The 11^th annual event took place at the Hilton New Orleans Riverfront hotel, with an off-site visit to Pythian Market. Education sessions, culinary and club ideas, and networking opportunities were plentiful. In 2020, the conference will head to Charlotte.

The Chef to Chef Conference wrapped up March 12 after two-and-a-half days of education sessions, culinary and club ideas, and networking opportunities. The Hilton New Orleans Riverfront hotel played host to the event for the second time—first visiting the Big Easy in 2012.

Attendees of the conference are eligible for American Culinary Federation (ACF) and Club Managers Association of America (CMAA) continuing-education credits.

Chefs Nelson Millan (San Antonio Country Club) and Richard Jallet (Baltimore Country Club) kicked off Day 3 with a presentation titled “Be Our Guest! How Guest-Chef Events Can Invite Members, Guests and Staff to Memorable Occasions.” Both have visited the other’s club as part of this “win-win” opportunity.

The main dining room took a break for the second session of the day as Chef K. Scott Craig (Myers Park Country Club) discussed “Reinventing Your Snack Bar and Other Satellite Dining Venues.”

The Union Club of Cleveland’s Lawrence McFadden shared his experiences from across the globe in a speech titled “Food & Beverage for Today’s Luxury Customer.” McFadden has moved from the kitchen to the front of the house.

Chef Instructor Daniel Pliska (Ozarks Technical College) presented “The Power of Synergy: Combining Culinary School Education and Professional Kitchen Training,” followed by Michael Ponzio (Medinah Country Club) discussing “Changing Member Culture through Health and Wellness.”

Sharing the stage for the final session were Chef Jerry Schreck (Merion Golf Club) and David Daddezio (Vicmead Hunt Club), who worked under Schreck at Merion. Daddezio presented “Out-of-the-Box Outdoor Events and Going Chaferless.”

Attending chefs moved to six smaller rooms for Chef to Chef Live, quick-hitting events. Todd Walline (Blue Hills Country Club), John Cornely (Charlotte Country Club), Greg Volle (Country Club of Roswell), Jason McClain (The Jonathan Club), Carpiu Chereches (Merion Golf Club), and John Wagner and Greg Garbacz (Sunnybrook Golf Club) rotated from room to room for intimate Q&As.

Sponsors for the 2019 Chef to Chef Conference included Triar Seafood, PreGel, Spiceology, Cres Cor, Electrolux, Kopplin Kuebler & Wallace, Libbey Foodservice, The Montague Company, Northstar Technologies, Pierce Chicken, Sysco, VGM Club, and Villeroy & Boch. The conference moves to Charlotte in 2020.

Click here to look back the 2019 agenda and log onto C&RB’s Facebook and Twitter accounts for additional coverage of the event, including photos, using hashtag #C2C2019.