Anniversary Conference to Feature Scholarship Showdown FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Andrea Parr
Director of PR & Digital Media
502.574.9934
[email protected]
35th Anniversary Conference to Feature Scholarship
Showdown
SHFM Launches New Culinary Competition for Students
Louisville, KY (October 24, 2014) – The Society for Hospitality & Foodservice
Management (SHFM), the preeminent national association serving the needs and
interests of executives in the corporate foodservice and hospitality industry, will host its
annual conference November 4 – 6 in Uncasville, Connecticut, at the Mohegan Sun
Hotel & Spa.
With a theme of Envision the Future: Celebrating our Legacy, Crafting our Destiny,
this 35th Anniversary conference will feature an exciting new future-focused element –
the SHFM Scholarship Showdown.
The SHFM Scholarship Showdown, a student culinary competition, modeled after
several popular TV series, will culminate with a scholarship for the final winner. Celebrity
Chef Marc Forgione will serve as one of the judges for the competition, while
experienced competition host Chef Jet Tila will MC the event.
Some of the contenders for the SHFM Scholarship Showdown include:

Emeril Lagasse Scholar Matthew McDonald. McDonald, named Student
Culinarian of the Year by ACF is a Culinary/FSM Major at Johnson & Wales
University. McDonald and his team prepared and presented gold medal-winning
cold food platters at the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS)
culinary salon in New York, NY.

The Culinary Institute of America student and Dallas, Texas native Acenette
Gonzalez. Gonzalez completed an externship at the restaurant Sugarri in
Hondarribia, Spain, only to return and compete in the San Pellegrino Almost
Famous chef competition – and winning overall signature dish nationwide.

In addition to serving as a supervisor at one of the UMASS Amherst retail dining
locations, Josh Perilli has owned his own painting business for years. Perilli will
graduate in the spring of 2015 and plans to be an entrepreneur in the arena of
hospitality management.
“The mission of the SHFM Foundation is to provide opportunities and support in the form
of scholarships for the next generation of corporate foodservice and hospitality leaders,”
says Matthew Merson, SHFM Foundation Chair. “While the Showcase will highlight the
skills of these students, the silent auction that will be happening during the competition
will allow the Foundation to continue to build our industry.”
“As we look back at SHFM’s history during our 35th Anniversary conference – and the
ways in which our members and association impact the productivity and morale of
millions of workers every day – we are also looking ahead,” says Sabrina Capannola,
SHFM President. “I am so excited to introduce this new component to the 2014
conference. These students represent the future of our industry and we hope to hear
more from them and their peers at our 40th Anniversary conference!”
In addition to the Scholarship Showdown, SHFM’s 35th Anniversary conference will
feature educational seminars on professional development and industry issues,
interactive events, networking opportunities, and national speakers. Conference
registration is open on the SHFM conference website.
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The Society for Hospitality and Foodservice Management is the pre-eminent national
association serving the needs and interests of executives in the corporate foodservice
and workplace hospitality services. Our principal role is to enhance the ability of our
members to achieve career and business objectives in an ethical, responsible and
professional climate. For more information, please visit www.shfm-online.org.