Chefs conference sparks culinary conversations from coast to coast

A new gathering of culinary professionals is ready: Chefs Conference, a bicoastal event debuting in Philadelphia in April and led by hotel law expert and chef Mike Traud, J.D., Ed.D. In October, chefs, restaurant professionals, hotel-related PR firms and food journalists will gather in Los Angeles for the West Coast edition. Traud said they will meet at the headquarters of online food ordering platform ChowNow, which has “a beautiful space” that hosts many events celebrating and educating the restaurant industry, in line with the conference’s mission. convene Via email.

Traud said the chefs conference was inspired by his previous decade-long role as president and founder of the Philadelphia Chefs Conference, hosted by Drexel University’s Department of Food and Hospitality Management. “It represents the growth of the conference and its goal of connecting chefs and restaurant industry professionals from all regions through dialogue and education.”

The one-day Los Angeles program — capped at 150 participants and “really focused on the experience and the connection between participants” — is filled with educational opportunities, Troud said. Moderators and panelists include food journalists from Food and wine, Esquireand new york timesand a diverse lineup of chefs from California and Mexico. But Troud said the conversations at the event went far beyond talking about what was actually going on. The conference will delve into more serious topics such as mental health issues, which research, including a 2018 report from Oregon Health & Science University, shows disproportionately affects individuals in the service industry.

“I think our keynote panel discussing mental health issues in the restaurant industry and the support systems in place is critical to the future of the industry,” Traud said. “These discussions need to be made public to remove the stigma.”

Taste of Philadelphia

At the Chefs Conference in Philadelphia last April, legendary French chef Alain Ducasse sat down with food journalist Jeff Gordinier to discuss his memoir, Good Taste: Food and Passionate LifeNoun Traud said the fascinating session was a themed conversation about the difficulties women in the restaurant industry face as mothers – Ducasse is known for supporting the efforts of female chefs. “It highlights the importance of this issue,” Traud said, “and the work that needs to be done.”

Kathy Gale is the executive editor held. Illustrations by Carmen Segovia

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