APRIL
7
ENERGY UPDATE
Next up in the Foodservice Institute of America's Advantage Series Symposiums: Earth, Wind and Fire: Responsible Energy Choices for a Profitable Business. Site is the Southern California Gas Company's Food Service Equipment Center, Downey, CA.
609-645-3131
www.fia-us.org
15-17
GO FORTH AND MULTIPLY
Create or expand your restaurant portfolio at the 8th annual Multi-unit Franchising Conference. The event has a three-day run at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
800-800-0230
www.multiunitfranchisingconference.com
27-29
KEEP IT CLEAN
Unfortunately, it seems that just as soon as one food safety crisis is brought under control — think peanut butter — another one, often worse, will emerge. Which is why there will be plenty of important issues up for discussion when NSF International hosts its 2009 Food Safety Summit. The conference takes place at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC.
847-405-4053
www.foodsafetysummit.com
MAY
2-4
TOTALLY TEA
Expand your beverage portfolio by heading to Las Vegas to participate in the 2009 World Tea Expo. You can even enter the concurrent World Tea Championship, which offers both hot and cold divisions. Site is the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
702-253-1893
www.worldteaexpo.com
4
READY FOR THE RED CARPET
Dust off that tuxedo or designer dress and journey to Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City to attend the industry's most glamorous event: the James Beard Foundation's 2009 Awards Gala and Reception.
212-627-1111
www.jbfawards.com
6-7
MAN VS. MACHINE
Slash your labor costs to zero? You can at least come close if you shop carefully at the KioskCom Self-Service Expo that takes place at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Remember, a food kiosk isn't a soulless machine; it's customer-facing technology!
203-371-6322
www.kioskcom.com
11-15
BEYOND THE FOOD BLOG
Break into the food-writing business by heading for The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV, to participate in the Symposium for Professional Food Writers.
866-369-9315
www.greenbrier.com
15-16
STARS OF SUSTAINABILITY
Thomas Keller and Alton Brown are the celebrity honorees at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Cooking For Solutions 2009 event. The focus: sustainable cuisine, particularly seafood.
866-963-9645
www.cookingforsolutions.org
Kiosk Extra
The usual complement of floor exhibits will be on display when this year's edition of the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show fires up on May 15-19 for its annual five-day run at McCormick Place in Chicago. But we're betting that in addition to walking the aisles to check out new products and services that might help get them through the current slowdown, full-service operators will flock like never before to the 65 educational sessions that provide free restaurant-specific advice from top industry experts. Back for its second year is companion show the International Wine, Spirits and Beer (IWSB) event, at which operators will find both products and educational opportunities that can bring new profitability to their bar programs. IWSB is open for fewer hours (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and days (May 17-18 only) than the full NRA show. It also requires a separate admission and its badge will get you into the NRA show, but an NRA badge won't get you into IWSB. For NRA show information, go to www.restaurant.org. IWSB details can be found at www.winespiritsbeer.org. Call 312-853-2525 for questions about either event.
