WHI Food and Beverage: WHI sales training seminar at the Columbus Airport Marriott

We had the privilege to host the WHI sales training seminar in early July 2011. What would we do? How would we display it? Where would we source the food? Well as with any special event we begin with our initial brainstorming session. Everybody involved would throw many ideas against the wall and see what sticks. After that we break it up into smaller pieces easier to digest, culinary gets their assignments, banquets gets their assignments and so on.

The theme chosen was "Wellness". That could mean many things to different

people. We chose the concepts of refreshment, renewal and revitalization...the menu and beverages should be light, as locally sourced as
possible, healing in their nature, yet satisfying to eat and not totally unfamiliar. Each day's menu would include breakfast and lunch with light refreshing breaks between meals and after lunch

Now that we had a framework, we decided go a seasonal and local route. Cooper's farm smoked turkey hash with poached egg, strawberry pancakes with Ohio maple syrup, yellow and red tomato gazpachos,yogurt parfaits, Ohio raised lavender smoked beef carpaccios and smoked beef sandwiches, grilled lemon chicken and vegetable cous cous, roasted corn salads, grilled Caesar salads, cherry tomato and locally raised English cucumber in a mint creme fraiche. Breaks that included traditional s'mores as well as a savory s'more consisting of tomato and basil jam, fresh mozzarella on a flat bread, organic milks, old fashioned sodas, Jeni's ice cream three ways with a refreshing cucumber water to cleanse

the pallet.

Next we had to decide how to deliver this food to the guest, we

wanted them to try everything , so smaller portions became important. We got creative with our plating using stemless martini glasses, espresso cups, fluted ramekins, parfait glasses and square ramekins. We used rounds, rectangles, and squares to vary the design of the buffet lines. We stayed away from traditional table cloths in favor of stainless steel table tops. Food and drink was raised to different levels throughout the buffet. We used fresh fruit and juices as table settings. We kept food out of chafing dishes by using alternative heating sources, runners and smaller batch cooking. All in all the team realized the goal we had set out for. To feed, give lighter balanced nutrition, varying offerings, textures , colors while leaving the attendee satisfied, refreshed and with a feeling of wellness and along the the way ...we even got a few wows.