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Education Stages

Located throughout the exhibition floor at the Las Vegas Conference Center, the Catering & Events Innovations Stage, Show Intel Stage and& Hands-on Demo Arena offer dozens of sessions and demos that will add to the wealth of knowledge you take home!

Tuesday, March 25

Show Intel Stage

Sessions that focus on thought provoking topics important to your success:

11:00am - 12:00pm How to Plan and Cater an Event for 6500 Guests - and Blog About It
Kelly Early, CSEP and Vince Early, CSEP, Owners, Thomas Caterers of Distinction, Indianapolis, IN
12:00pm - 1:00pm Useful Financial Benchmarks for Measuring Your Company’s Performance
Anthony Lambatos, Owner, Footers Catering, Denver, CO
1:00pm - 2:00pm Are We Catering Ourselves to Death? Beyond the Muffin & Coffee
Trevor Lui, Director of Operations & Sustainability, The International Centre, Mississauga, Ontario
2:00pm - 3:00pm Transform Ordinary Buffets Into “Extra-ordinary” Design and Culinary Showpieces
Anna Currie and Ed Currie, Owners, Exclamations Catering, Greensboro, NC
3:00pm - 4:00pm Heat ‘em Up and Move ‘em Out. Taking Your On-premise Menu Off-prem
Patrick Cuccaro, General Manager, Shelley J. Pedersen, CPCE, Director of First Impressions, and Nancy Lutz, Senior Catering Consultant, Affairs to Remember, Atlanta, GA
4:00pm - 4:30pm 1 Million Apps for You. What is Good for Your Business
Daniel Anisman, Co-Founder/CEO/CTO and Sandy Hammer, Co-Founder/CMO, All Seated, New York, NY
4:30pm - 5:30pm Ask Me Anything. An Open Mic Forum
Bill Pannhoff, Owner, B&B Catering & Events, Spring Lake, NC

Catering & Events Innovations Stage

Content-packed live demonstrations:

11:00am - 11:30am Zesty Pickled Foods Add Color and Zing
Brian Aaron, Owner, Aaron’s Catering, Miami, FL
11:30am - 12:00pm Good Stewardship. Using Sustainable Seafood
Andrew Spurgin, Principal, Andrew Spurgin™, San Diego, CA
12:00pm - 12:30pm Mocktails and the Frozen Drink Machine. Adding Special Twists to Bar/Bat Mitzvah Beverages
Sheri Jacobs and Jack Jacobs, Owners, Chez Gourmet Catering, Boynton Beach, FL
12:30pm - 1:00pm Just the Right Size...Mini Desserts
Donna Ford, Owner, Sweet Memories Bakery, Apex, NC
1:00pm - 1:30pm Dessert Solutions for Caterers
Trevor Williams, Corporate Sous Chef, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Northfield, IL
1:30pm - 2:00pm Color Glaze. A New Way to Color and Customize Disposable Plasticware
Paul Edward, Owner and Charity George, Chef Rubber, Las Vegas, NV
2:00pm - 2:30pm Cured, Smoked and Braised...Appetizers to Dessert
Eric LeVine, Chef/ Partner/Author, Morris Tap and Grill, Randolph, NJ
2:30pm - 3:00pm Retro Cocktail Architecture. Tips, Tricks and What's Hip
Andrew Spurgin, Event Architect, Andrew Spurgin™, San Diego, CA; Michael Esposito, Co-Founder and Frankie Thaheld, Director of Culinary Mixology, Snake Oil Cocktail Company, San Diego, CA
3:00pm - 3:30pm The Underside. Pork Belly Recipes for Catering
Tom Dunne, Executive Chef, Common Plea Catering, Pittsburgh, PA
3:30pm - 4:00pm Cocktail Anthropology. Bar Services for International Events
Michael Esposito, Co-Founder and Frankie Thaheld, Director of Culinary Mixology, Snake Oil Cocktail Company, San Diego, CA
4:00pm - 4:30pm Callebaut's Contemporary Dessert Techniques. A White Chocolate Cherry Dome
Alicia Boada, CEPC, CCA, CCE, West Coast Technical Advisory/Brand Sales Development, Barry Callebaut North America, Las Vegas, NV
4:30pm - 5:00pm Savory Application for Traditional Sweets
Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston, MA
5:00pm - 5:30pm Two Birds and One Stone Approach to Event Design
Don Blyler III, Event Specialist, The JDK Group, Camp Hill, PA

