Eating at a Meeting

I stopped drinking alcohol in 2019. It was a CHOICE I made because I no longer wanted to experience the after-effects of drinking too much, spending the money, or consuming the calories associated with it. Since then my drink of choice has been a club soda with lime or water with lemon. I've tried "mocktails" before with hit-or-miss success. And, I have been "mocked" by servers and bartenders asking me, "You know that it has no alcohol in it?" Uh, Yes, that is why I ordered it. From now on though, and because of chatting with and then reading Derek Brown’s book, "Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails", I WANT and really EXPECT to be able to buy a sophisticated adult drink that is non-alcoholic. Tracy is excited to introduce YOU to Derek, founder of Positive Damage, Inc., who wants "to normalize drinking sophisticated adult drinks without alcohol ... to me, they’re cocktails.” Listen as we chat about what a sophisticated adult beverage actually is, how #MeetingAndEvents and #Hospitality venues can make room for guests who are reducing or eliminating drinking alcohol, the current state of the no- and low-alcohol movement, and the ingredients needed to make a cocktail.  Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

The number of confirmed cases of meat allergy — Alpha Gal Syndrome — has risen from only 12 in 2009 to 34,000 in 2019. Unlike other food allergies, alpha-gal symptoms can occur HOURS after eating meat, making the diagnosis a very tedious and long process. Candice Matthis and Debbie Nichols know this all too well. It took Candice 15 years, including mutliple trips to the ER and flatlining to be diagnosed. Debbie's symptoms continued for 10 years. While she had made the connection between her GI pain and red meat, she had not heard of Alpha GAl Syndrom until Candice was diagnosed. She had to insist that her immunologist test her for it. Together Candice and Debbie are known as Two Alpha Gals and are on a mission to help others live fully with Alpha Gal Syndrome. Listen as Tracy, Candice, and Debbie cha about what foods and products meat is hidden and how to best feed guests with a meat allergy. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

’Tis the season to be jolly. It's also the time that many of us celebrate and observe religions and cultures. While there will be many Christmas parties to attend (and Hallmark movies to watch), we must remember that Hanukkah, Yule, and Kwanzaa are also celebrated this month. Celebratory meals for each holiday vary by person, family, region, and country. Hallie Loeb, an event planner who happens to be petite, vegetarian, and Jewish, joined me on December 7 to share her insights on Hanukkah, the eight-day winter festival of lights, observed through nightly menorah candle lighting, blessings, songs, prayer, and food. Be festive and listen as we talk about religious freedom, the best latke toppings, and the tastebuds of our ancestry. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Do you ever feel deprived about food? With a chronic disease such as diabetes, you have to avoid specific foods to avoid reactions. While that may seem simple, there is nothing simple about it. It takes a lot of diligence to watch everything you eat (quality and quantity), constantly read ingredient labels, and ask questions of servers and chefs about what's in the menu item. What about relying on someone else to choose what you'll be eating when attending a meeting or event? Deprivation can be felt not just with the food itself, but also with the loss of control over what to eat. That's where Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES, IBCLC comes in. She works with her clients to EXPAND their food choices, not contract them. She wants them to enjoy as many different foods as they possibly can, without experiencing complications of diabetes. Listen as Tracy and Julie discuss why she decided to specialize in diabetes, the main message she hopes people understand through her book "30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes," and how to help event attendees with diabetes — how about everyone — enjoy a meal without feeling deprived or worried. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

As the Senior Program Officer for World Wildlife Fund’s Global Food Waste Team, Samantha Kenny works with hospitality and food service businesses to change the standard ways of doing business when planning events (like forecasting) to right-size food production and better serve guests. Listen as Tracy and Samantha talk about who is responsible for curbing food waste at events and the ways food waste be addressed at meetings and events. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Elise Buellesbach was on stage at the 2022 FARE Food Allergy Summit when Tracy first heard her speak. She was getting the first-ever Young Leader Award for her work as a college student with food allergies and celiac disease to lobby and fight for systematic change on campus. As a student studying political science at American University, she's passionate about understanding the legislative process so she can help create systemic change for those who suffer from invisible disabilities (e.g. food allergies and celiac disease), in turn creating a more inclusive world. Listen as Tracy and Elise chat about what she's working on related to on-campus dining, when food is an inclusive issue, how she wants to encourage conversations about food allergies, and what it takes her to be safe. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Event Professionals from across the country have told me on many occasions — and I've personally experienced it — that event venues refuse to donate leftover, untouched food due to concerns about food safety. One planner even shared that a hotel told his organization, "Don't make us do this," in spite of the fact that the catering contract stated all remaining, untouched food would be donated. Aubrey Alvarez, Executive Director of @eatgreaterdesmoines has experienced this herself, but that does not stop her. She continues to connect nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders to work to strengthen the food system in Des Moines and make sure no food goes to waste. Winner of "Iowan of the Week" in 2021 for her team's efforts in distributing almost 90,000 food boxes via one of the organization’s most significant projects, "Operation Fresh Produce Drop," Aubrey is committed to ensuring the people of Des Moines don’t go hungry and that they have access to fresh and healthy foods Listen as Tracy chats with Aubrey about how people (e.g. #MeetingProfs) can get involved locally to help feed their community, what food can and cannot be donated, as well as innovative ways she is seeing food access improved in her community. While there are many individual properties that donate regularly, there are still thousands that do not. It’s time for the Meetings And Events industry changes its policies to ensure we are rescuing and donating food that would otherwise be thrown away. Aubrey told me, "we have enough food for everyone. The amount of food thrown away could feed all food insecure folks multiple times." Link in bio to watch it live.Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

In late October Tracy visited the Javits Center in New York City to tour their rooftop farm and learn how they are using their harvest to feed employees and event goers. In two different interviews, Tracy chats with the Executive Chef Niko Marinos for Culivated, the culinary arm of the Javits Center as well as Orion Ashmore, the farm manager at the Javits Center for Brooklyn Grange Farms. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

What do climate change, sustainability, and events have to do with each other? A LOT! Two weeks ago in one of my education sessions at IMEX — an events industry convention that has won awards for its sustainability efforts — I was surprised that only 10% of the attendees were currently incorporating sustainability questions in their venue requests for proposal or their events. To boot, a few other sustainability-focused sessions had the same response. When I shared this stat with Shawna McKinley, an event sustainability consultant and instructor based in Vancouver, Canada, we decided to chat about how that aligns with the latest research from SKIFT and SITE, how its planners biggest concerns — rising food costs, event disruption and reduced attendance — are actually affected by climate change. Join Shawna and I for the next #EatingAtAMeeting LIVE (October 26) to learn ways to incorporate sustainability practices into the overall event planning process, how your food and beverage choices must part of the sustainability equation, and how not to feel feel powerless to act.

Recorded on Day 3 of IMEX America 2022. Tracy is joined by Katie Kulp, a meeting planner whose niche is planning events for groups who have disabilities. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com