Eating at a Meeting
Tracy Stuckrath, CFPM, CMM, CSEP, CHC
Eating at a Meeting explores a variety of topics on food and beverage (F&B) and how they impact individual experience and inclusion, sustainability, culture, community, health and wellness, laws and more.
The mission of Eating at a Meeting is to share authentic stories that illustrate the financial, social, emotional, and mental impact food and beverage have on individuals, organizations, and the earth. I see it being threefold:
● Help individuals and organizations understand how F&B
impacts employee, customer and guest experience, the
planet and the bottom line.
● Help those growing, producing, preparing, and serving
F&B understand the duty of care they hold in food safety
and inclusion as well as the opportunity they have to
create experiences that are safe and inclusive.
● Support those with dietary needs by gathering their
insight on eating at a meeting with dietary needs,
helping them better advocate for themselves and
educating them on the processes found on the other
side of the kitchen door.
The mission of Eating at a Meeting is to share authentic stories that illustrate the financial, social, emotional, and mental impact food and beverage have on individuals, organizations, and the earth. I see it being threefold:
● Help individuals and organizations understand how F&B
impacts employee, customer and guest experience, the
planet and the bottom line.
● Help those growing, producing, preparing, and serving
F&B understand the duty of care they hold in food safety
and inclusion as well as the opportunity they have to
create experiences that are safe and inclusive.
● Support those with dietary needs by gathering their
insight on eating at a meeting with dietary needs,
helping them better advocate for themselves and
educating them on the processes found on the other
side of the kitchen door.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 18, 2022 • 42min
113: Ringing in the New Year with Beverages for Everyone
What are the cocktail (alcoholic and non!) basics that everyone should know about making excellent drinks? Grab a glass and tune in to learn from cocktail editor, coach and mixologist, Erin R. Petrey about how cocktails are made, why they are made the way they are, and the history behind what's in the glass. Learn what to serve for your New Year celebrations and events in 2022, including non-alcoholic spirits and cocktails. Useful Links www.bourbonbanter.com https://www.instagram.com/livelongandcocktail/ https://twitter.com/erpdc https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinpetrey/ Want more Eating at a Meeting? Join the Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting
Jan 11, 2022 • 43min
112: A Different Perspective of Eating at a Meeting
I met Becky Kekula a few years ago at a conference about work place inclusion. When we talked about what we both do, I was intrigued by her perspective of eating at a meeting. As a person with dwarfism, she opened my eyes to yet another approach #eventprofs should consider when designing events, including the food and beverage service. In her TedX Talk, she says "we live in a society that encourages innovation. And people with disabilities are the most innovative people on the planet. Before leaving the house each day, we are tasked to solve more problems than your average person without a disability." It is exciting to think about how innovative #eventprofs and individuals with disabilities could be together in creating inclusive experiences for all. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Jan 4, 2022 • 47min
111: How to be Savvy with Food Safety at Events
Did you know that in the US alone, 48 million people get and 3,000 people die from a foodborne illness each year? Some of these illnesses cause lifelong ramifications or potentially death. The problem is, no one cares until it affects them personally. To help spread awareness on the importance of compliance and ethics related to food safety, in this week's Eating at a Meeting LIVE, Tracy chats with food safety expert Francine Shaw, Founder/CEO of Savvy Food Safety. Listen as Tracy and Francine discuss why basic food safety should be important to everyone and what are the most typic food safety violations. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Dec 28, 2021 • 45min
110: Creating a Stellar Food & Beverage Event
Hotel catering menus are pretty standard. You have your choice of this breakfast or that. Lunch and dinner choose from chicken, beef or fish with salad and dessert. Bonni Scepkowski was never one to follow the standard rules of meeting. She never met a menu she couldn't improve. As you know, food is more than 'lunchtime' — it's an integral part of the experience and should be woven into the fabric of the program, reflecting your audience's demographics, culture and vibe of the program. Part of our role is to nourish our guests — not just intellectually, but physically as well. Why count on menu templates to tell your story. Listen as Tracy and Bonni talk about how she, a F&B director, and a chef for a recent event became a team to create an unbelievable dining experience for the attendees. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Dec 21, 2021 • 52min