Hands-on Arena

Jump right in and experience doing rather than watching. Hands-on demos will include:

11:00am - 11:30am Take Time Out to Smell (and Taste) the Herbs
Keith Lord, Director of Culinary and Operations, The Wild Thyme Company Catering & Events, San Diego, CA
11:30am - 12:30pm Service Fundamentals. A Hands‐on, Confidence-Building Clinic
Brian Palazzolo, Consultant, Catersource, Chicago, IL
12:30pm - 1:30pm Setting the Dining Room Quickly with Consistency & Flare
Roy Porter, Owner, Be Ready for Service, Los Alamitos, CA
1:30pm - 2:00pm Dress Up That Platter. Garnishing Ideas for Buffet Platters
Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston, MA; Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering, Vienna, VA; Karen O’Connor, Executive Chef, Daniel et Daniel, Toronto, ON
2:00pm - 2:30pm Dress Up That Butler Passed Hors d'oeuvre.  Garnishing Ideas for Passing Trays.
Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston MA; Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering, Vienna, VA; Karen O’Connor, Executive Chef, Daniel et Daniel, Toronto, ON
2:30pm - 3:30pm Fun and Effective Team Building Exercises
Anthony Lambatos and April Lambatos, Owners, Footers Catering, Denver, CO
3:30pm - 4:30pm Getting the Perfect Shot. Learn How to Take Better Food Photos
Cade Nagy, Owner, Catering by Design, Denver, CO
4:30pm - 5:30pm The Great Game of Business Mini Games Workshop
Kevin Walter, Principal, Tasty Catering, Elk Grove Village, IL and Steve Baker, Vice President, The Great Game of Business, Inc., Springfield, MO

Restaurant Showcase Stage

12:30pm - 1:00pm Social Media Dos and Don’ts
Debbie Harris, Founder/President, DoWeComply.com, Las Vegas, NV
1:00pm - 1:30pm Affordable Care Act. How it Affects Your Business
Steve Salinas, COO, Bridgeport Benefits, Las Vegas, NV
 
2:30pm - 3:00pm Taking Care of Guests with Allergies
Keith Norman, Assistant Executive Chef, South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa, Las Vegas, NV
3:30pm - 4:00pm The Tao of TAO
Mark Marrone, Corporate Executive Sous Chef, TAO Asian Bistro, Las Vegas, NV

Wednesday, March 26

Show Intel Stage

Sessions that focus on thought provoking topics important to your success:

10:00am - 10:30am Thirty Minutes with a Tech Guru and a Technophobe!
Daniel Anisman, Co-Founder/CEO/CTO and Sandy Hammer, Co-Founder/CMO, All Seated, New York, NY
10:30am - 11:30am Juggling Your Way Through the Sales Circus
Elizabeth Parsons, Event Planner, and Karyn Rose, Event Planner, Culinary Capers Catering and Special Events, Vancouver, Canada
11:30am - 12:30pm Event Technology ROI. Are Your Tech Investments Contributing to Your Bottom Line?
James Zilli, CEO and Gary Coleman, Director of Information Technology, Zilli Hospitality Group, Waukesha, WI
12:30pm - 1:00pm The Word of Mouth Marketing Myth
Jon Wool, President/Owner, JHW Hospitality, Chicago, IL
1:00pm - 2:00pm Contemporary Culinary and Trendy Designs
Moderator, Jack Milan, Catersource Consultant and Owner, Different Tastes, Boston, MA
2:00pm - 2:30pm Taking the iPad to a Higher Level. Creating Proposals, Portfolios and Presentations
Harold Kelly, Director of Sales and Marketing, Melange Catering & Special Events, Houston, TX

