Keynote Address

Chef Duff Goldman
Star of the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes” and “Sugar High” and owner of Charm City Cakes

Duff Goldman, highly-creative artist, award-winning pastry chef, accomplished television personality, James Beard nominee, talented business owner and indie musician will open the 2012 Expo with a can’t-miss presentation. Sit in the Keynote Address as one of the most famous bakers in the country shares out-of-the-ordinary stories about his journey to success. Sa-weet!

Learn more

Monday, March 12

10:00 - 11:15 am

1st floor
Ballroom AB

F&B Cost Control: 10 Steps to a Better Bottom Line

Presenter Jo Anna Schillaci, CHTP, is the F&B Controller at Boca West Country Club and is an experienced speaker on food and beverage cost control.

Club Manager Association of America - Wisconsin Badger Chapter

Local Food Safety Q&A

Do Wisconsin products have food safety measures in place? Is it a good idea to buy local produce, dairy, meats and more? Feel confident sourcing local as you get your safety questions on local foods answered. Participants will receive a Wisconsin Local Food Marketing Guide which contains food safety information and more.

Presented by Steve Ingham, Food Safety Division Administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection (DATCP). Lois Federman, Director of DATCP’s Something Special from Wisconsin™ program, will facilitate the session.

Monday, March 12

12:00 -
1:00 pm

2nd floor
201 CD

Chef Symposium on Local Sourcing

Join “Wisconsin Foodie” and several local chefs for a discussion on how to source local food, what impact it can have on your business financially, where to begin and much more. Hear from local chefs that have successfully transitioned to using local products in their own restaurants and how the approach has benefited their businesses.

Monday, March 12

1:30 -
2:15 pm

Equipment Purchases: Options for Cash, Financing and Leasing

Understand the advantages and drawbacks of paying for new and used back-of-house equipment purchases with cash, leasing and bank or private financing. See different lease options available (including term length and residual balances options), as well as tax advantages of each alternative. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear vision for navigating the choppy waters of financing equipment purchases.

Presenter Robert Wolfe, is the Sales Manager at Kavanaugh Restaurant Supply, Inc. and has solid experience in foodservice and the financial services industry, and has presented hundreds of sessions throughout the Midwest.

That’s Fabulous! Event Design Trends for 2012

An engaging and dynamic presentation covering unique and creative ways to transform indoor and outdoor spaces into event experiences that will "wow" customers and guests. You’ll learn the 2012 design trends that will help increase profits of special events and large party sales for restaurants and catering businesses.

Presenter David Caruso, owns Dynamic Events and is a premier event planner in Wisconsin and an experienced speaker on stylish and inspired events.

Monday, March 12

1:30 -
2:45 pm

2nd floor
201 AB

Designing and Operating an Energy Efficient Kitchen

Identify best practices and energy efficient technologies that will deliver consistent savings to “payback” the investment in time and money. Move to the forefront of “green” foodservice with take-home strategies for optimizing the performance of your cook line, refrigeration systems, lighting, warewashing equipment, kitchen exhaust ventilation and HVAC systems. Saving energy is not just good for the planet; it’s good for your bottom line.

Presenter Don Fisher is the President/CEO of Fisher-Nickel, Inc. of San Ramon, CA, and manages the Food Service Technology Center, North America’s foremost center on energy performance in commercial foodservice.

Monday, March 12

3:00 -
4:00 pm

2nd floor
202 DE

Smart Phone Apps – Are they Right for My Business?

First social media… and now smart phone apps? When will it end?! Get help understanding today’s most popular communication device – the smart phone. Find out about the latest research, ideas and applications for foodservice businesses, including HTML5, android apps, iPhone apps and mobile websites. This funny, candid and objective presentation is sure to give you the power to make an informed decision for your restaurant and your customers.

Presenter Mark Laux is the Managing Partner of HotOperator® and a contributing editor to Restaurant Start Up and Growth magazine. Often quoted in trade publications, he has also presented at numerous regional and local shows.

ServSafe® Serving Safe Food – Initial Certification

Much more than training in food safety, this program delivers critical information, functional tools and real-world resources to master food preparation principles foodservice workers need to know. Keep your operation safe and reduce the risks of foodborne illness from this course that fulfills Wisconsin’s statutory certification requirement.

Includes lunch.  Advance registration required.

Tuesday, March 13

8:30 am - 5:00 pm

12:30 - 2:00 pm break

CPCE Fast Track Prep

Prepare for the CPCE exam with Fast Track training, a last minute review of the core competencies in preparation for the exam. Open to anyone; you do not need to sit in Wednesday’s CPCE exam.

Cost: $125 – Advance sign-up required

How to Engage in Social Media and Digital Marketing

In today’s business world, you simply can’t rely on the old philosophy “the food will speak for itself.” You need to actively engage your customer base in a way that’s unobtrusive. In this session, we’ll uncover how and why to use social media and digital marketing to build your brand, drive customer loyalty and increase sales. You’ll learn how to coordinate social media efforts with an entire marketing plan, including measuring results.

Presenter Brian Lee, APR, is the President and Founder of Revelation PR, Advertising and Social Media. He also runs EatDrinkMadison.com, a restaurant and bar guide for the Madison, Wisconsin area.

