Kendall College and the National Restaurant Association, through its Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative, have joined as co-founding sponsors of the International Foodservice Sustainability Symposium (IFSS) which will be held May 24-25, 2011 in Chicago, immediately following NRA Show 2011.
Developed by Railing & Associates, IFFS is the first conference of its kind to focus exclusively on the more complex sustainability issues such as emerging technologies, green building and perhaps the most highly nuanced subject of all – sustainable food.
“The IFSS will provide foodservice professionals with the information and tools they need to make critical decisions about complex sustainability issues,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “We have identified sustainability as a key industry imperative in our multi-year strategic plan, and are committed to educating our members on how to increase environmental efforts and boost their bottom line. This symposium is set up to give attendees the objective information they need to find the answers that work for them.”
“For the last several years, I’ve traveled the country talking about sustainability as a journey composed of baby steps,” said Christopher Koetke, dean of the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts and Laureate International Universities Vice President of the Center for Culinary Excellence. “The IFSS is an opportunity to take a giant educational leap that will support your sustainability journey for years to come.”
What can you expect at IFSS? You can expect to hear from some of the most respected experts in their fields. You can expect passionate discussion. You can expect to hear divergent views and controversy. You can expect to leave knowing far more than when you arrived and with lots of food for thought.
As a sneak preview of things to come, the conference will kick off with a keynote address by Dr. Fred Kirschenmann, a pioneer in sustainable farming who served on the National Organics Standards Board and helped write the standards for certified organics. He’ll talk about sustainable agriculture and what it really means. Is it organic? Is it biodynamic? Is it local? Could it even be conventional agriculture? Some of his answers may surprise you.
The IFSS begins 3:00 PM at Kendall College on May 24, immediately after the close of NRA Show 2011 and it will conclude late the next afternoon, allowing everyone to return home well ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. The schedule is condensed but it’s jam-packed with programming. For more information go to www.ifssymposium.org. Attendance is limited to 150 people, so register soon and take advantage of early registration through March 15 – a $50 savings.
Founded in 1985, the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College is among the premier culinary-training programs in the United States, offering associate and bachelor’s degrees and certificates in culinary arts as well as associate degrees and certificates in baking and pastry. The school occupies a stunning “Riverworks” campus near downtown Chicago. The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission has accredited the Culinary Arts Associate program since 1988 and the Baking & Pastry Associate program since 2008. Kendall, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009, also operates Schools of Hospitality Management, Business and Education. Kendall College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org, 1-312-263-0456. Kendall College is a member of the Laureate International Universities network. For more information, visit www.kendall.edu.
Founded in 1998, Railing & Associates is a marketing and public relations firm, located in the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in foodservice with a special emphasis on sustainability. Its principal, Cindy Railing, APR, has spent more than two decades serving the foodservice industry representing such companies as Kendall College, Food Service Technology Center, McDonald’s, Dreyer’s/Edy’s Grand Ice Cream, and the California Culinary Academy, as well as a number of restaurants including the world-famous Sardine Factory in Monterey, California.
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 960,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.