The CatersourceXperience

One room, three visionary stages!
Xperience catering education in a whole new way! The CatersourceXperience Room will feature quick, interactive presentations on three small stages showcasing the newest culinary techniques, latest design trends, and cutting-edge marketing ideas including social media.

You’ll have the opportunity to take part in blind taste testing, flavor tripping experiences, fruit and vegetable carving, and wine, cheese and beer tastings. Throughout the Conference, these live 20–minute demonstrations will let you quickly Xtract more new ideas than ever before.

Click here to download the full Xperience Room schedule.

The Xplore Culinary Stage

Mouthwatering culinary demos and presentations:


• money making show stopping appetizers


• dazzling desserts


• amazing action station techniques


• sensational short plates for trendy stand-up parties


• cool cocktail concoctions


• winning wines and beverages


• plus more ideas for buffets, platters, and plated meals box lunches and party to-go foods
   


PRESENTATIONS PLANNED:

Salt!
Kimberly Jones, Director of Professional Catering and Event Management, Sullivan University, Louisville, KY
Taste and learn the flavor profiles of different types of salt and how to use them in  your catering recipes.  
          
Stick It, Spoon It, or Put It in a Glass
Eric Levine, Executive Chef /Operations Manager, Encore Catering, East Haven, NJ
Be inspired as Chef Eric takes a basic appetizer and creates 3 different presentations with the same basic ingredients.

Plate Fired Salmon Station “How To”  Demo
Lon Lane. Owner, Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions, Kansas City, MO
Take a turn with the torch as Lon will teach the show stopping technique of “firing” foods tableside.

Phila’s Favorite Recipes
Phila Hach, Owner, Hachland Hills Vineyard Corporate Retreat, Joelton, TN
Catering icon and a Catersource favorite, Phila will share with us some of her f
avorite catering recipes and stories.

Seated Dinner Menus from Coast to Coast  
Kimberly Jones, Director of Professional Catering & Event Management,  Sullivan University, Louisville, KY
Paul Neuman, President, Neuman’s, New York, NY
Mark Walker, Executive Chef, Global Gourmet Catering +Events, San Francisco, CA
Katherine Farrell, Katherine’s Catering & Events. Ann Arbor, MI
Caterers from North, South, East and West, will share their most popular seated dinner menus including recipes and costing.

Stunning Desserts for Cocktail Buffets
Donna Ford, Owner, Sweet Memories Bakery, Apex, NC
The march of the mini vessels continues as Donna demonstrates three popular cocktail desserts presented in unique containers

New Vines…New Wines
Brian Freedman, Food & Wine Writer Wine Educator & Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
An introduction to new emerging wine regions and a discussion about the  best wines from new markets 

The Xciting Design & Production Stage

Stunning design and décor ideas:


• tips and  tricks with linens


• how to use accent lighting on your buffets


• passing tray garnishes


• unique ideas for place cards and menu cards


• “recipes” for creating stunning but simple floral centerpieces


• color palettes and how to use them correctly
 


PRESENTATIONS PLANNED:

Build a “River of Chocolate”  
Meryl Snow, Owner, Festivities, Philladelphia, PA
Join Meryl for step-by-step instructions on how to build and produce one of the best selling dessert concepts!

The Wedding Storyboard
Mark Kingsdorf, Owner, The Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, Philadelphia, PA
Learn how to paint a personalized picture for the bride and groom with photos and fabric.  Using this sales tool, will help you close a higher percentage of your wedding prospects.

Tabletop Design Trends
Sophia Riley, Owner, TGIS Catering Services, Long Beach, CA
Square, round, vibrant, subdued….join Sophia for a visual tour of the latest trends in tabletop designs.

The Xecute Business & Sales Stage

Sales, marketing, operations and service strategies

:
• tips on blogging and social marketing


• simple and effective marketing materials


• time management tips


• how to team with your vendors for greater profit


• how to make design storyboards for your presentations
 


PRESENTATIONS PLANNED:

Selling and Producing Destination Weddings  
Olive Chase, Owner, The Casual Gourmet, Centerville, MA
Selling and producing a wedding when the bride lives in different city brings a whole
new set of challenges to the caterer.  Learn the systems Olive uses to be sure she
has all the details planned to the “t” and produces a memorable wedding for every bride
and groom.

The Great “Tasting” Debate
Meryl Snow, Owner, Feastivities, Philadelphia, PA
Frank Puleo, Owner, Catering by Framboise, Staten Island, NY
Every bride’s to do list says “schedule tasting with caterer.” Some caterers embrace tastings, some hate them. Join us for this lively discussion on the pros and cons of tastings.

“Foodie” Press
Brian Freedman, Food & Wine Writer, Wine Educator & Consultant, Philadelphia, PA
Brian will share tricks and tips that help you become recognized as a star by the “food” media in your market.

And more...

Also inside the Catersource Xperience Room, the Xamination Station will bring mainstage plates and buffet presentations close so you can take pictures and review the presentations personally. See Lynn Buono’s fabulous stations, Gale Gand’s exceptional desserts, Jamie Keating’s sides and salads, Jack Milan’s  “new” classic dishes, Eric LeVine’s update on appetizers and so much more!


MONDAY - All About Weddings!
And don’t miss the Xtra special spotlight on wedding catering happening in the CatersourceXperience room on Monday - 33 presentations specifically geared toward this special type of event will increase your share of the wedding market! The day will Xpose countless new wedding ideas on all three stages and show you how to Xecute them for an Xtraordinary wedding event!