Food & Beverage

Best Practices to Reduce Event Food Waste

2022/07/14

Second Harvest works with thousands of food businesses from across the supply chain, and across the country, utilizing logistics and technology to reduce the amount of edible food going to waste. Our inclusive model ensures this healthy surplus food is redirected to thousands of charities and non-profits across the country, providing millions of Canadians experiencing food insecurity access to the nourishment they need. Through our work with the hospitality industry and specifically events teams, we have learned some best…
Chef Q&A: Duff Lampard, MTCC

2022/06/03

When it comes to creating menus not typical of the North American convention scene, look no further than chef Duff Lampard. The executive chef of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) in Toronto has more than 20 years of experience in some of the most renowned hotels across Canada. He has also worked in London, England where he brought to life exciting menus for renowned clients such as Chanel Paris, The National Gallery and Sir Richard Branson. He took…
Trends and Challenges for F&B Events

2022/02/14

As meetings and events continue to shift back to an in-person format again, what will food and beverage (F&B) look like? The pandemic and the changing health restrictions on events (large gatherings) have been a huge struggle for the industry. It has forced many companies out of the business and those left standing have had to adapt, change, and innovate. Corporate Meetings Network asked two industry experts — Kori Gorman, director of events and catering, Eatertainment Hospitality Inc. and Shannon…
Event Safety Measures Provide Assurance to Attendees

2021/06/28

As the events and meeting industry gradually moves back into in-person meetings (and the when really depends on the province and state and how fast people get vaccinated), event safety measures will become part of normal conversation and habit—as it should be. Even though vaccination rates are climbing, there are still variants to deal with, so event safety measures and protocols need to be kept in place and finessed as we move along into the new normal. Below are a…
Unconventional: The Metro Toronto Convention Centre does local, and they do it big

2018/09/25

Last year, the Metro Toronto Convention Centre saw 1.5 million conference goers, event planners, salespeople, presenters, exhibitors, speakers, tech workers and myriad other people and professions stroll through its massive atrium in downtown Toronto. Week to week the MTCC shifts from the centre of one professional universe to another, enabling thousands of people at a time to gather, network and transact. It amounts to a lot of commerce for the out-of-towners and Toronto both. Last year, the MTCC reported that…
Inspiring Food: A recipe for success

2018/09/19

By Leanne Andrecyk and Remi Lefebvre For generations, people have been gathering in groups to confer for myriad reasons — to share knowledge, exchange views, strategize, review practices and develop new solutions. Regardless of the conference or event goal, bringing a group of people together successfully requires more than just satisfying the hunger for knowledge. You don’t have to be a foodie to realize food is an automatic connector between people and can be the conversation starter in any group…
Alcohol-focused team-building events: Is it time to rethink them?

2018/08/18

When planning meetings and events, it is our job to step out of our own preferences and think about the perspectives of all attendees. This can be challenging as the majority of event planners fall into the same demographic and it can make seeing different perspectives even more difficult when most of your peers see the world through a similar lens. Meeting professionals have a real opportunity to bring diversity and inclusion to life, which is a strategic priority for…
The Hospitality Connection: The dish on industry F&B best practices

2018/07/20

By Michael O’Doherty While technological advancements have reduced the amount of face-to-face time we spend with each other, there truly is no substitute for being together at a live event in person — among your peers, your colleagues and your friends. And yes, I am biased, but let’s talk today about one of the most important yet overlooked parts of a successful meeting or trade show. I’m talking, of course, about the food. The food and beverage offerings are a…
The insider’s guide to internal meeting spaces

2018/03/20

There are times when corporate planners are tasked with planning events in an internal meeting space. Usually, this means planning meetings in office buildings while managing client expectations – and what they expect is the same standard as if the meeting was held in a purpose-built venue. Perceived convenience and cost savings become the deciding factors for internal meetings, however there can be hidden costs and inconveniences that should be considered. Moving meetings into the office are rarely as simple…
Centerplate chosen as exclusive food and beverage partner for St. John’s Convention Centre

2018/03/15

The Board of Directors of St. John’s Sports and Entertainment Ltd. have announced the selection of event hospitality leader Centerplate as the exclusive catering partner for the St. John’s Convention Centre (SJCC), following a comprehensive bid process. Located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. John’s, SJCC offers state-of-the-art facilities for meetings, conferences and events. The 10-year contract will encompass all food and beverage services for events at SJCC, beginning June 1, 2018. “Centerplate has an excellent reputation for working…