Eating at a Meeting

I'm SO excited to be chatting with my friend and industry leader Rachael Riggs to talk about the 5 Dimension of Wellbeing on the Eating at a Meeting podcast this week. For more than 25 years, Rachael has been dedicated to creating holistic event experiences that motivate people to be the best versions of themselves. As the Wellbeing Leader of Maritz Global Events, she focuses on improving the guest experience by keeping the guest’s wellbeing at the heart of the design. Join us as we talk about why wellbeing has become such a hot topic as we come back from the pandemic, the hottest wellbeing related topic Maritz Global Events is seeing right now, how wellbeing and event food and beverage are connected and how it can all be used to improve events. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Chris Adams got his start as a pool attendant with Ritz Carlton. From that job and the future years he spent with the company, he learned the culture of what luxury was and what Ritz Carlton stood. Now, as an international luxury hospitality disruptor and CEO of lifestyle consulting agency, Ellis Adams, he and his team help brands open new hotels around the world and teach their staff that luxury hospitality is about how you make people feel and how to positively leave an impact on people’s lives. And, that includes the food and beverage programs these hotels provide. Join Tracy and Chris on Wednesday at 12PM Eastern as they talk about how food and beverage can create luxury experiences for everyone, why is leadership is so important and the future of hospitality. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Harlowe Custom Micro’s is a Veteran-owned and operated farm that opened in 2017 in Harlowe, NC. It's owner Ryan Willet along with his fiancé, Rebecca run the multifaceted farm with a Hydroponic Greenhouse, Microgreen Production room, and Market Garden Beds. The business, however, started out of necessity. Ryan's day job was pretty sedentary, which was taking its toll on him physically (think, "sitting is the new smoking"), so he decided to work with a nutritionist. She helped him understand portion control and to figure out how to include better things in his diet — adding spinach to eggs and kale on sandwiches — and remove some less valuable items. Then by eating more greens, he was inspired to starting growing his own. Since then, he has learned about hydroponics, soil biology and testing different crops. The business has grown organically and now supplies greens and other vegetables to local restaurants and local communities. join Tracy and Ryan as they kick off National Fruits & Vegetables Month to talk about how he got started, how the company has grown, what's in season, his new book and how eating local vegetables has helped him become healthier. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

In April I re-met Gagan (Jared Levy) (he/him) after 30 years. We were both attending the Natural Products Expo where he was a multi-session speaker on how to build businesses for good that prioritize the planet and people while maximizing profit. As founder and chief creative director of marketing agency Guru, Gagan's mission is to increase joy and reduce suffering on this planet through innovative, strategic creativity for brands who are creating the most quality products in the most conscious ways. Join our conversation, as we reconnect again after 30 years to talk about how organizations — and the events they host — can be creative, foster long-term growth, empower movements, build healthier communities, and contribute to a more equitable food system. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

While attending PCMA Convening Leaders convention, Tracy had the opportunity to attend one of the Lip Smacking Food Tours. In this episode, she chats with founder Donald Contursi on how he has become an award-winning tour company that offers unique dining experiences in Las Vegas and beyond. https://www.lipsmackingfoodietours.com/ https://www.facebook.com/LipSmackingFoodieTours https://instagram.com/lipsmackingfoodie https://twitter.com/VegasFoodieTour Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

I first heard The Day Tripper Chet Garner speak in early 2022 at the Southwest Showcase and immediately fell in love with his love of Texas and how through his show he is sharing and teaching us all about the culture, community, people, history, and food of the Lone Star state. As the creator, host, and executive producer of the 12-time Emmy-award-winning Texas travel show which airs on PBS stations across the country, Chet explores the HUGE state to show that it only takes a day to find new experiences and get a taste of something different. Join Tracy and Chet as they talk about Texas food and beverage and how it has influenced some of the experiences he has had daytripping it across the state he loves to call home. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Food Allergy Awareness Month Epsiode If you were to look at a group of people would you be able to point out the ones who have food allergies or celiac disease? Probably not. They don’t look different from others standing next to them. This is great on one hand, but also a serious challenge on the other. Food allergies and celiac disease are serious INVISIBLE medical conditions that millions of people live with every day, including Gwen Smith. These medical conditions can be life-threatening, make it hard to be active, socialize, and live full and good lives, especially when there is food around. What you don't see nor does the person standing next them is the extreme diligence that goes into staying healthy and safe every single day. Listen as Tracy chats with Gwen, editor and content chief of Allergicliving.com, who is an experienced journalist with severe food allergies, about why is it so important to you to make food allergies and celiac disease more visible. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

A Special Food Allergy Awareness Week Episode First 30 minutes: Kyle Dine and his family love to travel. But dining out while traveling can be hard when he has allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, egg, and mustard and his wife has celiac disease. He started his company Equal Eats after having a full-blown anaphylactic reaction in a European restaurant because the tree nut cashew got lost in translation between him and the waiter. Something that can and does easily happen every day. Tracy and Kyle talk about the what the term "Equal Eats" means to them. Learn how guests with food allergies can set themselves up for dining success and how together we can influence change in the foodservice system. Second 30 Minutes: Business coach and food allergy mom Karen Palmer, CPC, ELI-MP joins Tracy to talk about the most important thing families can do to prepare their food-allergic children to dine safely in college and a one thing people might not think to consider when considering dining options at college. She shares some very enlightening tips! Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Food Allergy Awareness Week Epsiode. Having a food allergy can create a heavy burden for individuals — children and adults alike — constantly having to think about and managing EVERY bite, spill and crumb because a single mistake — a morsel, a touch, or inhalation of a food protein — can be deadly. Join Tracy on Friday, May 13 as she talks with licensed clinical therapist, Lisa Rosenberg, about the BEST part of having food allergies and the advice she would give to someone who is just starting their food allergy journey? With current standards of care being 1) avoiding the allergenic foods, 2) carrying epinephrine auto-injectors, and 3) seeking emergency medical care if epinephrine is used, just worrying about having an allergic reaction "is sometimes more serious than the food allergy itself," says Charles Feng, an allergist at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Mountain View, California. Learn how to help reduce stress, panic attacks and the bullying some food allergic eaters have about eating out and relying on someone else to order and prepare your food. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Food Allergy Awareness Week. Episode Caroline Benjamin and Jacqui McPeake are no strangers to a catering or hotel kitchen, having worked in food service for a combined 35+ years. They are also no strangers to food allergies and other dietary needs, Caroline being allergic to gluten and dairy and Jacqui a mom of a food allergic child. Together (and separately) their passion for raising awareness of food allergens and intolerance across the food industry has supported the rollout and adoption of allergen legislation in the United Kingdom, teaching about and promoting best practices for allergen management, and implementing policies and procedures that result in safe and positive dining experiences and in return, increased revenue and customer loyalty. Joining from the UK during Food Allergy Awareness Month, Jacqui and Caroline will join Tracy on Eating at a Meeting, Thursday, May 12, to discuss how food service businesses can help food allergic customers feel safe when looking for and dining at their events/venues, how to increase revenue with food allergic guests, and the importance of the "Near Miss Campaign" they've launched to help everyone. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com