RCA Conference and Culinology® Expo Features Cutting-Edge Educational Programs

For Immediate Release                                                           Contact:  Ericka Henderson   (678) 303-2991

Research Chefs Association Conference and Culinology® Expo
Features Cutting-Edge Educational Programs

 Webinars of select conference sessions will be made available

ATLANTA (April 13, 2010)— 

The Research Chefs Association’s 2010 Annual Conference and Culinology® Expo completed a successful, three-day event at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Phoenix last month.  The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. Gathered in Phoenix were over 1,200 attendees and exhibitors, as well as 140 booths on the Culinology Expo floor.  The only annual food industry event to focus on Culinology – the blending of culinary arts and food science/technology – this year’s show gave conference-goers the opportunity to mix and mingle with the industry's top professionals, who came to Phoenix from across the country and outside the U.S. 

New this year, RCA will offer on-demand Culinology® webinars of select conference educational sessions in order to share the wealth of knowledge and insight these sessions provide. These webinars will be free for conference attendees and offered at a discounted rate for RCA members who were unable to attend the Annual Conference.   The webinars will be launched later this spring.

RCA’s incoming president, Janet Carver, Culinary Group Leader at National Starch Food Innovation, shared her thoughts on the conference by noting, “Attendees came to Phoenix, despite the challenging economic climate, because the RCA conference  offers tremendous value. The educational sessions and networking opportunities are so relevant to what we do in the field of Culinology, that this has truly  become the must-attend event for R&D professionals.  The positive feedback from our attendees, exhibitors and sponsors is very  encouraging as we gear up for next year’s conference in Atlanta.”

In addition to the professional development sessions, the educational sessions, and the keynote speech by Clare M. Hasler, PhD, MBA, Executive Director, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California – Davis, attendees enjoyed the ongoing RCA camaraderie at networking events taking place at the Hyatt, including the Opening Reception at the Desert Botanical Garden. 

General sessions presented at the conference received excellent reviews from attendees.  One session presented by Chef Mark Miller & Roberto Santibañez shared culinary secrets developed through years of experience at restaurants. The session presented attendees the opportunity to taste the difference between various chile sauces to learn the subtle nuances created by using different ingredients. 

Another general session featured the Sustainability Consortium and discussed how sustainability is evaluated from both an environmental and social perspective, across the entire supply chain and life cycle of the product. The third general session featured Jim Poris, editor of Food Arts magazine, who discussed aspects of defining regional cuisine, joined by panelists Janos Wilder (chef/owner, Janos and J Bar), Beau MacMillan (executive chef, Sanctuary) and Robert Danhi (chef/author, Chef Danhi & Co.)

On Friday afternoon, attendees and exhibitors were welcomed by a vibrant show floor at the Phoenix Convention Center for the 2010 Culinology Expo.  The extraordinary level of knowledge and expertise in the field of Culinology was evidenced by the innovative products and technologies that were on display throughout the show floor. This event was a valuable experience that will be remembered for conferences to come.

RCA’s Annual Luncheon offered a chance for attendees to relax and honor this year’s awardees, which included RCA Pioneer Award winner Michael Lonteen, CEC (Custom Culinary) and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Dr. Jerald Chesser, CEC, FMP, CCE, AAC (The Collins College of Hospitality Management, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.)

This year’s event, as in years past, drew an amazing number of students, who attended many of the student-only events including a Student-Professional Speed Meet and Greet session and a Student Member Reception.  Among the many hundreds of R&D professionals, student teams involved in the RCA Student Culinology Competition attended the conference after their live competition on Thursday, March 18, where Johnson & Wales University - Providence took first place and a $5,000 grand prize.

Each year, RCA offers the food product development community the only industry conference with a focus on Culinology. Based on attendee feedback, the Annual Conference Committee has already begun planning for the next conference scheduled for March 2-5, 2011 at the Omni Hotel at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

For additional information, including photos of the event, please contact Ericka Henderson at RCA Headquarters.
 

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Founded in 1996, the RCA has rapidly grown to approximately 2,000 members, including chefs, food scientists, technologists, writers, nutritionists, academicians, researchers, consultants, sales and marketing professionals, suppliers, co-packers, distributors and students.  RCA is the premier source of culinary and technical information for the food industry and is committed to the advancement of Culinology® –the blending of the culinary arts and food science.