More than 8,000 catering professionals and industry leaders from around the world came to Las Vegas to take part in this inspirational and educational industry event.
For the past 18 years, Catersource has been a gathering place for catering, foodservice and event professionals where they can share ideas, learn the tricks of the trade and continue to be inspired to do the work they love. With a high level of excitement in the air, the 2010 Conference offered just that and a whole lot more!
The 2010 educational sessions kicked off with our keynote speaker
Chef Carla Hall. A finalist on season 5 of Bravo's
Top Chef, Carla shared her path from accountant to model to caterer to reality star - and back to caterer. For her, catering is a true passion and the only way of life she can envision herself being a part of. Her story and her personality were honest and relatable, and attendees were able to share in her passion for the industry.
As the week continued, attendees moved between more than 100
educational classroom sessions and 80
Xperience Room presentations that offered insight and ideas on topics like food and beverage, sales and marketing, business and management, operations and service, presentation and design, and event solutions.
Many of our speakers also took part in the Monday afternoon
Ask the Experts Lunch, where they took the time to sit with a small group of attendees over lunch and discuss topics on a more personal level.
Another lunch option on Monday was the
"Out of the Box" Boxed Lunch and Contest. Boxed lunches and drop-off catering are hot sources of revenue and caterers, restaurants and more know that this type of catering opens up an opportunity for a huge ROI.
This lunch event allowed contest participants to show off their best boxed lunch concepts for a chance to win cash and prizes while lunch attendees had the benefit of browsing these great ideas and related products presented by sponsors.
The evening events at Catersource were a chance for attendees to unwind in a fun after a day of classes. The events continued the learning opportunities as they showed the hottest trends and products "in action." Tuesday night's
Anthology event was a stunning collection of culinary and presentation creativity that wowed guests with great food, imaginative cocktails, unique buffets and presentation ideas, and lively entertainment.
CLICK HERE to watch the highlights!
Other evening events were designed to honor industry excellence in an equally creative and inspiring atmosphere. Monday night held the
ICA CATIE and Event Solutions Spotlight Awards event where catering and event pros were recognized for accomplishments like Best Use of Food as Decor, Best Marketing Collateral, Best Plated Menu and Chef of the Year just to name a few awards.
And casual networking events like
Cocktails & Connections and
Opening Night Las Vegas offered attendees even more time together to discuss industry issues and enjoy the excitement of the conference week with fellow attendees.
To round out this information-packed week, the 2010
Tradeshow offered hundreds of exhibitors that showcased the newest, most relevant products and services for the catering industry.
New product launches, show specials, giveaways and contests gave attendees a chance to connect with valuable resources and see first hand what's hot for catering in 2010.
Adding even more to this award-winning tradeshow, attendees had the opportunity to take part in interactive culinary demonstrations at the
Chef Demo Arena, get new creative new ideas in the
Tabletop Contest, Buffet Building LIVE event and Industry Awards Viewing area, and a chance to win a big ticket prize in the
BIG TICKET Raffle.
For caterers and event planners alike, staying fresh and creative while reinforcing bottom-line goals and strategies isn't an easy task. The education and experiences at the annual Catersource Conference & Tradeshow created an inspiring atmosphere of creative concepts, new and money saving resources and a solid business sense.
With the feeling of an economic up-swing in the air, attendees took home the added inspiration they need to help grow their businesses and guarantee continued success in the year to come.
Watch the full recap video and browse our sites for any details you might have missed!
And stay tuned to
Get Fresh and
Catersource magazine for detailed follow-up stories, recipes and ideas presented at the show as well as the latest information on next year, February 27 - March 2, 2011.
