Eating at a Meeting

When Tracy saw CBRE's September 2022 Hotel Horizons® forecast in early December stating that food and beverage (F&B) recovery was lagging from pre-COVID levels while rooms revenue per available room (RevPAR) was exceeding 2019 annual levels in 2022, I wanted to find out more. Especially when the cost of food is increasing and meeting planners are spending even more on their already largest expenditure. I'm excited that Andrew Hartley of CBRE Hotels Advisory who studied and analyzed F&B department revenues, expenses, and profits of 1,228 properties for the report will join me on #EatingAtAMeeting LIVE to talk about what he's seeing in the trends for U.S. hotel food and beverage departments. Listen as we discuss these F&B programs — where they were prior to the pandemic and what they look like in the post-pandemic environment, including what is attributing to the lag and industry standards that have been eliminated as a result of the pandemic. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Tracy takes a look at various reports that share the food and beverage trends for 2023. From specific food and beverage ingredients and products (CBD, dates, salts) to processes such as upcycling and cultivating meat as well as philosophies to be more intentional and purpose-driven, Tracy shares the leading food and beverage trends for individuals, organizations, and food service providers. Tune in to learn how and why to incorporate these trends into event, home, and space menus. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

We learned earlier this month how the non-alcoholic beverage market is growing rapidly not just for hashtag#DryJanuary but overall and throughout the year. One wine store owner I talked to last month said that 38% of people of drinking age are choosing not to consume alcohol or are consuming LESS of it. That is why Lauren Chitwood and her co-founders created the non-alcoholic brand Spiritless. They were three young mothers with eight kids between them who were/are driven entrepreneurs and passionate social drinkers who enjoyed an evening cocktail to wind down from their day. Like most consumers buying their alcohol-free spirits and ready-to-drink (RTD) non-alcoholic canned cocktails, they were "feeling the strain of weekday drinks at work dinners, added calories, and sluggish mornings after a few glasses." Join Lauren and Tracy for #EatingAtAMeeting as they chat about how they started the business, their experience as female founders in the spirits industry, and how low and non-alcoholic beverages are an incredible tool for drinkers and non-drinkers alike. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Do you have any 2023 events for which the contract was negotiated before or during the COVID pandemic? When was the last time reviewed the contract terms related to food and beverage service, menu items, staffing, and pricing? A lot has changed with food and beverage service due to the pandemic. On Wednesday's episode of hashtag#EatingAtAMeeting LIVE, Joshua Grimes, Esq. of Grimes Law Offices, LLC is going to join me to talk about how, in this strong seller's market, hashtag#MeetingProfs can ensure they are protected and prepared for changes. We're going to cover a lot — inflation, food costs, staff shortages in both the kitchen and front-of-house, how high demand for space may impact what was previously thought secure, gratuity and service charges, and F&B performance policy provisions. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Tracy talks with Food Economist and Associate Professor at Michigan State University David Ortega who studies what people eat, how it got to their plates, and various factors that affect foods' journey from farm to people's plates. His explaination of why and how food prices are rising is important for us to all understand. It's not just one thing that's affecting the increase. It's a variety of factors that are really coming together kind of a perfect storm of various things that are contributing and are sort of compounding each other. David also discusses consumer demand — what we're eating as well as where and how we're spending our money on food. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

In this year-end conversation about food, Tracy chats with Dani Nierenberg, an American activist, author, journalist, and Co-Founder and President of Food Tank, a non-profit that offers solutions and environmentally sustainable ways of alleviating hunger, obesity, and poverty around the world. Listen as Tracy and Dani chat about how the state of the US (and global) food system, our most pressing environmental and agricultural, and food issues, the newly approved Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021, and how we can link the cultural, medical, religious, and beliefs around food for a more productive, healthy, and sustainable global food system

I stopped drinking alcohol in 2019. It was a CHOICE I made because I no longer wanted to experience the after-effects of drinking too much, spending the money, or consuming the calories associated with it. Since then my drink of choice has been a club soda with lime or water with lemon. I've tried "mocktails" before with hit-or-miss success. And, I have been "mocked" by servers and bartenders asking me, "You know that it has no alcohol in it?" Uh, Yes, that is why I ordered it. From now on though, and because of chatting with and then reading Derek Brown's book, "Mindful Mixology: A Comprehensive Guide to No- and Low-Alcohol Cocktails", I WANT and really EXPECT to be able to buy a sophisticated adult drink that is non-alcoholic. Tracy is excited to introduce YOU to Derek, founder of Positive Damage, Inc., who wants "to normalize drinking sophisticated adult drinks without alcohol ... to me, they're cocktails." Listen as we chat about what a sophisticated adult beverage actually is, how #MeetingAndEvents and #Hospitality venues can make room for guests who are reducing or eliminating drinking alcohol, the current state of the no- and low-alcohol movement, and the ingredients needed to make a cocktail. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

The number of confirmed cases of meat allergy — Alpha Gal Syndrome — has risen from only 12 in 2009 to 34,000 in 2019. Unlike other food allergies, alpha-gal symptoms can occur HOURS after eating meat, making the diagnosis a very tedious and long process. Candice Matthis and Debbie Nichols know this all too well. It took Candice 15 years, including mutliple trips to the ER and flatlining to be diagnosed. Debbie's symptoms continued for 10 years. While she had made the connection between her GI pain and red meat, she had not heard of Alpha GAl Syndrom until Candice was diagnosed. She had to insist that her immunologist test her for it. Together Candice and Debbie are known as Two Alpha Gals and are on a mission to help others live fully with Alpha Gal Syndrome. Listen as Tracy, Candice, and Debbie cha about what foods and products meat is hidden and how to best feed guests with a meat allergy. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

'Tis the season to be jolly. It's also the time that many of us celebrate and observe religions and cultures. While there will be many Christmas parties to attend (and Hallmark movies to watch), we must remember that Hanukkah, Yule, and Kwanzaa are also celebrated this month. Celebratory meals for each holiday vary by person, family, region, and country. Hallie Loeb, an event planner who happens to be petite, vegetarian, and Jewish, joined me on December 7 to share her insights on Hanukkah, the eight-day winter festival of lights, observed through nightly menorah candle lighting, blessings, songs, prayer, and food. Be festive and listen as we talk about religious freedom, the best latke toppings, and the tastebuds of our ancestry. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Do you ever feel deprived about food? With a chronic disease such as diabetes, you have to avoid specific foods to avoid reactions. While that may seem simple, there is nothing simple about it. It takes a lot of diligence to watch everything you eat (quality and quantity), constantly read ingredient labels, and ask questions of servers and chefs about what's in the menu item. What about relying on someone else to choose what you'll be eating when attending a meeting or event? Deprivation can be felt not just with the food itself, but also with the loss of control over what to eat. That's where Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Julie Cunningham, MPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES, IBCLC comes in. She works with her clients to EXPAND their food choices, not contract them. She wants them to enjoy as many different foods as they possibly can, without experiencing complications of diabetes. Listen as Tracy and Julie discuss why she decided to specialize in diabetes, the main message she hopes people understand through her book "30 Days to Tame Type 2 Diabetes," and how to help event attendees with diabetes — how about everyone — enjoy a meal without feeling deprived or worried. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com