Tuesday, March 13

10:00 -
11:15 am

2nd floor
202 AB

Sourcing Local for Large Volume

Many large volume buyers in Wisconsin want to source local - it's great for the economy, the environment and tastes delicious! In this introductory session, local sourcing champs cover a checklist developed specifically to help large volume foodservice buyers identify goals and take the first steps toward getting in on the buy local movement.

Presented by Laura Witzling, Dane County’s Institutional Food Market Coalition (IFM) Coordinator, Scott Hoffland, Director of Restaurant Operations at UW-Milwaukee, and Amy Miller, Nutrition Services Director at Sauk Prairie Memorial Hospital.

Tuesday, March 13

10:30 -
11:30 am

2nd floor
201 CD

Kitchen Ventilation: Tips, Tricks and Technologies

Utility costs associated with operating a commercial kitchen ventilation (CKV) system, particularly the exhaust hood, are well recognized. Discover opportunities to dramatically reduce the amount of energy consumed by the kitchen ventilation system through system retrofit and control. Optimize your kitchen exhaust system, save money and make your kitchen more comfortable with a few simple, low cost tricks.

Presenter Don Fisher is the President/CEO of Fisher-Nickel, Inc. of San Ramon, CA, and manages the Food Service Technology Center, North America’s foremost center on energy performance in commercial foodservice.

Tuesday, March 13

11:30 am -
12:45 pm

2nd floor
202 DE

Foodservice Trends - 2012

Though indicators point to a healthier and more stable economy, 2012 nonetheless remains a challenging environment for operators in which to thrive. Consumer mindsets continue to focus on value while at the same time demanding better quality, more authenticity, more choice and more ‘better for you’ products in their dining experiences. Simultaneously operators face rising commodity, labor and operational costs as well as an increasingly diverse population of diners in terms of age and ethnicity. Successful operators find ways to adapt to these challenges.

Presenter Matthew Mandeltort, Senior Consultant at Technomic, Inc., has experience in operational and menu assessments, concept development and launch, evaluation of menu trends, training programs and more. He has been a featured speaker at high-profile industry events around the country.

Pouring Profitable Pints

In this session, you’ll walk through what to watch for when pouring profitable pints. You’ll learn about system quality checks, proper pour and retail training techniques. And, you’ll cover the Brewers Association Draught Quality Manual Vol. 2, a troubleshooting guide and profit calculator for draft beer systems.

Presenter Jeff Schaefer is the Brewery Sales Director at New Glarus Brewing Company. He is a draught specialist in beer quality and beer dispense and is an experienced speaker on brewing topics.

Getting More from Event Partnerships

Sit in on a panel discussion with a pocketful of catering and event experts and hear how to strategically target your money for the biggest impact in floral arrangements, rentals, linens and photography. You’ll learn to get the most out of your business partnerships as you acquire tips on creating huge impressions on a small budget.

Presented by the National Association of Catering Executives Southern Wisconsin Chapter members: Emily Neubauer of Belle Fiori, David Hudok of CANOPIES Events with Distinction, Brenda Teigland of Carousel Linen and Neil Keikhofer of Front Room Photography.

CPCE Exam

New Horizons with Text Message Advertising

Get information on how to engage consumers with mobile advertising. You’ll also receive tips and ideas to cultivate new and repeat business in your establishment.

Presenter Ken Ubert is the President of Hometown Communications and manages several advertising outlets in the areas of newspaper advertising, direct mail services, commercial printing, media buying and mobile phone advertising.

Improve Yourself and Get Ahead through Networking

Harness the power of the “Master Mind” for the good of your profession, your relationships and your life! In this session, you’ll learn to accomplish more in less time by working together in a small group of supportive colleagues. We’ll cover how to create a group, ways to gain fresh perspectives and using groups as a sounding board of advisors to network and share wisdom with. The program culminates with a group activity to immediately benefit from what you’ve learned.

Presenter Christopher A Boettcher, CCM, CCE, is the General Manager of Milwaukee Country Club and has a passion for furthering the development of associates in the hospitality field. He will be joined by Todd Marsh, CCM, CCE, General Manager of Conway Farms Golf Club in Chicago; Gordon Welch from Welch and Welch consulting; and Lawrence “Skip” Avery, CCM, CCE, President of the Club Managers Association of America.

Pairing Beer and Chocolate

Learn how to pair beer and chocolate with a Chocolatier and a Brewer! Learn why both these tasty treats go so well together and what you should look for when you pair up beer and any food, but especially chocolate.

Presenter Grant Holtackers of Tenth and Blake Beer Co. is a Certified Cicerone, accomplished brewer and has presented numerous beer dinners and pairing events. Chocolatier Julie Waterman, owner of Indulgence Chocolatiers, experiments with classic flavor combinations and globally-inspired ingredients to introduce fine artisan chocolate to Wisconsin’s culinary scene.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
Foodservice professionals can also receive continuing education units (CEUs) for attending select seminars at the Expo. Because many participants hold positions or professional licenses that require periodic CEUs and there a growing trend by employers to request professional development for their employees, we offer CEU credits from the following organizations: American Culinary Federation, Club Managers Association of America, School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dietary Managers Association, and the Wisconsin Dietetic Association. Check with your employer or professional organization to see if they accept CEUs upon successful completion of one of the Expo's qualified seminars.

Call for Speakers
Learn more about how you can participate in the Expo’s educational program line-up by becoming a speaker.