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Food Allergies
Laws & Regulations

Eight Ways Meeting Planners Can Advocate for Guests with Food Allergies

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From employee picnics and business lunches to association conferences and corporate conventions, food-allergic employees and event participants have a lot to navigate when at work or business and social functions . As professional meeting professionals, we have a duty of care at all times. People must be able to trust us with their health and safety while they are at the meetings and events we plan. To justify that trust, we must make the care of our event participants, supplier partners, exhibitors, speakers, sponsors and staff our first concern, treating them as individuals and respecting their dignity and their needs. That includes ensuring…

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Jar and glass or milk, several brown egg and a six slices of bread on a plate on a wooden table egg allergies
Dietary Needs Food Allergies

A Closer Look at Wheat, Milk and Egg Allergies

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A Closer Look at Wheat, Milk and Egg Allergies In Monday’s post “10 Things Meeting Professionals Need to Know About Food Allergies” I mentioned that wheat, eggs and milk are three of the top eight foods that cause 90 percent of all allergic reactions in people worldwide. As part of my continuing recognition of Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 11-18), I’m going to provide a closer look at wheat, egg and milk allergies and where they are found in meeting menus. So many foods these days are made with wheat, egg and/or milk that allergic individuals should pay close attention to…

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Dietary Needs Medical Conditions

What is Celiac Disease?

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In yesterday’s post, I wrote about gluten and all its disguises in packaged foods and catering menus. Today, I’m defining Celiac Disease and gluten sensitivity. What is Celiac Disease? Celiac Disease is a genetic autoimmune digestive disorder (the immune system attacks the body when certain foods are eaten) that damages the villi of the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients needed for good health. Continued exposure to gluten can result in malnourishment—vitamin and mineral deficiencies—and other conditions such as anemia, osteoporosis, neurological disorders and more. Originally thought to be rare, celiac disease is now recognized as one of…

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Food Allergies

10 Things Event Professionals Need to Know About Food Allergies

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Event professionals and their catering partners must be prepared to meet the needs of food-allergic event participants. It could mean the difference between an enjoyable experience or the unfortunate death of an attendee. In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 11-18), here are 10 things you should know. FACT #1 Globally, researchers estimate 220-250 million people may suffer from a food allergy. In the US, nearly 15 million people have food allergies. In Europe, 17 million people are afflicted. FACT #2 A study released by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2013 notes that the prevalence…

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What is Gluten?
Dietary Needs

What is Gluten?

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Last month I sat in a session at a meetings industry conference on catering for food allergies. Since I had just given a similar session for the same conference (Serve This, Not That!), I wanted to see what this caterer had to say. In the session, one of the attendees asked the chef/owner of the catering company if it is possible to accommodate many different dietary needs with one menu item. He said yes and proceeded to describe a vegetarian, gluten-free barley salad they serve. STOP! Barley is not gluten-free. I told him this and he said, “Really? I didn’t…

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Meetings Industry Month
Duty of Care Meetings & Events

April is National Meetings Industry Month

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There’s a lot to celebrate in April, according to this list of offbeat holidays—Humor, Guitars, Poetry, Honesty, Pecans, Scrabble, Tweed, my birthday, Passover—but I would be remiss if I didn’t add National Meetings Industry Month to the list. My friend Shawna Suckow, founder of SPIN and The Hive Network—taking cue from our meeting planning colleagues in Canada who have been celebrating the industry in April for the last 20 years— declared the first U.S. celebration in April 2013. Branches of SPIN held lighthearted “Cupcake Wars” across the country, bringing together planners to celebrate the hard work we do as meeting…

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Food-Color-Collage
Dietary Needs Health & Wellness Meetings & Events

Colorful Food Choices to Make Your Convention Meals Pop

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When we’re planning events, we think carefully about the color and texture of the décor, presentations and tablescapes, but how much attention do we pay to the color of the food we serve? Did you ever think that colorful food choices could be used for decor or to make your meals pop? Karin Hosenfeld, RD, LD, a dietitian in private practice in Dallas says “studies have shown that people eat the same 20 foods or so over and over.” I think this theory translate to events as well. How many times have you seen the same continental breakfasts – pastries,…

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David Wilk Sport Clips 2014
Meetings & Events

Why Hiring a Professional Emcee Can Enhance Your Event

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Remember a few years ago when Anne Hathaway and James Franco hosted the Academy Awards? They were brought into try and engage a younger audience. But by most critics’ accounts, it was disastrous, boring and “spectacularly bad”. Have you experienced a similar scenario at a corporate event or fundraiser? The host was boring, rambled on and on, seemed convinced that he missed his calling as a standup comedian (but sure as heck didn’t), or didn’t have the skill set to hold the attention of the audience. These scenarios can be so painful that unhappy guests get loud, start ignoring the…

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Event Budgeting
Event Planning Skills Food Allergies

How to Keep Dietary Restrictions from Sinking Your Event Budget

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Meeting planners are worried about many things when thinking about accommodating guests with special dietary needs, but one of the major fears is the cost. This concern needs to be addressed up front and throughout the planning and budgeting process with both your suppliers and your attendees so you aren’t sinking your event budget. Take a recent question I received after a webinar I gave for Collinson Media. Cathy just hosted a conference for 4,300 people. Of the 458 special meal requests she received, 41 were halal and 12 were kosher. With seven meal functions during the three-day conference, that equated…

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2014 Allie Award Winner
Thrive! in the News

Best Corporate Event for Walk for Food Allergy Atlanta

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For the past 24 years the Atlanta events community has come together for a night of celebration and camaraderie to recognize the best in the industry. Known as the Allie Awards and similar to the Oscars, Golden Globes and Grammys, the event honors the achievements and talent within the Atlanta event industry. From technical production to catering, event and wedding planning to photography, invitation and floral design to entertainment, the more than 30 categories showcase the breadth and skill of the more than 300 individuals in attendance who, each and every day, have the opportunity to help their clients use events to come…

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