F&B Evolution - Hotels and event planners concentrate on food and beverage
'Look For Venues with progressive-thinking chefs in the kitchen,' urges Tom Ney, director-food marketing for Rodale, the Emmaus, Pa.-based publishers of Prevention, Men's Health, and numerous other lifestyle magazines, as well as The South Beach Diet.
Ney's attitude represents that of most planners today, who have become much more discerning about their F&B decisions. That goes for the “B” part as well: For example, he always chooses fine wines in 750 milliliter bottles and local beers for receptions and dinners. “I specify wines for ordering, if the wine list does not meet my needs,” he says. “Never hard liquor, except for maybe one specialty drink.”
Nancy Karp, special events manager for Men's Health, tailors menus toward low-carb meals. “When people go away, they typically binge, but with low-carb meals, they return home feeling good.” She also integrates cooking demonstrations into her meal events because attendees love to see how healthy, delicious foods are prepared. For breaks, she likes to offer a create-your-own smoothie bar; attendees choose the ingredients, and hotel staff blend them into a healthy energy drink.
Many of the meetings Rodale plans are for their customers — so promoting the company's mission is important. Most lunches are inspired by The South Beach Diet book. But for dinner, Lorraine Sakli, marketing services director, who plans meetings for Prevention magazine, loves to get attendees involved by taking them to a local cooking school where everyone helps to prepare dinner. Ney recounts a time when he pre-set five identically equipped cooking stations — akin to the “Iron Chef” TV show — with butane cookers, cutting boards, and knives. Teams of five, decked in aprons to commemorate the event, were assigned to each station. The teams had to create, cook, and write a publishable soup recipe from 10 identical ingredients in just one hour. In addition to Ney, the chef from the resort and a guest chef from the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City served as judges.
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Nancy Karp, special events manager for Men's Health, tailors menus toward low-carb meals. “When people go away, they typically binge, but with low-carb meals, they return home feeling good.” She also integrates cooking demonstrations into her meal events because attendees love to see how healthy, delicious foods are prepared. For breaks, she likes to offer a create-your-own smoothie bar; attendees choose the ingredients, and hotel staff blend them into a healthy energy drink.
Many of the meetings Rodale plans are for their customers — so promoting the company's mission is important. Most lunches are inspired by The South Beach Diet book. But for dinner, Lorraine Sakli, marketing services director, who plans meetings for Prevention magazine, loves to get attendees involved by taking them to a local cooking school where everyone helps to prepare dinner. Ney recounts a time when he pre-set five identically equipped cooking stations — akin to the “Iron Chef” TV show — with butane cookers, cutting boards, and knives. Teams of five, decked in aprons to commemorate the event, were assigned to each station. The teams had to create, cook, and write a publishable soup recipe from 10 identical ingredients in just one hour. In addition to Ney, the chef from the resort and a guest chef from the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City served as judges.
External Source - For the complete article click here
