FCSI The Americas 2018 Conference – Denver

Nearly 380 FCSI Members and industry professionals gathered in the Mile High City to share, support, and inspire… and laugh! We lightened the mood and pumped up the energy this year – we laughed and danced and laughed some more!

The event kicked off Thursday night with a welcome reception at the Grand Hyatt Pinnacle Club which is under review by the Guinness Book of World Records as the greatest view for an event facility in North America! The gorgeous mountain views provided the perfect backdrop for a fun evening of reconnecting with old friends. Attendees enjoyed rejuvenating at the oxygen bar and posing for pictures in the magic mirror interactive photo booth.

Friday’s opening keynote was presented by Chip Eichelberger. Chip’s high energy delivery was a great way to kick off a full day of education and get everyone ‘Switched On’! Our Nerdy Best Friend, Beth Z. joined us for the first time in 5 years! Her tech tips and nerd know how are invaluable and provide great takeaways that attendees can begin implementing on the spot.

Unfortunately, Mother Nature did not cooperate on Friday and our Street Fair on the Plaza had to be moved indoors. A bit of a setback but it didn’t stop us from throwing a heck of a party! The evening started in the ballroom with a video DJ and roving street performers who entertained the group with hula hooping, juggling, magic, and acts of contortion. Local Denver Brewery, Tivoli Brewing Company, provided a tasting for attendees with a variety of their craft brews.

Sounds fun, right? The real fun happened when we turned down the sound and turned up the party! The Committee for Emerging Consultants hosted a Silent Disco that had curious party goers stopping in to see what it was all about, picking up a set of headphones on their way into the ballroom, and pretty much remaining on the dance floor the rest of the night!

Larry Scott of Three Square Food Bank opened Saturday’s education with a presentation on how Three Square has partnered with MGM Resorts in Vegas to create a surplus banquet food program to bring meals to hungry families in the community. Larry’s story resonated with attendees and reminded us all to continue to work together to find solutions to improve harsh conditions in our own communities. The FCSI Educational Foundation was pleased to donate $2500 to help Three Square in their efforts.

The final presenter of the conference was stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, and television/radio host, Tom Papa. Tom did not disappoint! He had the crowd hanging on his every word in the first five minutes when he accurately stated, “whenever there’s trouble, you see big white sneakers comin’, you know it’s gonna be ok… Wade’s on it!”

It really was all fun and games… the final celebration took place at Punch Bowl Social where guests played foosball, bocce ball, bags, arcade games and bowling.

View all the fun that happened during the Denver Conference 2018 on our Flickr page!

Conference Details

Schedule
Session Handouts – located to the left of each session below
Educational Sessions Descriptions
First Time Consultant Attendee Grant Sponsors
FCSI TA Innovation Showcase
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

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Thursday, April 19
Professional Membership exams, complimentary professional head shots, and opening party

Friday, April 20
Education and networking, including complimentary professional head shots, the FCSI TA Innovation Showcase and an evening of food, drinks, fun, and the FCSI Committee for Emergin Consultants (C4EC) After Hours Party at the host hotel, the Hilton Denver City Center

Saturday, April 21
Education and networking, followed by the closing party at Punch Bowl Social Denver

Schedule
	Thursday, April 19
	Innovation Showcase
	FCSI Professional Membership Process – Making the Most of Your FCSI Membership	Doug Huber, FCSI
	Opening Party: Pinnacle Club
	Friday, April 20
4% Solution Get Switched On! Energy Schedule	Opening Keynote: Get Switched On!	Chip Eichelberger
	Innovation Showcase
Materials	General Session: A Day in the Life of a Nerdy Foodservice Consultant	Beth Ziesenis
	Lunch: Celebrating the Induction of New FCSI Fellows
Materials	Breakout: How Do They Do That? Secret Tech Weapons for Foodservice Consultants	Beth Ziesenis
Presentation	Breakout: REVIT – How Do You Stack Up?	Joe Carbonara (moderator), Brett Daniel, FCSI, Shelby Wurscher, Chris Huebner
Presentation	Breakout: The Business of Cannabis Kitchens	Jaime Lewis
	Saturday, April 21
	General Session: Banquet Food to the Rescue	Larry Scott
Presentation	Breakout: Virtual Reality for Foodservice Design	Chris Huebner
Presentation	Breakout: Resolving Labor Issues…It’s a People Business After All!	Chris Tripoli, FCSI
Presentation	Breakout: Food Display Trends	Joe Schumaker, FCSI, Danielle McMiller
	Breakout: Recruiting and Retaining Talent in Consulting Firms – Roundtable Mixer
Presentation	Breakout: Technology ROI	IFBTA Member Brian Anderson
Presentation	Breakout: You Want to Cook Where?	Bill Caruso, FFCSI (PP), Scott Heim
	Closing Keynote: 1 hour Stand-up Special	Tom Papa

*This conference qualified for 9 CEUs.

Click here for Session Details

First Time Attendee Grants
Thanks to the generosity of the FCSI Educational Foundation and FCSI’s corporate members, we distributed 21 grants, each valued at US$1,000, to offset some of the costs of attending the 2018 Conference.

Thank you to our Allied Members who matched the grants offered by the FCSI Educational Foundation!

Advance Tabco
Baxter Manufacturing
Cambro
Eloma
G.A. Systems, Inc.
Heatcraft
Hobart
Irinox North America
Jackson WWS
Kason Industries (2 grants)
KCL (2 grants)
The Legacy Companies
NEMCO Food Equipment
Polar King International
Thermodyne Foodservice Products
Traulsen
Utility Refrigerator (2 grants)

Host Hotel
Hilton Denver City Center (formerly known as the Denver Marriott City Center)
1701 California Street, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303.297.1300