CS+TSE 2024: Walking the Tradeshow Floor

Myriad new products could be found to inspire and excite attendees on the combined Catersource + The Special Event Tradeshow floor. Everything from food products to rental equipment to décor to entertainment to technology solutions were on hand to prepare attendees for their upcoming events.

An Austin-themed airstream on the tradeshow floor provided a fun photo opportunity.

A big draw this year were the Ignite Stages on the tradeshow floor that featured 30-minute interactive Fast Chats, where attendees could discuss targeted topics with industry experts. With headsets and inside inflatable “igloos,” each session was up close and personal, offering a greater opportunity to understand and learn a variety of topics, from sustainability to technology to marketing to operations.

New this year, Fast Chats were a popular session style that took place on the tradeshow floor.

The Tradeshow Floor also played host to both the DICED and the Tablescape competitions, the Hall Happy Hour, the first-ever Booth Awards (which awarded this year's best exhibitors in several categories), and the new Brunch & Bubbly. 

Six chefs (Chef Joseph Pina, Chef Joshua House, Chef Alicia Smith, Chef Nettie Frank, Chef Jeremy Langemann, and Chef Jean Claude Etienne) faced off during Catersource + The Special Event (held February 12-15 in Austin, TX) at the annual DICED competition (held on Valentine's Day, February 14th). The challenge? Prepare a dish that a couple could enjoy together on Valentine's Day: breakfast in bed, charcuterie for two, anything goes as long as it could be enjoyed by two people. 

Here's a look back! 

There were several exhibitors showcasing flatware and tableware. 

Several products offered sustainable solutions, such as Boxed Water. 

The tradeshow floor is always an inspiring place to connect with professionals across the catering and special events industries looking for the latest products and services to enhance their business operations and gather ideas together.

The annual Tablescape Competition acted as a major draw on the Tradeshow Floor. The rules of the game were simple: 60 participants received a notecard with an event scenario and client they were to design for—celebrities like Pink!, Harry Styles, Tori Spelling, and Margot Robbie, with events like launch parties, celebrations of life, and movie premieres. Participants had time to view all of the products, come up with a design, gather supplies, and create their tables. 

The International Caterers Association even got in on the action. 

A few Catersource + The Special Event speakers were also spotted on the Tradeshow Floor! Here Meghan Ely and Clint Elkins chat with attendees in the SB Value booth. 

R.L. Scchreiber laid out all of their seasonings for attendees to see. 

Attendees never go hungry on the Tradeshow Floor, there's always plenty of sampling to partake in. Here Barilla samples some of its pasta. 

The Gastro Garage is an immersive, experiential dining and catering concept specializing in savory brioche donuts filled with nitrous foam, torched toppings, and finishing oils that are cooked by blow torches. 

Chef Rubber's nautical theme caught attendees' eyes.

All photos courtesy Ivan Piedra Photography/AGNYC Productions/SpotMyPhotos