Eating at a Meeting

As the partners of Hotel Mogel Consulting Limited, a Toronto-based consulting practice, Larry Mogelonsky and Adam Mogelonsky are a dynamic duo whose mission is to "write about the world of hotels and try to make hoteliers understand that there's more to their life than just counting the number of bread rolls in a basket." Their 40+ years of joint experience consulting with and staying in hotels, Larry and Adam are going to talk with Tracy about the best big trends for F&B in the hotel industry, how are onsite F&B operations are adjusting to the growing consumer demands and how to enhance the guest experience. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Brandon Snook, pictured here with his grandma Ceese, is owner and chef of Hudson Valley BBQ Company. Brandon takes great pride in using locally sourced ingredients from the Hudson Valley so he can make almost all of the items offered on his catering menu from scratch on event day. Having grown up in the cattle country of Montana, there was always locally sourced food on his family table and every night, the family sat down to a freshly made farm-to-table meal made from recipes passed down from generation to generation. Another thing he prides himself on offering his wedding clients. Join Tracy as she talks to Brandon about the art of open fire cooking, which he feels is imperative, land stewardship, and the state of catering. They delve into so much more as well. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

What does it take to manage food and beverage for one of the meetings industry's largest association conventions? Listen as Tracy talks with Tanya Philyaw, Senior Event Planner and Annette Gregg, Chief Revenue Officer for Meeting Professionals International about the organization's 2022 World Education Conference. They chat about how to use food to build community, what they are still learning about meal planning, how attendee dietary needs affects what they choose to serve the thousands of event participants, and pet peeves with food and beverage planning. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

In this episode, Tracey looked back through 150 episodes to find how her guess answers the question and what their perception of safe, sustainable, and inclusive is to them. From making a conscious effort to think about it to think about understanding where your food is from where you're getting it through allergy safety and making sure that everybody has a seat at the table. Hear Tracy reading excerpts from her guests and directly from the guests. Let us know what it means to you as well by sending a message to hello@thrivemeetings.com

The copy/paste approach to BEO, menu and service planning prevents achieving food waste reduction goals, introducing healthy and sustainable options, and capitalizing on other promising trends. Instead, we need to adopt the improv principle of "yes, and"! Opposite of the "we've always done it this way" thinking that is too common in foodservice operations and menu planning, Molly Crouch Corporate Director of Sustainability at Sodexo Live! and Dr. Aurora Dawn Benton sustainability consultant and illuminator at Astrapto are going to share how we can use "yes, and" to rethink our approach and uncover opportunities to improve social and environmental outcomes and reduce costs in event food and beverage. I can personally attest to the enthusiasm and knowledge Molly and Aurora bring to table around this topic. They are a do NOT miss duo! Listen as Tracy, Molly, Aurora chat about all things sustainability and event food and beverage. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Brian Peterson is a 5th grade teacher, a beekeeper, and gardener. On this episode of Eating at a Meeting LIVE he's going to share how and why pollinators are so important to the food and beverage industry and meetings. As founder of the nonprofit Bees in the D, he's aiming to bring back Michigan's declining pollinator population and educating us all on the complexities and importance of bees and pollinators to not only our food industry but our ecosystem as a whole. Join Tracy and Brian, as they discuss how most of our food sources can be traced back to pollination, the mission of Bees in the D and how is that mission being fulfilled. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

I'm SO excited to be chatting with my friend and industry leader Rachael Riggs to talk about the 5 Dimension of Wellbeing on the Eating at a Meeting podcast this week. For more than 25 years, Rachael has been dedicated to creating holistic event experiences that motivate people to be the best versions of themselves. As the Wellbeing Leader of Maritz Global Events, she focuses on improving the guest experience by keeping the guest's wellbeing at the heart of the design. Join us as we talk about why wellbeing has become such a hot topic as we come back from the pandemic, the hottest wellbeing related topic Maritz Global Events is seeing right now, how wellbeing and event food and beverage are connected and how it can all be used to improve events. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Chris Adams got his start as a pool attendant with Ritz Carlton. From that job and the future years he spent with the company, he learned the culture of what luxury was and what Ritz Carlton stood. Now, as an international luxury hospitality disruptor and CEO of lifestyle consulting agency, Ellis Adams, he and his team help brands open new hotels around the world and teach their staff that luxury hospitality is about how you make people feel and how to positively leave an impact on people's lives. And, that includes the food and beverage programs these hotels provide. Join Tracy and Chris on Wednesday at 12PM Eastern as they talk about how food and beverage can create luxury experiences for everyone, why is leadership is so important and the future of hospitality. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

Harlowe Custom Micro's is a Veteran-owned and operated farm that opened in 2017 in Harlowe, NC. It's owner Ryan Willet along with his fiancé, Rebecca run the multifaceted farm with a Hydroponic Greenhouse, Microgreen Production room, and Market Garden Beds. The business, however, started out of necessity. Ryan's day job was pretty sedentary, which was taking its toll on him physically (think, "sitting is the new smoking"), so he decided to work with a nutritionist. She helped him understand portion control and to figure out how to include better things in his diet — adding spinach to eggs and kale on sandwiches — and remove some less valuable items. Then by eating more greens, he was inspired to starting growing his own. Since then, he has learned about hydroponics, soil biology and testing different crops. The business has grown organically and now supplies greens and other vegetables to local restaurants and local communities. join Tracy and Ryan as they kick off National Fruits & Vegetables Month to talk about how he got started, how the company has grown, what's in season, his new book and how eating local vegetables has helped him become healthier. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com

In April I re-met Gagan (Jared Levy) (he/him) after 30 years. We were both attending the Natural Products Expo where he was a multi-session speaker on how to build businesses for good that prioritize the planet and people while maximizing profit. As founder and chief creative director of marketing agency Guru, Gagan's mission is to increase joy and reduce suffering on this planet through innovative, strategic creativity for brands who are creating the most quality products in the most conscious ways. Join our conversation, as we reconnect again after 30 years to talk about how organizations — and the events they host — can be creative, foster long-term growth, empower movements, build healthier communities, and contribute to a more equitable food system. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com