Catering director adds drama to Houston event planning

With degrees in theater and business, Paul-David Van Atta puts his education to good use as director of catering at the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston, which opened one year ago.

Van Atta's parents always told him to have something to fall back on because he was planning a career in theater. Now, his job capitalizes on all of his training.

"We are charged with creating an experience," he said. "If you take that approach, you will always be successful. Everybody has a marble foyer--you're competing with the content."

He first entered the lodging industry at the front desk, earning money to make ends meet while in school. In four years, Van Atta worked his way up to director of sales and marketing of the 200-room property.

"My hotel experience captivated me," he said.

Van Atta is especially happy with his current position.

"Houston is unparalleled in gala activity, second only to New York," he said. "The production events here are phenomenal."

He attributes the event culture to the sophisticated, wealthy community that expects a high caliber of experience.

Fund-raisers are a significant portion of his business.

"Houston gets it," Van Atta said. "If you're sitting at a fund-raiser waiting on grants to come in, you're not going to prosper. You've got to be innovative to make this happen. And you do it through events--auctions, silent auctions and dinners. Nothing is over the top."

For the first big event at the Hilton, Van Atta worked with Emily Crosswell, a Houston philanthropist, on a Texas Children's Hospital fund-raiser, which included a gospel choir and fireworks show.

"It set the standard for me working in this market," he said.

And it all has to do with the "wow" factor.

"We are always looking for the 'wow,'" Van Atta said. "Hearing somebody's ideas and theme and expanding on that."

While he admits that the job is hard work, Van Atta said he loves the challenge of creating the experience with his dedicated staff.

"It's amazing that you can put together a team from all different backgrounds and different experiences and still be able to mesh and hold on to the staff through all of the growing pains and creation of systems," he said. "I've never worked with a group with more dedication to the end result. It's not a job, it's an ambition."