Cater+Event 2027 will be hosted at the Ernest Morial Convention Center, March 22-25, 2027, in New Orleans. This marks the first full year of our newly combined event (formerly Catersource + The Special Event), featuring:

• A robust tradeshow floor
• Exceptional conference sessions
• Inspiring evening events

Our audience consists of professionals who help people celebrate life’s most important milestones. They work in diverse settings, including:

• On- and off-premise catering
• Drop-off delivery
• Private parties
• Multi-day festivals
• Food trucks
• Field kitchens and events in unique locations

These caterers and event planners are among the hardest-working individuals in the industry. They represent:

• Top-level professionals with years of experience
• New hires, recently promoted planners, managers, and salespeople
• Companies of all sizes—from small businesses to $500 million enterprises

Attendees come to Cater+Event to discover:

• New products
• Cutting-edge education
• Innovative ideas
• Networking opportunities

Cater+Event 2027 will feature 100+ sessions across the following tracks:

Tracks

• Catering Focus ("C") and Event Focus ("E"):
  • Business, Financials & Operations (financial goals, technology, software, FOH)
  • Culinary Arts
  • Leadership & Professional Development (best practices, business growth, C-Level strategies)
  • Sales & Marketing (client-facing ideas and strategies)
  • On- and Off-Premise Catering (drop-off, corporate catering, events, colleges, hotels, casinos, stadiums, wedding venues)
  • Trends, Technology & Design (food trends, colors, floral, lighting, design, technology)
  • Event Planning, Management & Production

All speakers will receive one complimentary Conference Education Package to enjoy all days of our conference and tradeshow and one complimentary Opening Night Party ticket. Travel and hotel is not included in this package.

Note: We have an arsenal of dedicated content and marketing professionals: we will do our very best to promote your appearance on our community website, our official show website, in our quarterly magazine and show guide, via social and email blasts, and on our official mobile app.

We offer varied session lengths to suit your needs:

• 45 or 60 minutes: Standard sessions
• 30 minutes: Fast Chat sessions (conversational, not presentational)

New in 2027: Networking Sessions
Networking is a key focus for attendees. If you can lead a networking event, submit a session as a 30-Minute Networking Leader, select the appropriate track, and describe your approach.

To submit a session for consideration:

1. Create an account.
2. Complete the form.

Deadline: June 30, 2026, at 11:59 pm CST.

Note: Proposals previously presented at similar industry conferences require prior approval.

Session proposals will be reviewed by:

• Cater+Event staff members
• Trusted industry leaders

Final decisions will be based on:

• Speaker qualifications
• Originality of the session
• Conference mix
• Applicability to the audience

Most speakers will be vetted. Notifications of acceptance or denial will be sent by September 2026 (possibly sooner).