ICA Member Wishes for 2021: Infographic

It’s official… sayonara 2020! With 2020 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to celebrate—pop a little bubbly, indulge in a decadent dessert, do a happy dance, whatever brings you joy as we kick off this new year with revived spirits and sincere optimism for the future of our industry. While it was a tough year, so many positive things were born from the challenges that we faced. We embraced our creativity, we cultivated strong communities and supported one another, and we proved that we are the most relentlessly innovative and resilient industry in the world.

To ring in this new year, the International Caterers Association polled our members, asking questions about their lessons learned, their hopes and desires for the new year, and just generally fun questions about the industry we all love so dearly. Here’s what they had to say!

What do you think? Did some of these responses sound like you could have said them yourself? We are all in this together, which is why all these member responses truly hit home for us all!

The one question that we really found inspirational was, “What got you into catering?” With the responses to this question, we saw a trend.

The reason most of us got into catering?

Family.

It’s a business rooted in traditions, in memories made in the kitchen, in special celebrations to remember. Our industry is family, and that is what 2020 has taught us. After a year like 2020, it can be easy to forget the little life moments that inspired you to join the catering industry, but now more than ever, it’s so important to remember and embrace that wild passion that led us all here. Here are some of our member responses that truly showcased these values:

“I literally grew up in the business and saw my mom over 40 years ago build something very special and knew that one day I'd want to be a part of it! Feeling her passion, excitement and drive was and continues to be infectious, and when you love something so much, it just doesn’t feel like work. That is why I continue to do this crazy business, as it’s in my blood and I love it!”

– Robin Selden, Marcia Selden Catering & Events

“My family! My mother started catering on the side roughly a decade ago, and I have been helping since day one. My family has been in the hospitality industry their entire lives, and I followed suit.”

-Chase Mayer, C.B.K. Catering & Events

“Mom! As kids, we learned and she taught us how to cook, work hard and understand how our efforts and hard work benefitted us all.”

– Jeffrey Selden, Marcia Selden Catering & Events

“Started as a part-time job working for my dad while I went to graduate school. I quit grad school and became full-time, working my way up in the company.”

– Suzi McMerty Shands, Mintahoe Catering

So let’s continue to build up our catering industry family in the new year and go reach all those big, bold goals we have for 2021—together! We’ve got this.

For more information or to join the ICA, visit internationalcaterers.org.