Event F&B: Designing Menus That Respect People & Ingredients

Dry January. Veganuary. And the question I hear from planners every single year:
How do we create food and beverage experiences that feel intentional—without feeling restrictive or performative?

That’s how I’m starting 2026 on Eating at a Meeting—with a LIVE conversation that goes straight into the kitchen with Thomas Borowitz, Executive Chef at the Crotonville Conference Center at Windrose on Hudson.

This conversation is about what actually happens behind the scenes. What safe, sustainable, and inclusive food and beverage looks like when you’re feeding real people at real events. Safety that goes beyond food handling to include systems, sanitation, and focus. Sustainability that shows up in how ingredients are respected, portions are designed, and waste is reduced. Inclusion that treats every guest as a VIP—no exceptions.

We’ll also talk about what planners rarely see: the mental load of running a kitchen, managing teams with different personalities, training staff, and keeping everything moving under pressure. Because being an executive chef is about a lot more than cooking.

And since it’s January, we’re digging into non-alcoholic beverages done right. Think elevated mocktails—like Tom’s riff on a Tom Collins with non-alcoholic gin that he makes in-house, fresh lime, cucumber syrup, clarified ice, and house-carbonated cucumber juice—that feel just as thoughtful as any cocktail on the bar menu.

If you plan meetings with food and beverage, this LIVE conversation will challenge how you think about menus, waste, and what real care looks like at events.

Come join us—and bring your questions.