From its carnival-themed opening party – complete with dunk tank and fairground rides – to closing keynote speaker/entertainer Tom Pesce working his jaw-dropping magic on the 350+ attendees, one could be forgiven for thinking that fun was the only component of the excellent FCSI The Americas Division Symposium 2025. It was certainly a huge factor, alongside well curated networking sessions, but it was education that took center stage throughout the event, which preceded The NAFEM Show 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prior to members finding their wow at the show, Monday February 24 saw the hosting of the FCSI Educational Foundation FEED Workshop, setting the tone that learning would be the primary ingredient of the Symposium that followed the next next day at Georgia World Congress Center.
Conference chair, FCSI Senior Associate Sojo Alex (pictured above), praised the Symposium’s Conference Planning Committee for putting together an exceptional program, while FCSI The Americas chair Christine Guyott honored FE&S magazine’s editor in chief Joe Carbonara – “a champion of FCSI for a long time” – with the 2025 Rod Collins Allied Summit Award. 1473 Media’s Stuart Charlton and myself also presented to attendees – which included 188 consultant members – with an update of FCSI Worldwide content activity, including plans for the Society’s 70th Anniversary later this year. Spencer Ressa FCSI, a member of FCSI’s EPiC (Emerging Professionals in Consulting) network, was also presented with his FCSI Professional membership pin on stage.
Generational theory
Fittingly, young folks were the subject of Symposium 2025’s keynote speaker, the outstanding Phil Gwoke, a generational theory expert and CEO of Bridgeworks. His presentation addressed Gen Z’s dining, buying and work habits. Gen Z’s key traits are that they are risk averse, resolute and coachable, said Gwoke, and their primary values are wellness, fairness and personalization. 67% of Gen Z rank mental health as a top life priority, which is well in advance of priorities such as career or income, while more than 50% of Gen Z consider the environment impact when choosing a menu, said Gwoke (pictured, top; read the full interview with Gwoke, here).
The keynote was followed by breakout sessions that included Andrey Teleguz FCSI and Doug Huber FCSI addressing ‘AI-Driven Solutions’, while Ressa, Alex, and Tarah Schroeder FCSI tackled the topic of ‘Developing Successful Staff’.
Further breakouts saw Joshua Miller, Greg Gorgone, Brendan Wright, and Scott Reitano FCSI explore ‘The Future Intersection of Design, Equipment, Maintenance and Training, while Richard Young of Frontier Energy Food Service discussed decarbonizing foodservice equipment, including how to use ENERGY STAR to write and hold spec. “Foodservice consultants can use an ENERGY STAR program to create effective equipment specifications, ensure kitchen designs meet energy code, achieve LEED project points, verify ENERGY STAR certification, and locate utility incentives,” said Young.
Following lunch, two further breakouts saw addressed Marc Hans address ‘Tech Tools to Manage Workload and Increase Productivity’, while Sean Callnin FCSI, Kristin Sedej FCSI, and Rob White presented on ‘The Power of No’. Why is it necessary to say no, sometimes, the panelists queried? Because it builds trust and honest relationships; establishes boundaries; sets clear expectations; provides value and establishes expertise; and realigns misplaced priorities. Be prepared to say no, but “do it with conviction, compassion and clarity,” says Callnin.
Closing keynote magician Tom Pesce (pictured above) certainly provided an act bursting with conviction, with some superb on-stage magic and trickery that extended into a roving floorshow of sleight-of-hand magic for members at the post-Symposium party. (Top) hats off then to FCSI TAD executive director Wade Koehler, Penny Price, and the Conference Planning Committee. Yes, the education was on point throughout the event, but the fun stuff was only a magical moment away. That’s not an easy trick to pull off.
Michael Jones
Pictures: The Fuze
