Cooking Class Customized For the Attendees.

Are you adjusting to an allergen-free or gluten-free lifestyle? Have you been recently diagnosed with a medical condition that requires a new diet? Are you hosting a party and want your friends with allergies to enjoy your food too?

Most importantly, are you looking for something good to eat that meets your dietary needs and those of your family and friends?

There’s a class for that! On March 21, 2012 at The Cook’s Warehouse in Decatur, Tracy Stuckrath, an event planner with food allergies, will be teaching “Cooking with Food Allergies” class.

In class, you’ll not only enjoy a delicious four-course meal that meets the needs of everyone in class, including you, but you’ll also learn how to recognize, shop for, and prepare the food that will keep you, your family and friends safe, healthy, and satisfied.

Cost to attend is $45 per person. Advance registration is recommended so Tracy can plan a menu that meets everyone’s needs.

More than 160 foods are known to cause allergic reactions, but eight foods that cause more than any other.

Food-related diseases are on the rise, with approximately 45% of your attendees likely to have one or more of them. The 2008 Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment Act protects some and prohibits discrimination on the basis of having to eat a certain way. On March 8, at Exhibitor 2012, Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC, an event professional with food allergies, will help you understand:

• Who is making these requests and why are they increasing
• Different dietary needs, from food allergies and intolerances to medical conditions and personal preference
• Legal reasons to be concerned about meeting these needs
• When do these “pesky” attendees positively impact your business
• Managing cost while meeting the needs

"I Can't Eat That!" class at GaMPI MEC conference

The Georgia Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (GaMPI) is hosting its annual Meetings Exploration Conference (MEC) February 22-24, 2012 at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta.  As the “Heart & Soul of Meetings” in the Southeast, the MEC attracts 700 to 800 meeting planners and suppliers from across the country. The education sessions are top notch presented by speakers, including Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC, with many years experience. The exhibit hall has various exhibitors all waiting for you to learn about their products and services.

Do you often wonder whether the event attendees who ask for special meals are just picky eaters or on one of the latest fad diets? You’re not alone. There are millions of people who have chosen to follow a specific diet or just don’t like a specific food (I personally dislike cucumbers and melons), but there are millions of others who have food allergies, celiac disease, heart disease or another disease that requires them to eat a specific way to stay safe and healthy. At Catersource 2012 in Las Vegas, Tracy will be discussing the various dietary needs and how to manage them successfully when planning menus and serving guests.

MeetingsPodcast from PCMA2012 – Show 206

Asking attendees for their dietary needs in event registration can help manage F&B costs

Being an event planner with food allergies can be a blessing and a curse.

As a food allergic person, I want to be able to eat safely at events. I’ve come to feel that if I pay to attend an event that includes food, there should be something for me that not only meets my dietary needs, but also tastes good and is worth eating. However, I also don’t want to be a burden or added expense, because feeding me should not be the focus.

As a planner, I understand the intricate details that go into creating and executing an event while ensuring everyone’s needs are met, especially when it comes to planning menus. Sometimes it’s not so easy. Sometimes, however, it’s heaven when you find that venue, caterer or chef that gets it.

For those with these needs, you may not be aware that there are probably at least 20 steps and/or people between you and the plate that is being served to you at any one meal. Even with that many steps, it doesn’t have to be that hard.

It all starts with asking the right questions upfront. Do you have any dietary needs that we need to help you manage while you’re attending our event and that will make your experience more enjoyable?

Last year, in the process of registering for an event hosted by a local Atlanta organization of which I’m a member, I came upon its “Alternative Meal Options” section. I thought, “Great, they are asking about my dietary needs.” That is until I read the sentence describing the options.

You have no idea how mad I was. I wanted to revoke my membership on the spot. Although I didn’t, I elected not to attend the conference. Instead, I’ve inquired about being on the planning committee, although I’ve not heard from them yet.

Why discriminate against a group of people attending your event just because they need to eat a specific way? Will you give me a discount on the registration fee because you are not feeding me and meals come with the registration? How do you want me to make my own accommodations – call the venue? As a planner, I wouldn’t want to be the one that sends people directly to the chef or catering manager – imagine how many people would be calling individually!

