My name is Lisa Ware, and I am the Director of Business Development & Special Projects at Catering by Michaels. I have been writing each week about our journey through COVID-19!  If you have not yet read the previous episodes – be sure to start from the beginning!

To Travel or Not to Travel

The first sign for us that COVID-19 was going to have an impact on our industry was a few days before the annual Catersource Conference in Las Vegas.  Catersource is one of the best weeks of the year for caterers to come together, learn, network, teach, and share stories about this crazy world we work in.  This year, I was even more excited as I was checking off a major professional goal and bucket list item– not just attending Catersource, but also speaking – twice!  I attended Catersource for the first time in 2013 and made a promise to myself that I would someday be the one teaching on that stage!  It took me 7 years, a move to Chicago, and 3 catering companies added to my resume to accomplish my goal.  I had spent HOURS curating our presentation, developing content, and ensuring we would have a session that was not only engaging but have tangible takeaways.  As the date approached, so many speakers and companies were canceling their plans to attend due to the start of COVID-19 spreading around the country.  Catering by Michaels (CBM) is a proud member of the Leading Caterers of America (LCA) and had many conversations with fellow LCA members weighing the risks and trying to decide if we should move forward with attending or cancel our team’s plans.  For Catering by Michaels, myself, our Executive Vice President, and our Director of Operations were all slated to speak and two of our Event Coordinators had won scholarships to attend so it was a big decision.

Catering by Michaels at Catersourse

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June 1, 2017

Industry Spotlight: Who Are Certified Catering Consultants?

June 1, 2017

Industry Spotlight: Who Are Certified Catering Consultants?

Certified Catering Consultants is a team of experts that represent the leading authorities on catering, both nationally and internationally. Catering by Michaels is proud to employ a member of this elite group, our very own Director of Operations, Jeff Ware.

We connected with the Managing Director of Certified Catering Consultants, Carl Sacks, to learn more about what it means to be a Certified Catering Consultant, and why they’re valuable to catering businesses.

To you, what does it mean to be a Certified Catering Consultant?

We call the entity Certified Catering Consultants to emphasize that we are catering industry specialists. There are many generic hospitality consultants, but we are experts in this specific hospitality niche. We also evaluate any consultant before they join our team — that’s what certification refers to.

The criteria we use for certification include experience as a senior executive in the industry, years consulting for the industry, presentations at industry conferences, publication in industry journals, and education.

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