There’s little question convention center food is adding stars to its line-up these days in large part by going green.
“We’re finding that when we sit down with the chefs and talk about what sustainable food means to us and what we’d like to see, they start getting excited about it because it’s new to them,” said Amy Spatrisano, principal of MeetGreen in Oregon.
Meeting planners are matching member expectations by looking more often for locally sourced and organic food, according to MICE sources.
Some meeting destinations are looking at greener goods because they want to meet LEED certification.
Areas such as Raleigh, NC, which recently received a LEED certificate, strive to stick close to home with its food offerings.
“We often have completely North Carolina-themed events,” said Dan Kapps, director of catering sales for Centerplace, which oversees the Raleigh convention center’s catering operations.
That can include everything from fried green tomatoes to pulled pork, as well as local wines and beer.
Home-grown food is also being used by CVB sales people as another incentive to attract groups.
By David Wilkening
