Danny Meyer, President of Union Square Hospitality Group, Joins Successful Restaurateur Panel

 
NEW YORK, NY, March 3, 2008 – Starting Sunday, March 9th thousands of restaurant and foodservice industry professionals will be able to source the latest products and services from 650+ exhibitors and attend The Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum to learn business solutions required to run a successful foodservice business.  The 15th Annual International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York will be held March 9-11, 2008 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City.   There are dozens of story ideas; here are some of the highlights:
 

• Thomas Keller and Jasper White will be keynote speakers at the inaugural Ferdinand Metz Foodservice Forum presented by the New York State Restaurant Association.  These two world renowned chefs will be showcasing their cooking skills and sharing their success stories.  Thomas Keller will be speaking on Sunday, March 9th at 1:30 pm and will conduct a cooking demonstration on the Show floor in Booth 1667 at 3:00 pm.  Jasper White will be part of the star-studded line up of speakers at our Successful Restaurateur Breakfast on Monday, March 10 at 9:00 am and will conduct a cooking demonstration in Booth 1667 on the Show floor at 12:00 pm.

 

• Successful Restaurateur Breakfast, a new addition to the Foodservice Forum will take place on Monday, March 10 at 9:00 am.  This breakfast discussion will be moderated by Michael Batterberry, editor-in-chief of Food Arts Magazine and will feature Danny Meyer, the President of Union Square Hospitality Group; Drew Nieporent, owner of several successful New York City Restaurants; Jasper White, owner of New England’s Summer Shack Restaurant; Cameron Mitchell, of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which recently sold  for $94 million; Ferdinand Metz, CMC, president of the World Association of Chefs Societies; and David Dodson, restaurant consultant and brand expert for The Cultivation Corps.

 

• Photography for Philanthropy – Art Auction to Benefit City Harvest. This collection of autographed photographs will be a special exhibit on the show floor and have been auctioned off pre-show to benefit the City Harvest food rescue program. A group of renowned celebrity chefs, including Lidia Bastianich, Daniel Boulud, Tom Colicchio, Larry Forgione, Johnny Iuzzini, Jean – Georges Vongerichten, Francois Payard, Eric Ripert and Laurent Tourondel  have prepared exquisite culinary dishes that have been captured through the lens of famed photographer Diana DeLucia.

 

• Catering Symposium and Marketplace:  This full day of education, networking and discussion, sponsored by Catering Magazine, will offer workshops for caterers looking to improve their operations, marketing, and service skills and find out about the latest industry trends.   In addition, the Show floor will feature the Catering Marketplace, a destination for exhibitors who sell specifically to caterers.

 

• The Ultimate Barista Challenge® USA, hosted by WholeCup Coffee Consulting. Professional baristi will face challengers on the exhibition floor in Booth 1279, where they prepare their signature espresso beverages for a panel of discerning judges. There will be a showdown of four challenges in Espresso Frappe, Espresso Cocktails, Best of Brew and Beautiful Latte Art. 

 

• Innovative New Product Gallery – Featuring innovative new products, there’s no better place to source new menu items, drinks, equipment and solutions. All attendees visiting the Gallery will vote for their favorite new products in the People’s Choice Awards.  Best in Show winners will be announced, Monday, March 10 at 4:00 pm in the Gallery, Booth #2378 and #2379.

 

• Japanese Demonstration Pavilion and Theater –Twenty-five food and product vendors will be on display, some of which are making their international debut. Attendees will have a chance to experience regional delicacies while seeing them prepared on stage by culinary professionals and producers from Japan.  Booth #2587.

 

• PMQ’s New York Pizza Show:  PMQ’s wealth of pizza brainpower will be on hand, such as pizza-industry favorite, Tom “the Dough Doctor” Lehmann, to demonstrate and talk about the latest dough trends. Those who like action shouldn’t miss the America’s Plate Competition and the always exciting U.S. Pizza Team trials.

 
·         The 19th Annual U.S. Pastry Competition Under the Sea is the theme as the nation’s leading pastry professionals compete for the coveted title, “Pastry Chef of the Year.”  Nineteen pastry chefs will display their talent and skills by creating advanced level desserts and highly technical chocolate and sugar sculpted showpieces. There will be a Press Tasting on Sunday, March 9 at 11:00 and winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at 4:00 p.m.
 

• The 1st Annual New York Wine Expo: A consumer and trade event featuring over 100 pre-selected wine-makers will be co-located with the Show.  The Wine Expo is from the producers of The Boston Wine Expo. 

 
Editor’s Note:  For press credentials, visit the press room 1A05 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center or call 978-475-4441.
 
WHEN:              Sunday, March 9, 2008          10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
            Monday, March 10, 2008        10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
            Tuesday, March 11, 2008       10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
 

WHERE:            The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY
 
PRODUCED AND MANAGED BY:
The International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York is owned and sponsored by the New York State Restaurant Association. The event is produced and managed by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading exhibition and conference organizer with 2,300 employees in 33 offices serving 52 industries worldwide. Reed Exhibitions has a current portfolio of 460 events in 38 countries that reach over 90,000 suppliers and more than 5.5 million buyers every year.    For more information about the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, call (888) 334-8705 or visit www.internationalrestaurantny.com.