Summer is always a busy time for the editors at FoodService Director. Several of the organizations whose members are our readers stage their national conferences in June, July or August, and it is to our mutual benefit for one or more of us to be in attendance.
At the same time, we’re charged with putting out an issue every month, and keeping our website vibrant and up-to-date. So, a lot of juggling of time and duties occurs in the summer.
This year is particularly brutal for me, at least from a travel perspective—six trips from June 3 to August 20. In addition, toward the tail end of that schedule, my son Jeff gets married. That means more time away from my desk. I’m considering hanging a photo of myself on my office door so the rest of the staff remember I still work here.
This is not meant to sound like kvetching. On the contrary, my time away from the office will be spent with some of the brightest and most innovative people in healthcare, colleges and universities. As a matter of fact, my only regret is that my hectic schedule doesn’t allow me time to visit Nashville, Tenn., site of the School Nutrition Association’s annual confab.
I begin with a trip to Phoenix for the second annual conference of the Association for Healthcare Foodservice. That is followed up by a week-long visit to Amherst, Mass., for the 17th annual Chef Culinary Conference at the University of Massachusetts. My role there, as master of ceremonies, gives me the opportunity to hang with more than 100 university chefs and learn about what’s going on in their operations and what new skills they plan to bring to the table.
Our In Front of the Future Summit, where FSD and Hormel bring together a dozen university foodservice operators to Austin, Minn., to share ideas and insights on the future of the industry, occurs the following week. We hold a similar seminar for hospital operators in August.
July brings with it the annual NACUFS conference in Dallas, followed closely by the Dietary Managers Association gathering, also in Dallas. I returned to DMA last year for the first time in several years, and promised the members that we would continue to support their association.
So, my summer promises to be a hectic one. I hope it will be even more productive. I look forward to seeing as many readers as I can on my journeys. Please look for me if you will be at AHF, NACUFS, DMA or the Chef Culinary Conference. I’d love to chat with you. And be sure to follow me as I blog about my travels.