This article seemed timely, since I’m headed out tomorrow for the first city of five in our e4 site selection process for 2010 and 2011.  So I’ll be in lots of airports over the next 4-5 weeks, and of course I had to read this and be guilted over my favorite airport snack – Auntie Anne’s pretzels.

Now maybe I’m a bit spoiled living in Austin where all the airport food vendors (except Auntie Anne’s) are locally based in Austin specifically or at least Texas.  There’s the Salt Lick BBQ (best sauce among all the great BBQ spots in central Texas), Mangia’s pizza (the carnivore – hey, I’m a Texas girl!), Maudie’s Tex-Mex, Schlotzky’s and even Amy’s Ice Cream (order Mexican Vanilla with cinnamon and ginger snaps).   Now reading back through this list, I don’t especially see healthy written all over them either – so maybe I can stick with the pretzel.  Or maybe I should order the fruit cup from another vendor.

Oh well, I look forward to making an announcement about our 2010 dates and location in late November to early December.  Stay tuned and maybe I’ll run into you in an airport soon!

Do you get the question, “Why are you a Meeting Planner? For myself, it was an easy transition.  I was the youngest of five children in a large Irish Catholic family.  Honestly, daily meals were food and beverage functions and birthdays were special events.  I took the skills learned at an early age and expanded to a large family of corporate and association clients ranging from 1000 – 24,000 attendees.

The food and beverage policy at home was, “If it is served, you eat it!”  There was no discussion of whether you ate meat, pasta, carbs, fish and drank milk or water.  Growing up there was no concern with fat grams, fiber, sodium or choices due to convictions.  (My mom did go through a cost cutting period where she served Carnation Instant Milk.  A one-third cup serving of NESTLÉ CARNATION Instant Nonfat Dry Milk is rich in bone-building nutrients like calcium and Vitamin D, is a good source of protein, and is fat free.  Take it from me,  I drank a lot of water during that time.)

Gone are the days of meat and potatoes. Nothing could have prepared me for the international, religious or dietary requirement of today’s conferences.   In today’s multicultural world, food choices that were once considered obscure are now part of the mainstream. Now, conference producers need to be aware of all the reasons why people choose special diets ranging from religious practices and ideological beliefs, to allergies, special diets and food sensitivities. 

Many venues will need advance notice to outsource some requests – in particular for Kosher or Halal.   However, most venues are able to respond to dietary or food sensitivities.  Over the years, the drop-down box for dietary restrictions has grown.  What is the norm? This is really dependent on the client, the budget and the array of requests.

At a recent corporate conference, the client responded to over 200 special dietary requests which was less than .05 % of the total attendance.  However special requests, like Halal or Kosher which need to be outsourced, can be 2x – 3x the cost of a standard conference meal.  What are the common requests I receive?  See the following list:

Halal -  Muslims which adhere to various food restrictions according to their own dietary laws in the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam. Muslims celebrate the birth of Mohammed at the end of February or early in March. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are not allowed to eat from dawn to sunset.  Muslims make up 22% of the world’s population.

Kosher – Jewish dietary laws are known as Kashrut, and are among the most complex of all religious food practices. Different sets of utensils, pots, pans, plates, knives and chopping boards (one for meat and poultry and the other for dairy foods). The meal can easily be re-heated in an oven or microwave, but must be keep covered so the guest can see the rabbinic certification’s seal is intact.

Vegetarian – There are varying degree of vegetarian. This specific group can range in restrictions dramatically.  If using buffets many attendees can pick and choose from buffets rather than have special order meals.  Variation of vegetarians include:

• Lacto-ovo Vegetarians eat dairy foods and eggs, as well as plant foods. They do not eat meat, poultry or fish.
• Ovo-Vegetarians eat only eggs and plant foods. They do not eat  dairy foods, meat, poultry or fish.
• Lacto-vegetarian eats dairy foods and plant foods. They do not eat eggs, meat, poultry, or fish.
• Vegans or strict vegetarians eat only plant foods and products. The term vegan generally refers to individuals who share a philosophy and lifestyle, as well as a restricted diet. They do not eat any animal foods, eggs, or dairy products.   This includes gelatin which is an animal product and used in many sauces or recipes.

Diabetics - With diabetes, your body’s insulin cannot perform this task properly. A diabetic diet helps you schedule your carbohydrate intake so that your cells can get the glucose that they need.

Gluten free (Celiacs) – Almost 3 million people have celiac disease, which is an inability to tolerate gluten.  Gluten is a protein found in all forms of wheat (including durum, semolina, and spelt), rye, oats, and barley.  It’s one of the most common genetic diseases, yet most people don’t know they have it.  And millions more people are allergic to wheat, which is one of the top eight allergens.

Indian – There are diverse dietary restrictions in India, and these may affect the foods that are served. Lamb, chicken, and fish are the most commonly served main courses for non-vegetarian meals as they avoid the meat restrictions of the religious groups.

• Hindus do not eat beef and many are vegetarians.
• Muslims do not eat pork or drink alcohol.
• Sikhs do not eat beef.

As with any large line item, you will need to confer with your client and their confort level in responding to special requests.  Many venues will match pricing for vegetarian or dietary restrictions.  As suggested, the catering will need to outsource Kosher and Halal to preferred vendors.

All my buffets now are clearly labeled and the hotel provides “caution” for foods that may contain allergens.  You will want to respond to requests, but more important you will want to insure the safety of your attendees with allergies.  What you don’t know – could kill them!

Although an individual could be allergic to any food, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats, there are eight foods that account for 90% of all food-allergic reactions. Consult (http://foodallergies.about.com)  for details on these allergies; milk, egg, peanut, tree nut (walnut, cashew, etc.), fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.

Now pull out those catering menus and get to work.  Remember  – it is not just meat and potatoes any more.

When planning food and beverage for your convention, the first thing we generally consider is what we have to spend.  There are several great ways to ensure that you are spending somewhat less, making smarter choices and making a positive impact on the environment and the local community where your meeting is being held.

Purchase local fruits and vegetables. By purchasing local produce, you are not only supporting the local community, you are getting a fresher product, cutting down the amount of energy expended since trucking is limited and shipping is not necessary, and you could also be saving money.  Yes, saving money!  By offering what is in season in your meeting location, you not only save money, but you are also providing your attendees a chance to truly experience the flavors of the region you are visiting.  Work with your local caterer to find out what fruits and vegetables are in season and customize your menus based on that.

In a recent survey that I conducted with the Experient Meeting & Event Managers, I found that the perception is – to buy local produce will cost you more. I was surprised by this perception, so I reached out to some convention center caterers to see what their experience has been.

The Chef with Levy Brothers at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, says that the prices are actually more reasonable, since they cut out the middle man. Aramark in Portland, replied that their experience is that local produce does cost less when in season.  Oregon enjoys a mild climate and has a lot of fertile farmland so they tend to have a longer growing season than some areas of the country, so know the market you are working in.

Food planning based on history is a major key to cost saving success and being greener by eliminating waste.  Through our Experient post convention reports, we track our ordering history, consumption and final guarantee numbers so that we can continue to make smart choices and guarantee wisely year to year.  Therefore, we are saving a great deal of money due to good guarantee numbers and we are not wasting food.

The key is to know your group, have a good history from which to place your orders, talk to your caterer and make good choices based on what is available locally.  Then you will enjoy the “fruits” of having a cheaper and greener event!

Have you started requesting locally grown for your events?