From High Tech to Sustainable Tableware, Catersource 2019 Debuts Hundreds of Industry Innovations

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Catersource, the world’s premier educational resource and expansive network for the catering and events industry, reveals the trends and products that will be showcased at its tradeshow at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on February 26^th and 27^th.

Scott Dominguez, Catersource brand director, notes, “We are thrilled that 20 percent of this year’s suppliers are new to the show. This reflects the strength and creativity of catering, live events, and food experiences. Our suppliers represent the entire spectrum of what this $9 billion industry is, which includes restaurants and institutional catering, weddings, nonprofit galas, and brand activations. In short, anyone who is feeding and entertaining more than a few people needs catering.”

This year’s exhibitors reflect 2019 industry trends, including:

Technology Innovations: From bots to online branding and human resources, technology is adding a level of convenience, speed, and cost savings to the catering industry.

• American Quick Foods (Booth 558) demonstrates that even classic breakfast fare can be fully automated with The Quickcakes® Machine, an innovative and unique automatic pancake maker - a first in the foodservice industry.
• Cres Cor (Booth 544) “cuts the cord” with COLDKUBE3™, its first mobile refrigerated cabinet, which uses battery and solar power and eliminates the need for ice and extension cords.
• Robal App (Booth 138) is revolutionizing the way the hospitality industry hires temporary labor, connecting companies and talent online. With the boom in the gig economy, technology is making hiring the right mix of hospitality workers simpler than ever before, and ensuring that catering staff can easily find the right work when they need it.
• Tork®, an Essity Brand (Booth 1541) is a fully-automated system that connects devices and dispenser systems so cleaning teams are directed to locations, when and where they are needed most.
• Thryv® (Booth 927) is an all-in-one small business software, which helps owners manage their time and communicate with clients.
• Synergy Fusion Mobile App and myfusionportal (Booth 124) provide an integrated suite of solutions for the hospitality industry, including document and staff management, ordering, inventory, dispatching and more.

Sustainability and Healthier Food Options: Today’s guests are concerned about not only what they eat but how they are eating it. Clean food options abound and better alternatives to disposable dishware are plentiful this year.

• A Green Ozzi (Booth 128) is a unique waste-reduction system designed for campuses, businesses, and other venues where food and beverages are served in “to go” paper, plastic, or foam containers.
• Barilla® (Booth 331) debuts its latest innovation with one-ingredient: chickpeas or red lentils. The new Barilla pasta line provides the benefits of legumes, with the taste and texture expected from Italy’s No. 1 brand of pasta. They will be sampling chickpea casarecce with pesto alla trapanese at their booth.
• Forno de Minas (Booth 821) is a Brazilian brand expanding its gluten-free product line with new cheese sticks for dipping. They are made with 33% more cheese than the traditional pão de quiejo.
• Fresh Origins (Booth 741) offers Herb, Flower and Fruit Crystals® to add texture to any dish, dessert, or cocktail, with no added colors, flavors, or preservatives.
• Front of the House (FOH) (Booth 321) showcases its NEW ROOT® Carbon Collection, attractive and eco-friendly serveware, carved from naturally fallen fir trees and finished using an ancient Japanese technique called Shou Sugi Ban. FOH is also displaying its White Twist Buffet™ Riser Collection, which is hand-fused and easy to nest.
• Gem City Fine Foods (Booth 136) introduces its new Vegan Chocolate Cupcake, topped with creamy vanilla sugar frosting. It’s free of the top eight food allergens and is available in both 4-pack and food service sizes.
• Restaurantware.com (Booth 137) will be showcasing its line of design-forward and eco-friendly catering supplies.

Branding: Tastes and trends may change in the catering industry, but one thing remains timeless - creating a memorable impression and standing apart from competitors.

• Evolis (Booth 1623) is featuring Edikio Guest solutions, which enables managers to create their own labels, badges, and cards in any location -- printing them on site in fewer than 15 seconds.
• Strike Visuals (Booth 1450) is breaking into the Food & Beverage industry with branded pop-up tents, table covers, flags, patio umbrellas and banners with lifetime warranties.

Operations: These companies are making scaling easier and more affordable for new and established catering businesses.

