Kevin Hacke - Executive Director

The Leading Caterers of America are excited to announce Kevin Hacke as Executive Director, succeeding founder Carl Sacks, who is retiring after more than a decade of service.

Hacke is an accomplished executive with career experience spanning over three decades, marked by expertise in strategic planning, financial management, team leadership, business development, B2B marketing, and live experiential event management/production. For the past nine years, he has been serving as an Account Executive at Informa, specializing in sales and business development for the Cater+Event (formerly Catersource + The Special Event) conferences and exhibitions.

Hacke is very much looking forward to working with Leading Caterers of America members, steering committee, and leadership.

We asked Hacke three questions to help introduce him to the catering and events community at large:

What issues do you see as an ongoing challenge to the catering industry?

Hacke: Having been a customer of on- and off-premise catering companies for many years, I believe the standard challenges of running a business are things that the Leading Caterers of America tackle daily. Issues like company financial stewardship, succession planning, marketplace assessment and service offerings, gross margins, equipment and facility maintenance/upkeep/renewal, etc.

I also see current issues with the overall economy, supply chains, staffing, cost of goods and technology. And of course there are individual market issues like pricing strategies, scalability, value proposition, service differentiation, sales and marketing partnerships within a service area, and sustainability. None of those issues are going away any time soon, so it is a formidable challenge to run a successful catering company these days.

What do you think the future of catering looks like?

Hacke: Catering as an industry and as a profession is not going away. That said, it has changed dramatically since I first started working in the events industry. Customization and personalization are standard now, and catering companies with on-premise facilities are more common than ever. Technology has been deployed in the profession, but not always in the most beneficial ways. Culinary innovation and creativity are a must—not only for high-end customers, but for everyone. Those trends and expectations create additional challenges for company principals as well as the line staff who create each experience. I think that for company owners and directors, many will need to become business management specialists, or have resources available to advise them on strategic moves to ensure company sustainability and growth.

For line staff, many will need to be included in company strategy development and execution, so the teams are fully aligned with the direction and goals of the business. More is not necessarily better–understanding the market and chosen customer profile, and full buy-in from the team is more critical than ever to ensure company success.

How can the Leading of Caterers of America help meet today’s challenges?

Hacke: The organization’s greatest strength is the knowledge and experience of its members. Just from my initial conversations with the Leading Caterers of America during Cater+Event a few weeks ago, I am excited to see that there really is no current issue that one or more of the members have not already faced. The Leading Caterers of America has established working groups in every key area: owners/principals, sales, financial, management/operations, and culinary, plus additional special interest groups focusing on specialty topics and issues.

The Leading Caterers of America are the top tier of companies in the industry and are willing to share ideas and solutions with each other to help the collective grow and prosper. This is highly unusual for a trade association or professional membership organization. Most are comprised of cutthroat competitors! And the way to capitalize on this unusual arrangement is to actively participate. I’m looking forward to working with the organization to further develop the professional networking structure and educational lineup that has been built for the benefit of everyone.

You can reach out to Kevin Hacke at 312-859-7774 or Kevin.Hacke@informa.com.