the years.

We host a lot of bar and bat mitzvahs. A recent one was what we categorize as over the top. What made it unique is that the kids and parents really wanted to have fast food delivered to the celebration, so our chef arranged with each of the fast-food options to arrive piping hot. We even had servers decked out in the respective restaurants’ attire.

How do the property’s restaurants accommodate private events?

The restaurants all have their own qualities they can offer…They all have private rooms: For example, The Flamingo G rill has a private room with a veranda that looks out over the golf course, Principessa Ristorante overlooks Lake Boca Raton with stunning views, and MB Supper Club has built-in entertainment and an outdoor patio on Spanish Terrace. It’s truly up to the client.