On the flip side is my experience with a more recent convention. I’ve been hearing for years how great the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) annual Convening Leaders conference is. With state-of-the-art educational formats and networking with thousands of meeting and event industry colleagues, I finally decided to try it out.

And, I have to say; my first experience with the convention—its registration form—was a nice surprise and a good intro to what I hope will be a great experience and live up to what I’ve been hearing.

Why the registration form you ask? They not only asked if attendees have dietary needs, but they directly address the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) needs, dietary restrictions and state they will follow up to discuss specific requirements.

Not only is it professional, it’s personal and detailed.

And just as I was thinking that I had not heard from them (believe me once I saw “PCMA will contact you to discuss specific requirements” I was expecting it), I got a call from PCMA wanting to clarify my needs.

When I provided them with a specially designed card that details my specific dietary needs, I was sent a reply e-mail that addressed me peronsally: We have noted the following on your registration record – Gluten-Free/Allergic to yeast, sugar, vinegar, dairy, buckwheat, pork, mushrooms, cucumbers, soy, molasses, agave, coffee, alcohol. They acknowledge everything I sent them. Love it!

As I continue to develop Thrive! and Event Nutrition, I’m always looking at ways to improve the steps necessary to ensure an attendee’s experience at an event is top-notch, especially when it comes to meeting their dietary needs. PCMA has already set the bar for my expectations and I look forward to seeing the end product!

By learning to accommodate different dietary needs, you can improve customer service

It seems like every time I tell someone I’m an event planner with food allergies and a mission to educate the hospitality industry on how to accommodate dietary needs at events, I get a story from that person about how they or someone they know have special dietary needs as well. This is then usually followed by a story on how they can’t eat at events. This amazes me. It’s kind of the like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon phenomena but with food allergies, intolerances or preferences.

A perfect example was over the holidays when I was visiting my family in Denver. I decided to attend the local International Special Events Society (ISES) meeting to network and meet some new people. As I was checking in and introducing myself at the registration desk I met David Lambert and his wife Anne who own AllWell Rents.

After I introduced myself and explained why I was in town David explained that his wife has food allergies as well. “Good luck getting something to eat tonight,” he said, “She usually has a hard time.”

As we wandered into the event, I asked Anne about her allergies. She said she was recently diagnosed with gluten intolerance (needs to avoid wheat, rye and barley) and has had an allergy to MSG, which she has known about for years. We talked about how no one really knows what or where MSG (Monosodium glutamate) is in food anymore since it’s hidden in processed foods as “flavorings” and how she usually grabs a bite before events to ensure she gets something to eat.

Later in the evening, I walked up to a group of people who all happened to be photographers. After introducing myself, I got a “Wow, what a great idea. Can you focus on feeding brides and grooms at weddings? We need them to look ‘nourished’ and ‘healthy’ for the photos.” To be honest, in figuring how to “make the world healthier one event at a time,” it never really occurred to me that photographers would care about how nourished their subjects would be.

It was pretty funny and interesting listening to their stories about brides to be and how food or the lack of it can affect their photo shoots. One even mentioned trying to set up a meeting with a new client about her wedding. When he suggested Panera Bread because it had coffee and free Wi-Fi, she said no because her celiac disease or wheat allergy (he wasn’t sure) is so severe that walking into the restaurant causes an allergic reaction due to the flour particles from the fresh bread floating in the air.

In all my planning and brainstorming for Thrive! I’ve thought about how nourishing guests would help them learn better and provide a better ROI for the host, but I had not considered weddings or other social events. This just goes to show that every group environment has the potential to impact people with dietary needs and either make a good impression or bad. It’s up to the host to make the choice.

ConventionSouth magazine's (Dec. 2011) Meeting Pros to Follow

Tracy Stuckrath, CSEP, CMM, CHC was just named one of seven veteran “Meeting Pros to Watch in 2012″ by Convention South Magazine. Sharing words of wisdom, Tracy says that for an event to be successful its should be strategically aligned with business goals and objectives, be responsible toward the bottom-line and the environment and stimulate the senses of your attendees.