• Coldtainer USA (Booth 1528) is launching its new Hot Meals Line of insulated containers for safe transportation of pre-cooked food. They are controlled by a digital thermostat. The company provides portable containers for precise temperature control in any transportation application.
• Smarty Had a Party (Booth 726) an online source of wedding and party supplies is announcing the release of the Smarty Wholesale Program. 
• U-Haul Fleet Remarketing (Booth 1210)  showcases its 2018 model vehicle lineup of cargo vans and pickups available for sale. These one-year-old vehicles can save caterers money as they ramp-up their operations.

Food...food...food: Fresh and unique options are essential in the catering industry. Here are some unique launches and displays happening at Catersource 2019.

• Oregon Fruit Products (Booth 721) is announcing three new flavors for its Fruit In Hand compote line for the foodservice market: strawberry, blueberry and tropical. They are ideal for layering or topping a variety of breakfast and dessert dishes, or elevating savory proteins.
• SupHerb Farms (Booth 1110)  has a full line of ethnic culinary pastes. World of Flavor pastes provide back-of-the-house time and labor savings, product consistency and offer on-trend flavor profiles, including S'chug, a vibrant Middle Eastern hot sauce; Piri Piri, a Portuguese pepper paste with African origins; Chermoula, a Moroccan inspired herb paste; Thai Pesto, a traditional pesto fused with savory Asian flavors; and Aji Pesto, made with Peruvian Aji Amarillo Peppers that deliver a sweet heat flavor profile.

Creative and Practical New Products: Despite the many transformations and trends in the catering industry, kitchen and serving equipment will always remain the backbone of food preparation and event planning. These companies will be debuting the most useful and flexible products in the field.

• Cambro (Booth 521) offers chefs a wide range of options in its new Ultimate Sheet Pan Rack. This kitchen staple is now more versatile and tougher than ever.
• Essity (Booth 1541) this company now offers customized napkins, enabling caterers to personalize their event experiences.
• Libbey Foodservice (Booth 237) has been making glassware since 1818, but has kept up with the times. Today’s planners and caterers can rely on them for a full range of tableware.
• Mercer (Booth 645) ensures that everything old is new again with its timeless Barfly Gear Vintage finish, which evokes the elegance of hand-crafted barware but made from durable stainless steel. The bar experience has become as important to consumers as the cocktail contents.
• Sterno Products (Booth 121) has reimagined fire with its Sterno SpeedHeat™, an Instant, Flameless Food Warming System Designed for a Safer, Simpler, and Faster Catering Solution
• US Foods (Booth 937) Hot off the presses is the new CES Catering Guide, which gives planners an easy and convenient way to plan large parties.
• Vesta Precision (Booth 236) showcases its Vertical Vac Elite, which seals liquids like soups, brines, and marinade. As health-conscious sous vide cooking has grown in popularity, their functional and attractive accessory has become essential for chefs.

Pulling it all together for caterers, event planners, chefs, restaurants, and other catering professionals is a robust conference track at Catersource, with 100+ industry speakers, demonstrations, and intimate workshops.

About Catersource

Catersource is the world's premier resource dedicated to the education and growth of catering and event professionals. Catersource provides the most expansive network relevant to the catering and events business, producing in-depth educational offerings at the largest industry conference and tradeshow. Catersource's live education also extends itself into the digital world year-round, with rich editorial content in its e-newsletter products, its website catersource.com, and in its annual January show issue, printed and mailed to over 30,000 industry influencers.

Catersource is organized by UBM, which in June 2018 combined with Informa PLC to become a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. To learn more and for the latest news and information, visit www.ubm.com and www.informa.com.

Nancy A Shenker

CatersourcePR@ubm.com

914.673.2800

The Media Lounge is Room 207 at the Show and press kits will be available. For a press pass (qualified media only), please register in advance at:

https://conference.catersource.com/press-registation

For additional information and to register as an attendee, please visit: https://conference.catersource.com/pricing

To see a full list of exhibitor booths, please visit: https://fp37.a2zinc.net/clients/fpUBM/Catersource2019/Public/Exhibitors.aspx?ID=656&sortMenu=105000