Catering & Events Innovations Stage

Content-packed live demonstrations:

10:00am - 10:30am Lettuce Show You Some New Ideas! Creative Salad Recipes
Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering Company, Vienna, VA
10:30am - 11:00am Composing A Culinary Concert
Meryl Snow, Catersource Consultant and Owner, Feastivities Events, Philadelphia, PA; Jen Delaye, CEO and David Everett, Senior Wedding and Event Producer, The JDK Group, Camp Hill, PA
11:00am - 11:30am Sushi 101. Making Sushi In-House
David Sandler, Executive Vice President, Catering by Michaels, Chicago, IL
11:30am - 12:00pm Pasta Blitz. A Fast-paced Session Featuring Pasta Recipes for Every Kitchen
Michael Purpura, Executive Chef, Lackmann Food Service at Wagner College, Staten Island, NY
12:00pm - 12:30pm Cooking Chemistry. Kool Ideas for Using Liquid Nitrogen
Rachanee Keovorabouth, Executive Chef, Thomas Caterers of Distinction, Indianapolis, IN and Justin Riege, Executive Chef, Zilli Hospitality Group, Waukesha, WI
12:30pm - 1:00pm Under the Big Top. Large Events in Large Scale Tents
Doug Quattrini, Event Producer, Feastivities Events, Philadelphia, PA
1:00pm - 1:30pm The Ever-evolving Dish. Cross Utilization of Recipes
Chuck Friedhoff, Chef de Cuisine, Butler's Pantry, St. Louis, MO
1:30pm - 2:00pm Cooking Chemistry. Kool Ideas for Using Liquid Nitrogen
Rachanee Keovorabouth, Executive Chef, Thomas Caterers of Distinction, Indianapolis, IN and Justin Riege, Executive Chef, Zilli Hospitality Group, Waukesha, WI

Hands-on Arena 

Jump right in and experience doing rather than watching. Hands-on demos will include:

10:00am - 11:00am Brush Up on Your Front of the House Service Skills
Roy Porter, Owner, Be Ready for Service, Los Alamitos, CA
11:00am - 12:00pm Flower Power. Learn Design Principals and Techniques for Making Simple Centerpieces
David Everett, Senior Wedding and Event Producer, The JDK Group, Camp Hill, PA
12:30pm - 1:30pm Stay Out of the Weeds. Organize Field Kitchens and Practice Plated Service for Large Groups
Roy Porter, Owner, Be Ready for Service, Los Alamitos, CA
1:30pm - 2:30pm Different Strokes for Different Folks. Exploring Alternative Plated Service Styles
Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston, MA; Adam Gooch, Executive Chef, Purple Onion Catering, Vienna, VA; Karen O’Connor, Executive Chef, Daniel et Daniel, Toronto, ON
2:00pm - 2:30pm Dress Up That Butler Passed Hors d'oeuvre.  Garnishing Ideas for Passing Trays.
Ken Barrett, Executive Director, Broadway Gourmet, Boston, MA

Restaurant Showcase Stage

11:00am - 11:30am Remove the Strings. How to Build Guest Loyalty with Email Marketing
Joe Gabriel, Association Alliances Manager, Fishbowl, Alexandria, VA
11:30am - 12:00pm Responding to Yelp Reviews
Debbie Harris, Founder/President, DoWeComply.com, Las Vegas, NV
12:00pm - 12:30pm Food and Wine Pairings
Ronnie Rainwater, Chef de Cuisine, Delmonico Steakhouse, Las Vegas, NV
12:30pm - 1:00pm How to Easily Prepare Tasty Food Onsite
Daniel Mumau, Owner/Executive Chef, A Catered Affair, Las Vegas, NV