More€ˆeducation in a smaller, interactive format
The Catersource Xperience Stages will feature quick, interactive presentations on small stages that will Xamine the newest culinary techniques, latest design trends and cutting-edge marketing ideas.
Throughout the Conference, these live 30–minute demonstrations will let you quickly Xtract more new ideas than ever before. Here are some topics you can expect on this year’s Xperience Stages:
Sunday, March 23
Culinary Design Stage
| 10:30am | Crescent City Cuisine. The Secret Spices of New Orleans Menus Louis Cressy, Executive Chef, Melange Catering & Special Events, Houston, TX |
| 11:00am | BBQ Sauces and Rubs. Variations on a Theme Keith Lord, Director of Culinary and Operations, The Wild Thyme Company Catering & Events, San Diego, CA |
| 11:30am | Interesting and Delicious Kosher-style Menu Concepts Sheri Jacobs and Jack Jacobs, Owners, Chez Gourmet Catering, Boynton Beach, FL |
| 12:00pm | Stunning Hors D'oeuvres in Three Easy Steps Jamie Keating, CEC, CEO, Jamie Keating Culinary, Inc, Columbus, GA |
| 12:30pm | The Underside. Pork Belly Recipes for Catering Ted Strauch, Executive Chef, Greens Point Catering, Longmont, CA |
| 1:00pm | Creating Event Themes From Childhood Memories Gayle Papsin Greenley, Owner, Loaves and Fishes Catering, Atlanta, GA |
| 1:30pm | Beyond Chicken Fingers. Unique Menu Ideas for Teens That They Will Actually Like Sheri Jacobs and Jack Jacobs, Owners, Chez Gourmet Catering, Boynton Beach, FL |
| 2:00pm | From the Runway to the Table. Fashionable Color & Design Trends for Events Ingrid Adolphs, Account Executive, Nuage Design, Key Biscayne, FL |
| 2:30pm | The Push Pop Craze. Sweet and Savory Jeff Ware, Director of Operations, Catering by Michaels, Chicago, IL |
| 3:00pm | Honey I Shrunk the Plate! Small Composed Plates for Catering Menus Paul Brans, Chef de Cuisine, Oliver & Bonacini Events, Toronto, ON, Canada |
| 3:30pm | Krazy for Kale. Soup, Salad and Side Dish Menu Ideas Michael Purpura, Executive Chef, Lackmann Food Service at Wagner College, Staten Island, NY |
| 4:00pm | Salmon Three Ways: Passed, Plattered and Plated Stewart Lane, Research & Development Chef, Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions, Kansas City, MO |
| 4:30pm | Simply Stunning, Simply Crafted Centerpieces David Everett, Senior Wedding and Event Producer, The JDK Group, Camp Hill, PA |
| 5:00pm | Ready, Set, Action! Interactive Dessert Stations Stewart Lane, Research & Development Chef, Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions, Kansas City, MO |
Best Practices Stage
| 10:30am | The Other Side of the Table. Lessons Learned as a Catering Client While Planning a Wedding David Casteel, Managing Partner, Mitchells Catering, Raleigh, NC |
| 11:00am | Technology for Event Planning and Design Dan Berger, Founder/CEO, Social Tables, Washington, DC |
| 11:30am | Utilizing Pinterest as a Tool for Brides Cathy Desroches, Owner, Wicked Catering, Boston, MA |
| 12:00pm | Systems for Creating Multiple Events for Small to Mid-size Companies Melissa Chambers Tibbons, Director of Sales, Attitude on Food Catering, Omaha, NE |
| 12:30pm | Gluten-free Improv Theatre Ken Hillman, Food Service Manager and Anne Lee, Professionals Manager, Dr. Shar USA, Inc, Lyndhurst, NJ |
| 1:00pm | Small Caterers Can Get Large Contracts Carl Clemetson, Owner, Hometown Elegance Catering, Minot, ND |
| 1:30pm | Getting High in the Cloud Sandy Hammer, Co-founder/CMO and Daniel Anisman, Co-founder/CEO/CTO, All Seated, New York, NY |
| 2:00pm | It's the Slow Season. Easy Ways to Cut Costs and Save Your Profit Stephen Zilli, Director of Operations, Zilli Hospitality Group, Waukesha, WI |
