“Service is black and white, but hospitality is in color,” said FCSI The Americas 2026 Conference keynote speaker Kevin Boehm, restaurateur and co-founder and co-owner of Boka Restaurant Group. It was an apposite analogy for the conference itself, which brought a vivid focus to the many rich hues and varieties of foodservice consulting in the Americas Division.
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Education was at the heart of this fabulously organized and executed event, with a special one-day conference dedicated to FCSI’s Emerging Professionals in Consulting (EPiC) members taking place on Thursday 23 April, prior to the main event itself. Patricia Cook of Patricia Cook & Associates opened that event with an interactive session for the approximately 30 EPiC members in attendance that addressed how to develop ‘A growth mindset’.
“Growth and comfort never coexist,” says Cook, “but one way to push through imposter syndrome is with a growth mindset.”
Cook advocated that young professionals keep track of their wins; perform random acts of kindness by “lighting someone’s candles”; bring their authentic self; get the easy things right, such as arriving early to meetings and using people’s names frequently; being mindful of body language; and bringing a positive energy. “Listen to stay present, not just to respond,” she advised.
This was followed by a session exploring the FCSI The Americas and FCSI Worldwide portfolio ‘How to get involved (and why)’ by conference organizer, Forte’s Wade Koehler, executive director of FCSI The Americas, and 1473 Media’s Michael Jones, representing FCSI Worldwide, who presented on the opportunities available in print, in digital, and at events to young FCSI members.
“Your voice matters,” said Koehler. “You get out what you put in, so if you feel passionate about improving foodservice, get involved.” The network opportunities “are incredible, but so is the learning,” added Jones.
Next, Erik Haviland of FUZE presented alongside Joshua Miller of Remarkable Academic Foods and Spencer Ressa FCSI of JME Design on tackling the importance of making authentic connections, conveying a personal identity, and why being truthful and honest will take young people further in business. “Your personal and professional brands do not need to be in conflict with each other,” said Haviland.
“Anything you can do that puts you in a position of thought leadership, do it,” says Miller.
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable,” adds Ressa. “Your voice matters. Don’t be afraid to ask that question.”
At the end of this insightful and interactive presentation, FUZE also shared a uniquely bespoke ‘Brand Ignition’ profile for each attendee at the session, revealing the individual profile of their personality, including a growth map, content starters, and team guidance – all tied to the specific answers each participant gave.
The conference’s opening party, on the lawn of the historic Wigwam Resort, saw FCSI members enjoy some excellent hospitality, accompanied by dueling pianos.
Extraordinary commitment
Day one of the main conference saw chair Sojo Alex FCSI address the 400+ attendees on stage. “Thank you for being here – thank you for this amazing attendance,” she said. “Half of the attendees are consultant members – a terrific ratio,” says Alex, who praised her fellow Conference Planning Committee team for their exceptional organization of an event packed with insight, high-quality speakers and first-rate networking opportunities.
FCSI TAD past chair Christine Guyott FCSI awarded the 2026 Service Award to Kristin Sedej FCSI for her “extraordinary commitment” to the Society and support to the Division since 2009. Meanwhile, new FCSI chair Brent Hall, FCSI welcomed newly qualified full FCSI Professional members to the stage, before opening keynote and AI expert Dan Chuparkoff presented on the topic of why “AI is about to change everything about everything,” including commercial kitchen design.
“AI will reinvent the way we share information. It gives us the ability to interact with each other at scale, he said, before recommending that AI is best deployed to focus on the areas of “investigate, process, and communicate” in the work hierarchy, all of which will free up more time for people to address the critical areas of “problem-solving, decide and imagining.”
A series of breakout sessions addressed topics as disparate as ‘Designing for the Real World: Aligning Foodservice Design with Operations’; ‘Challenges of Ownership’; ‘Elevating Chef Well-Being’; ‘Generating Sustainable Design and Relationships’; ‘Refrigeration in 2026 and Beyond’; and a ‘Tech AI Deep Dive for Consultants’ from Chuparkoff.
The evening was completed with an unforgettable ‘Evening under the stars’ as members were serenaded by three Nashville-based multi-Grammy winning singer-songwriters.
The final day of the Conference saw long-time TAD members Karen Malody FFCSI, John Radchenko FFCSI, Harry Schildkraut FFCSI, Howard Stanford FFCSI, and Bill Taunton FFCSI inducted into the College of Fellows during an emotional Medallion Ceremony. A Product of the Year Award was also bestowed upon Streivor Inc. for its innovative new Smart Trough Technology system, which was voted by members from a shortlist of 12 new products in the Conference’s Innovation Showcase segment.
A focus on the fundamentals
Kathleen Held, president of the FCSI Educational Foundation, presented on the organization’s latest initiatives, including the great progress being made by students at Western Kentucky University (WKU), plus two new textbooks that will be published this summer. 1473 Media’s Stuart Charlton and Michael Jones later addressed that in more detail. The first book, Foundations of Foodservice Design, will be both a study guide for students undertaking the Foodservice Consulting Certificate Program course at WKU, as well as being a reference guide for more experienced design consultants on the topics of planning, programming, and evaluating foodservice spaces. The second, Material Selection In Foodservice Design, an e-book, will focus on materials and finishes to create environments that are functional, durable and visually compelling. Copies for both can be pre-ordered here.
Additional conference breakout sessions focused on Beverage – Conception to Implementation; Critical Attributes of Quality Consulting; and Design Influence on Emotion and Behavior. Keynote speakers restaurateur Kevin Boehm and The Buried Life’s Ben Nemtin brought the star power to an event that took the black and white fundamentals of great foodservice and applied the Technicolor magic of artful hospitality to create an event full of fun, high-level learning, and a sense of real purpose.
Michael Jones
