Cali Here We Come | Catersource

Catersource

March 23, 2022

For nearly 30 years, Catersource has served as an educational resource and expansive network for the catering and special events industries. As the industry continues to work its way through one of the toughest times in its history, the need to gather and learn from one another, network, and celebrate is important! Join Catersource, co-located with The Special Event, as we celebrate the rise of the resilient catering and events industry!

Don’t miss a moment! Arrive Monday afternoon 5/2, depart Friday morning 5/6

When making your travel arrangements, plan to arrive by Monday afternoon so that you can enjoy the entire Catersource + The Special Event experience!

Kick off your week by attending Connect Live, held at The Ranch, starting at 7:30 p.m. and ending at 10:30 p.m. End your week by joining us at the Closing Night Celebration.
In between, you won’t want to miss a thing.

Here’s a look at all that will be offered!

Revolutionary Keynotes

At the Opening General Session on the tradeshow floor, Matteucci will kick off the 2022 Catersource + The Special Event conference and tradeshow with her session, “I Know You’re the Boss, but...” High energy, deeply embedded in our industry, and inspiring, Matteucci, will leave you with actionable takeaways on Wednesday morning, May 4 at 9:00 a.m. The Opening General Session is included in the purchase of any pass, from All Access to tradeshow only.

At the Closing General Session on the tradeshow floor, Choi will talk with SEARCH Chairwoman Kate Patay about food as a platform for activism and a catalyst for change on Thursday morning, May 5 at 9:00 a.m. The Closing General Session is included in the purchase of any education pass or tradeshow plus pass.

Irinox demostrated its blast chillers on the Culinary and Keynote stage (on the tradeshow floor) during their sponsored session “Blast Chill Technology,” presented by Corporate Chef Jeff Bignell (left).

Top notch culinary

If you hope to expand your culinary operations in 2022 and beyond, there is a terrific line up of chef-forward classes available on the Culinary Experience stage at Catersource and Culinary & Keynote stage on the tradeshow floor. Chefs will not just talk about their concepts, they’ll demonstrate them, too. You can also participate in hands on classes that will help boost your skills in a variety of areas. Plus, some of the recipes produced on the Culinary Experience stage will be available for sampling in the second floor networking lounge.

Gain access to trending recipes, learn the basics of breakfast, get insight into how to shake up your bar program, get inspired with uncovential serving styles, and discover superstar short plates and late night noshes—these are just a few of the culinary classes you will experience.

Certified Catering Consultants

Need a quick consultation about some aspect of your business? The Certified Catering Consultants (CCC) will offer free half hour appointments on site to address your catering-related challenges, identify your highest value opportunities, and/or help you improve your business and ROI. The CCC team has been consulting with caterers for over 20 years and many of them ran businesses of their own—or still do! Head to room 262 to sign up for a free consultation during show hours Tuesday and Wednesday.

Have a Candid Conversation with cece todd during this year’s show. Photo courtesy WTA Photos via spotmy photos.

Candid conversations

Always a favorite, Candid Conversation sessions are free-wheeling “unsessions”—no set agenda or full on Powerpoint presentations; just an industry professional at the front of the room, ready to answer your questions about topics they excel at. Put the Footers Catering team in the hot seat; ask CeCe Todd (shown above) your burning questions about her turn on HGTV’s ‘Table Wars’; Alan Berg is ready to talk marketing and sales; Alicia Schiro shares the secrets to her success as a small business making large money; and don’t miss this year’s panel on mental health featuring Reuben Bell, Fausto, Charessa Sawyer, Suzi McMerty Shands, Mellissa Tibben and Terrica. Your questions—their answers. The learning is fun and organic; these sessions are often identified as some of the most popular, year after year.

Discover ideas on the tradeshow floor

The award-winning tradeshow floor will offer a plethora of trendsetting and relevant exhibitors and sponsors for you to browse, learn from, taste samples and buy from. These exhibitors are here to help you grow your business and recognize the potential you have for 2022 and beyond.

Additionally, a culinary competition, and the excitement of the Opening General Session with keynote Christina Matteucci open the first day of the tradeshow floor, with the return of the Swizzle competiton and Closing Session with keynote Roy Choi on Thursday.

Industry accolades: award recipients

Each year, we honor industry leaders who we, at Catersource + The Special Event, feel have made a significant and positive impact on our industries. Join us in celebrating these remarkable individuals at our annual Leadership Lunch on Thursday, May 4 at 24 Carrots Catering and Events’ The Colony House.

Enjoy a beautiful lunch with your colleagues and peers, and celebrate with recipients Rosemary Kowalski (Michael Roman Lifetime Achievement award); Kelly Murphy (Richard Carbotti Gala award) and Lenny Talarico, CSEP, CHE (Special Events Gala Lifetime Achievement award), as well as the surprise award recipient of the Steve Kemble award.

Catersource + The Special Event 2022 will also mark the return of the annual ACE, Gala, and ICA CATIE Awards, which will be presented at the Opening Night Party on Tuesday, May 3. Click here to see this year’s ACE Award nominees.

Food Truck Roundup!

Join your colleagues Tuesday afternoon from noon to 1:15 p.m. outside the Anaheim Convention Center on the Arena Plaza. Soak in the California sunshine, go over your afternoon conference schedule, network, and enjoy local chef-owned and operated artisan food trucks!

Associations & groups

Associations and groups (some of them new to the conferences) will be present at Catersource + The Special Event, many of which will also have booths on the Tradeshow floor and/or in the conference area. Take the time to seek these people out and learn more! We are all in this together and hope to learn from each other. Here is a look:

Friends and colleagues can gather together during all of the evening showcasing events. Photos courtesy WTA Photos via SpotMy Photos

Networking opportunities

Beyond the evening events and Tuesday morning welcome gathering, pass time has been increased between sessions to allow more opportunity to say hello and move between tradeshow floor and conference rooms. Most sessions allow 30 minutes pass time. Additionally, join your friends outside on Tuesday at lunch time for a California-style food truck round up, enjoy time with peers in our two conference-area networking spaces, and buy a ticket to our Thursday Leadership Lunch at 24 Carrots Catering and Events’ beautiful venue, The Colony House, to discuss high level ideas with peers.

Earn education credits

Continuing education is an important aspect of any career trajectory and Catersource + The Special Event is ready to help.

All classes have been approved for CMP (Certified Meeting Professional) credits

Go to “Associations & Accreditations” on the left-hand rail on schedule.catersource.com and sort to find what you need!

Catersource

Catersource includes an annual conference, tradeshow and magazine, online presence, e-newsletters, the Art of Catering Food conference, and Leading Caterers of America Executive Summit. Click here for conference information. Click here to sign up for any of our free e-news products or the quarterly issue of Catersource magazine.

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Conferences