Trends Theater
The following are available at the Novi, Fort Wayne and Cleveland shows only.
How-to's take center stage at the Trends Theaters, as industry experts share easy-to-implement recipes, tips, and techniques that will hoist you above your competition.
Attend our fast-paced, 20-minute sessions to get in on the ground floor of new trends, nail down new menu ideas, and hammer out plans for a more profi table 2008!
Green Stage
Specialty Summer Salads and Sides
10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Join us as we drill down into the Gordon Food Service specialty produce line! Our talented chef will introduce you to some of our more unusual and tempting vegetables — and will share great recipes and preparation tips that will help cement your reputation for creativity.
Pizza Dough: Build on the Foundation
11:15 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.
This powerful presentation will show you how to take your business to new heights! We’ll show you how to use pizza dough in creative and unusual applications using homemade focaccia, flavored crusts, and creative breads. Expand your imagination...and expand your profit potential!
Please with Cheese
12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Cheese is one of the most versatile assets in your culinary toolbox. The experts from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board will demonstrate how you can use both everyday and specialty cheeses to differentiate yourself from the competition. Highlights include specialty spreads for sandwiches and bagels, creative appetizers, salad enhancements, and exciting entrées.
Red Stage
The Cool Side of Coffee
10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Build yourself a new profi t center by tapping into the booming popularity of blended, iced, and fl avored coffee. The coffee experts will show you how to use Mosaic® coffees to make a maximum impact with minimal effort.
Hot Off the Grill
10:45 a.m. and 1:15 p.m.
Summer is all about the thrill of the grill — and we're going to show you how to shift that thrill into overdrive! Learn new techniques for preparing grilled pork ribs using rubs, compound butters, and signature marinades. Then, find out how to dazzle your barbecue-loving customers with prime rib!
Mini Desserts Build Big Profits
11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Small is the new big! Take a culinary journey to Sweet Street® to learn how a shared plate of goodies can be a quick fix for menu malaise. Find out how to create irresistible mini dessert plates and promote them to your staff and customers.
Open to foodservice professionals 18 years and older.
No children, please.
Seminars that really stack up!
The following are available at the Novi, Fort Wayne and Cleveland shows only.
Achieving higher levels of success requires constantly taking the measure of your operation: How do you stack up against the competition? Which areas need a little work? What tools can you use to do things more efficiently, more impressively, more profitably?
Our one-hour seminars will help you focus on critical issues like these as industry experts share their experience and expertise in a quiet meeting room atmosphere. Check out the descriptions on the back and attend the seminars of your choice to learn concrete, actionable tips and techniques!
Think bigger. Aim higher. Achieve more.
50 Ways to Get New Customers Today
Ken Wasco, Customer Effectiveness Manager, 10:00 a.m.
Do you want to grow your business profitably? Would you love to hit your competition where it hurts them most — in their wallets?
If you answered yes to both of these questions, congratulations! You're pre-qualified for this session — and you're eligible to learn 50 business-boosting ideas in just 50 minutes. Just be sure to arrive early; with Ken leading the action, this one is going to be standing room only.
Of special interest to commercial operators.
50 Ways to Keep Your Customers Happy
Ken Wasco, Customer Effectiveness Manager, 1:30 p.m.
Everybody wants new business, but new business can't come at the expense of your existing customers. Ken is here to teach you how to keep both groups happy — by following the business maxim that "everything in the world needs to be sold."
Fasten your seat belt, and bring something to write with — because the ideas are going to be flying at the rate of one per minute!
Of special interest to commercial operators.
GFS Experience My Account/Easy Pay
The GFS Experience® Team, 10:30 a.m.
Thousands of operators have already discovered the time savings and convenience of electronic payment. If you haven't, the Gordon Food Service E-Business team is going to show you what you're missing. You'll learn about our Easy Pay and My Account programs, which allow you to look up invoices, make payments, research payment history, and much more. If you're just starting to make the leap into the electronic payment age, this is the seminar for you.
Of special interest to all operators, especially managers and those with
accounting responsibility.
GFS Experience Internet Ordering
The GFS Experience® Team, 1:30 p.m.
Attend this interactive seminar to learn about the latest enhancements to the industry’s leading ordering system — and get a sneak peek at the exciting things coming soon. We’ll also show you some simple system tricks you can use to save time and make your job easier.
Of special interest to all operators, especially managers and those with ordering responsibility.
Build Your Brand with Custom Concepts
Mark Morrison, Education Consultant, 11:00 a.m.
Looking for satisfi ed customers and a healthy bottom line? Then look no further than Custom Concepts. This easy-to-use program offers hundreds of options to help upgrade your cafeteria serving area—including recipes and menus for Asian, Italian, Mexican, deli, and much more. This session will examine the benefits of self-branding and the impact it has had on the bottom line of hospital, college and K–12 cafeterias. Mark will also review some real-life case studies — showing you how you can rely on Custom Concepts for everything from some signs to a total overhaul.
Of special interest to healthcare, education, and B&I.
Flavorful Check-Building Strategies
Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC, 11:30 a.m.
Tempting your customers with unique and flavorful appetizers, desserts, and beverages is good check-building strategy even in the best of economic times. Today, it is essential.
Join Chef Gerry as he shows you ways to bump up your average sale with sharable appetizers, mini desserts, and irresistible drinks. After a brief industry update, Gerry will provide an overview of the latest flavor trends within these menu parts. You'll learn how to use exciting yet easy-to-prepare Gordon Food Service kitchen tested recipes to implement these trends on your menu!
Of special interest to commercial operators, especially chefs and
menu planners.
Getting Your House in Order in a Maturing Market
Doug Owens, Commercial Business Development Manager, 12:30 p.m.
In this informative session, Doug will give independent operators valuable insights into how to grow a business while industry numbers remain flat. He'll start with an overview of 2007 industry performance and share some 2008 projections, then teach you some activities to help manage rising costs and increase profits. Attend this seminar if you are interested in increasing sales, operating strategically, and focusing your energy on the segments of your business that will make you more money. That's just about everybody, so come early to get a good seat!
Of special interest to commercial operators, especially owners and managers.
Seminars have been submitted to various foodservice
organizations for accreditation points.
Load up on new solutions!
The following are available at the Novi, Fort Wayne and Cleveland shows only.
Are You Pulled, Prepped, and Ready To Go?
Cycle Menu Management™ Production Reports
10:00 a.m. & 1:00 p.m.
It’s not always easy to deliver on your menu. Did you pull that freezer food early enough to thaw? Did you make the pudding ahead of time? We're going to show you how to organize your food production needs and serve exactly what's on your menu, every time — with the new Production Reports in Cycle Menu Management.
Of special interest to Healthcare, Education, and B&I.
What's New For Schools
11:00 a.m. & 2:00 p.m.
Get a load of the new K–12 menu products available to satisfy your kids' appetites. We’ll review healthy snacks, entrées, and sides, as well as packaging ideas and trends. It's just what you need to make the grade in school foodservice!
Of special interest to Education K–12.
It's All About Choice
Using Cycle Menu Management with Selective Menu Cycles
12:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
Are you serving a selective menu? Are you interested in implementing one? We'll show you how to manage selective menu cycles using GFS Experience® Cycle Menu Management and our new selective menu templates. Adding more menu choices is a great way to increase guest satisfaction — so don’t miss this session!
Of special interest to Healthcare.
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