109: A Catch of a Chef
I had the opportunity to interview Chef Keith Rhodes of Catch restaurant (Wilmington, NC) for a Meetings Today article I wrote on the Cuisine of the Coastal Carolinas earlier this year. His knowledge of and ideology behind cooking fresh, healthy, seasonal meals and living a sustainable lifestyle comes from his deep roots to the Carolina coastal community. While he supports local purveyors, fishermen, and farmers, he also is committed to giving back and serving his local community. In this episode Chef Rhodes and Tracy will continue our conversation about sustainable, healthy coastal cuisine, while also touching on the fact he also has diabetes. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Dec 14, 2021 • 39min
108: Events Industry Council Sustainability Standards
In this final session recorded at IMEX America 2022, Tracy chats with Yalmaz Siddiqui, Vice President, Corporate Sustainability at MGM Resorts International and Mariela McIlwraith, Vice President Sustainability and Industry Advancement at Events Industry Council. https://www.linkedin.com/in/yalmazsiddiqui/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/marielamcilwraith/ Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Dec 7, 2021 • 39min
107: Enhancing Dining Experiences Born out of Necessity But With Ingenuity
This episode is the second of three recorded at IMEX America. Tracy is chatting with Mark Cooper, CEO and Sean Anderson, Global Board President of IACC, an international collection of 400 small to mid-size conference, training and meeting venues that specialize in meetings and events. Listen in as Tracy, Mark and Sean talk about food and beverage trends. From QR codes for each person's dietary needs, food waste and food safety to redesigning dining environments, evaluating a food service partners and how accelerating investment in desing are good for people, business and the planet. Be committed to the venue and the menu. Learn how some venues are making changes born out neccesity (COVID) but with some ingenuity are offering specific experiences that are upgraded and personalized while also safe, inclusive and sustainable. Links: https://www.iacconline.org/ https://us.sodexo.com/industry/sodexo-live.html https://www.linkedin.com/in/1markcooper/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/andersonsp/ https://www.imexamerica.com/ https://www.raymondblanc.com/ Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Nov 30, 2021 • 47min
106: A Sip of Paradise
When Keyatta Mincey Parker realized that she and other restaurant and bar workers need to de-stress, she created a community garden with 501c3 status where bartenders can go and wind down. With the mission to provide a "healthy and safe space for members of the industry to recharge their creativity, minds and themselves," the garden lets her grow as a creative person, plant new roots into the community, connect with the land and her past. Listen to Keyatta and I as they chat about her 20-year career in bartending, A Sip of Paradise garden, her other passion projects, and what she's mixing up for clients and customers these days. Links www.asipofparadisegarden.org www.instagram.com/asipofparadisegarden Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Nov 23, 2021 • 46min
105: IMEX America's Sustainability Efforts
LIVE from IMEX America 2021 in Las Vegas, Tracy chats with Dale Hudson, Knowledge and Events Director for IMEX Group and Eric Wallinger, Director of Sustainability at MeetGreen on the sustainability efforts that IMEX Group has championed at the meetings industry's largest exhibition. Learn the steps taken and the milestones reached over the last 10 years in regards to reducing the show's carbon footprint. Useful Links IMEX America — https://www.imexamerica.com/ MeetGreen — https://meetgreen.com/ Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
Nov 16, 2021 • 45min
104: Food & Beverage Tourism
When you travel do find that you get a better sense of place when you eat traditional foods and beverages from that place? Are you one to search out the local haunts to get a true non-tourist experience for yourself, incentive trip, or VIP excursion? Erik Wolf, Executive Director & Founder of the World Food Travel Association, is dedicated to preserving and promoting culinary cultures through hospitality and tourism. Learn how he navigates trying the local food while not speaking the native language, how to find places to eat in a new city, and the tools he uses to find the most authentic places to eat on the next Eating at a Meeting LIVE. Connect with Tracy: facebook.com/groups/EatingataMeeting thrivemeetings.com
