Dish Food & Events - Overview of Dish Operations
Ryan Corvaia, Founder & Owner, Dish Food & Events
Betty Kalin, Vice President, Dish Food & Events

Dish Food & Events - Building Awesome Venue Relationships 
Moderator: Jennifer Perna, Principal, Fulton Market Consulting
Michael Guadagno, Events Director, Dish Food & Events
Lindsey Hamma, Events Manager, The Foundry
Karen Jiminez, The Prince George Ballroom

Jennifer Perna will moderate a lively discussion about building strong, collaborative venue relationships with Michael Guadagno, Catering Events Director of Dish Food & Events and Lindsey Hamma, Events Manager of The Foundry.  Topics will include what are venues looking for in caterers? What is really important to them? What expectations do they have from catering sales teams? What are examples of successes caterers have had building relationships with venues? What are venue pain points and what can we do to work better as business partners? 

Q&A with Ryan Corvaia Owner and Founder + Dish Leadership Team

Sales Initiatives, Company Growth & What an Owner Really Wants
Jennifer Perna, Principal, Fulton Market Consulting
Ryan Corvaia, Dish Food & Events

Jennifer Perna will moderate a heart-to-heart leadership conversation with Ryan Corvaia regarding the journey of a catering business owner.  They will discuss the Ryan’s perspective on all things sales including pushing the team to go out and sell, having realistic expectations for individual and team growth, prioritizing 3-year, 5-year and 10-year plans and recognizing how and when to step away and let the team take the reins.  

Sponsors 3 Minute Mini Segments 

• Jen Seisdedos, American Metalcraft
• Thaddeus Smith, Sterno
• Harry Chapman, Nowsta
• Jamie Pritscher-Tomaino, Nuphoriq
• Francisco Christian, Taylored Hospitality Solution
• Jennifer Perna, Fulton Market Consulting
• Natalia Szurawski, Total Party Planner
• Anja Winikka, Rock Paper Coin

Selling Painkillers: How to Identify a Customers Pain Points & Present Solutions
Meryl Snow, Co-Founder, Festivities Events

You will not know the customer's pain points if you're not asking the right questions. Every customer has different triggers. Once you discover them, your closing ratio will sky-rocket. Learn how to find the needs, desires, or concerns (real or perceived) and present the solutions, but you need to do so smartly. 

Event Planning and Creative Direction
Amanda Savory, Amanda Savory Events (ASE)

The luxury event industry presents both challenges and demands. Ensuring a seamless, creative, and unforgettable event requires effective collaboration and communication among all creative partners, especially with the caterer and the event planner. It's time to have an authentic and honest conversation about how planners and caterers can work together to create the ultimate guest experience while enjoying the process of working together. Not all event planners have egos, I promise!