| 2:30pm | It Takes a Village. Team Up with Vendor Partners to Host Successful Marketing Events Cathy Desroches, Owner, Wicked Catering, Boston, MA |
| 3:00pm | Why Mobile-ready Websites Are Mandatory…TODAY! Andy Ebon, Public Speaker/Writer/Marketing & Business Consultant, AndyEbon.com, Las Vegas, NV |
| 3:30pm | 20 Ways to Cut Costs Without Sacrificing Quality John Lombardo, Catersource Consultant, Catersource, West Long Branch, NJ |
| 4:00pm | 5 Ways to Spice Up Your Printed Marketing Pieces Alan Berg, Author/Professional Speaker/Small Business Marketing Expert, AlanBerg.com, Kendall Park, NJ |
| 4:30pm | The Nuts and Bolts of Corporate Catering Sales David Eicher, Owner/Chef, and Diane Eicher, President/CEO, Nibblers Catering, Phoenix, AZ |
| 5:00pm | A Site Tour to Remember. Crafting Site Tours That Will Have Clients Begging to Sign Contracts Deborah Gee, Director of Sales, Oliver & Bonacini Events, Toronto, ON, Canada |
Monday, March 24
Culinary Design Stage
| 7:45am | 30 Really Great Ideas in 30 Minutes Lon Lane, Owner and Stewart Lane, Research & Development Chef, Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions, Kansas City, MO |
| 8:15am | Monochromatic Event Design. Making a Statement Without Being Predictable Nico Cervantes, Principal Designer, NLC Productions, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 11:00am | Mozel Tov! Bar and Bat Mitzvah Themes Zohe Felici, Owner, Felici Events, Santa Barbara, CA |
| 11:30am | Vegan Tastes. A Healthy Approach to Flavorful Foods Eric LeVine, Chef/ Partner/Author, Morris Tap and Grill, Randolf, NJ |
| 2:15pm | Cost-effective Tasty Menu Ideas for Corporate Caterers Ted Strauch, Executive Chef, Greens Point Catering, Longmont, CA |
| 2:45pm | Meet the New Hot Sauce in Town. Gochujang and Other Korean Cuisine Keith Lord, Director of Culinary and Operations, The Wild Thyme Company Catering & Events, San Diego, CA |
| 3:15pm | Designing Chafer-less Buffets David Sandler, Executive Vice President, Catering by Michaels, Chicago, IL |
| 3:45pm | The Client is NOT Always Right. Managing Client Expectations Ronnie Davis, Managing Partner, Ronnie Davis Events, and Managing Director, Great Performances, Great Performances, New York, NY |
| 4:15pm | Plug In. The Latest Ideas for Event Lighting Kevin Dennis, JWIC, Owner, Fantasy Sound Event Services, Livermore, CA |
Best Practices Stage
| 7:45am | Catering Software Reality Check. Are You Ready to Jump In? Jim Israel, Partner, Conjure Consulting, Philadelphia, PA |
| 8:15am | One Man Band. Steps for Hiring Your First Employee Greg Hicks, Owner, Impressions Catering, Cleveland, OH |
| 11:00am | The Wedding Registry for Catered Bridal Events. A New Upsell Opportunity for Weddings Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston, MA |
| 11:30am | Processes and Procedures to Successfully Manage an In-house Rental Division Sam Totten, Ambassador of Awesomeness, Footers Catering, Denver, CO |
| 2:15pm | Elevating the Craft of Cocktails Michael Esposito, Co-Founder and Frankie Thaheld, Director of Culinary Mixology, Snake Oil Cocktail Company, San Diego, CA |
| 2:45pm | It's Easy Being Green. First Steps to Green Living at Work and at Home Jason Capps, President/Chef, Bella Sera, Canonsburg, PA |
| 3:15pm | Why Can't I Find That Picture When I Need It? iPad, Mini and iPhone Document Management Tips Harold Kelly, Director of Sales and Marketing, Melange Catering & Special Events, Houston, TX |
| 3:45pm | Clients Say the Darnedest Things. Learn the Sales Quick Fire Game, Part 1 Meryl Snow, Catersource Consultant and Owner, Feastivities Events, Philadelphia, PA |
| 4:15pm | Clients Say the Darnedest Things. Learn the Sales Quick Fire Game, Part 2 Meryl Snow, Catersource Consultant and Owner, Feastivities Events, Philadelphia, PA |
