Food & Beverage

  • 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…

  • The challenges faced by event food and beverage teams

    2018/02/15

    From addressing food allergies to dealing with shrinking budgets and tighter-than-ever timelines, venue food and beverage teams face a host of challenges with every event they help organize. Corporate Meetings and Events magazine recently spoke with senior leaders at several successful event venues to learn about how these hard-working teams address such challenges to create exceptional experiences for planners and guest alike. Participants: Jason Bangerter, Executive Chef; Virgilio Vea, Director of Food and Beverage; and Kate Mackay, Director of Sales…

  • The high cost of combined contract clauses

    2018/02/02

    An association conference was scheduled for spring 2019 at a Canadian hotel property. The most glaring issue with the association’s venue contract was the fact that it included two clauses related to Food and Beverage (F&B) that, when combined, were detrimental: Sliding Scale and Attrition. The association’s minimum anticipated spend for F&B was $100,000. This was the Sliding Scale for F&B spend: > $100,000.00 F&B: Meeting room rental charge would be waived, offered complimentary $80,000.00 to $99,999.00 F&B: Meeting room…

  • How to plan events with food allergies in mind

    2018/01/09

    I would say that I have a lot of food preferences. I like healthy food: nothing fried, no white sugar or processed food. I often have a hard time when the only options at conferences are sugary breakfast items or processed meat sandwiches. The frustration! I thought I had it hard… until I spoke with a few colleagues who have serious food allergies and heard what it is like to be in their situation. I now have a sense of…

  • Celebrity chef catering trend gaining traction in Canada

    2017/09/21

    By Marian Staresinic For many up-and-coming event planners and promoters, the idea of highlighting the servings or in-house appearances of a celebrity chef has felt like somewhat of a pipe dream, something only the overly wealthy or elite could pull off. The logistics and key questions can be overwhelming, even when the overall budget is in favour of the initiative. “How can I access these busy chefs? Can we get them to cater our large-scale events? How can I see…

Venue & Supplier Profiles