James has worked in every area of the food and beverage industry. For the past 15 years, he has worked in luxury resorts and hotels, standalone restaurants, and catering venues. His passion for events and creating milestone experiences in NYC led him to the State of the Art team. 

In NYC, James started at the Mark Hotel whose food and beverage team is run by Jean Georges Restaurant Group. He learned the nuance and craft of executing for high value clients and guests. He then turned that into working for the Laurent Tourondel Hospitality group running events and assisted with restaurant openings. James was tasked with reopening the Royalton on Park Avenue in 2021 and most recently spent 3 years creating and executing events at the 9 Orchard hotel for a discerning clientele of high-profile corporate brands,  Vanity Fair lifestyle weddings, community-based jazz nights, and small intimate dinners. 

In joining the SOTA team, James looks forward to creating the best experiences for our clients