Eating at a Meeting

Coming Live from Las Vegas on the final day of PCMA Convening Leaders, Tracy reports on what she saw and heard about food and beverage at the convention, around town, and through the convention partners who are showcasing their cities. Tracy covers presentation styles, labeling, room sets, and ancillary events. She even takes a tour around the main area of the show so you can see how it is set-up. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Kicking off the 2022 talking about and celebrating veganism and how it can help us be better stewards for our planet. Who better to help me do this than Veganethical food advisor Chantal Cooke . Her 30+ years as an environmental journalist, founder of UK's only ethically focused radio station PASSION for the PLANET, a long time vegetarian/vegan, she is a wealth of knowledge to start the year and Veganuary. Tune in to listen as Chantal and Tracy chat about why moving to plant-based eating so important, how we can make it easier for caterers to meet the needs of vegetarians and vegans, pet-hate for veggies/vegans and probably SO much more. # EatingAtAMeeting #EveryMealMatters #Veganuary #Vegan #MeetingProfs #EventProfs #Catering #PassionForThePlanet #FoodService Connect with Chantal Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

To truly create safe, inclusive, and sustainable food experiences, we must take into account all the other human and non-human inputs along the food supply chain. Using their experience running a global corporate food program and their appreciation and advocacy for local and sustainable food system, McKenzie Phelan and Meghan Shellenberg founded Foodmuse. Through their food and beverage design agency they help organizations create dining programs that are connected to their local food systems while addressing other inputs in the supply chain. Join Tracy on Wednesday, December 1 at 12PM when she chats with McKenzie and Meghan on how to and why we must create food programs, including meetings and events, that support small farmers and producers, promotes regenerative eating, and directs money back into local communities. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

What do you get when you provide a safe dining experience for someone with food allergies? An inclusive experience in which everyone can enjoy a meal with together without anyone going hungry. If you are a #foodservice outlet or an #event, adding those two types of experiences together — safety + inclusion — you gain potential for increasing your revenue. You see, individuals with #foodallergies and other dietary needs are VERY loyal. Debbie Bruce, founding member and current Director of the Canadian Anaphylaxis Initiative (CAI), can attest to that herself. For the past 30+ years she has collaborated with community partners, businesses, all levels of government and advocacy groups to draw attention to anaphylaxis issues and to improve the everyday safety, inclusion and quality of life for the 3 million Canadians living with Anaphylaxis. Her background in the packaged goods industry (production, purchasing and marketing), collaboration with community partners, and as the mother of two boys with multiple food allergies, she has seen how being improved safety measures, menus that offer options for everyone and can lead to higher profits. Join Tracy and Debbie on Wednesday, December 15 at 12PM on #EatingAtAMeeting LIVE as they discuss how creating safe and inclusive dining experiences can improve the bottom line. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

When contacting a hotel or other venue to hold a meeting/event there is usually a food and beverage (F&B) contract clause that stipulates the group must spend a minimum amount of money on F&B during the event, providing a source of revenue for the venue. And, if the group doe not generate the contracted amount, it will responsible for making up the difference. These are "standard" clauses, if you're in the industry. But what is the standard now after/during the pandemic? What has to be negotiated as it relates to food and beverage sourcing? What about staffing? Room sizes? Ordering deadlines? Is food service being provided in-house or by a third party? Joan Eisenstodt, respected meetings industry veteran, and Tracy as they chat about new clauses we've seen in hotel contracts and the things that we may have to consider when contracting a property. Disclaimer: Neither Joan nor Tracy are engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or professional services through this presentation. If expert assistance is required, the services of a professional should be contracted. https://twitter.com/joaneisenstodt https://linkedin.com/in/joaneisenstodt/ Connect with Tracy: Want more Eating at a Meeting? Join the Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting Need an interactive and entertaining speaker, hire Tracy: thrivemeetings.com

What are the cocktail (alcoholic and non!) basics that everyone should know about making excellent drinks? Grab a glass and tune in to learn from cocktail editor, coach and mixologist, Erin R. Petrey about how cocktails are made, why they are made the way they are, and the history behind what's in the glass. Learn what to serve for your New Year celebrations and events in 2022, including non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails. Useful Links www.bourbonbanter.com https://www.instagram.com/livelongandcocktail/ https://twitter.com/erpdc https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinpetrey/ Want more Eating at a Meeting? Join the Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting

I met Becky Kekula a few years ago at a conference about work place inclusion. When we talked about what we both do, I was intrigued by her perspective of eating at a meeting. As a person with dwarfism, she opened my eyes to yet another approach #eventprofs should consider when designing events, including the food and beverage service. In her TedX Talk, she says "we live in a society that encourages innovation. And people with disabilities are the most innovative people on the planet. Before leaving the house each day, we are tasked to solve more problems than your average person without a disability." It is exciting to think about how innovative #eventprofs and individuals with disabilities could be together in creating inclusive experiences for all. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Did you know that in the US alone, 48 million people get and 3,000 people die from a foodborne illness each year? Some of these illnesses cause lifelong ramifications or potentially death. The problem is, no one cares until it affects them personally. To help spread awareness on the importance of compliance and ethics related to food safety, in this week's Eating at a Meeting LIVE, Tracy chats with food safety expert Francine Shaw, Founder/CEO of Savvy Food Safety. Listen as Tracy and Francine discuss why basic food safety should be important to everyone and what are the most typic food safety violations. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Hotel catering menus are pretty standard. You have your choice of this breakfast or that. Lunch and dinner choose from chicken, beef or fish with salad and dessert. Bonni Scepkowski was never one to follow the standard rules of meeting. She never met a menu she couldn’t improve. As you know, food is more than ‘lunchtime’ — it’s an integral part of the experience and should be woven into the fabric of the program, reflecting your audience's demographics, culture and vibe of the program. Part of our role is to nourish our guests — not just intellectually, but physically as well. Why count on menu templates to tell your story. Listen as Tracy and Bonni talk about how she, a F&B director, and a chef for a recent event became a team to create an unbelievable dining experience for the attendees. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

I had the opportunity to interview Chef Keith Rhodes of Catch restaurant (Wilmington, NC) for a Meetings Today article I wrote on the Cuisine of the Coastal Carolinas earlier this year. His knowledge of and ideology behind cooking fresh, healthy, seasonal meals and living a sustainable lifestyle comes from his deep roots to the Carolina coastal community. While he supports local purveyors, fishermen, and farmers, he also is committed to giving back and serving his local community. In this episode Chef Rhodes and Tracy will continue our conversation about sustainable, healthy coastal cuisine, while also touching on the fact he also has diabetes. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com