The James Beard Foundation Presents The Seventh Annual JBF Food Conference
July 14, 2016 | 4 min to read
New York, NY – The phrase “Now Trending” has become commonplace in the global vocabulary, but how do trends come to be and, in some cases, take on a life of their own? While some trends evolve to the point of changing business models and creating social movements, others are fleeting ideas that vanish in a tweet.
This October the James Beard Foundation will explore the creation and evolution of food trends and their impact on the food movement at its seventh annual James Beard Foundation Food Conference Now Trending: The Making of a Food Movement. The conference, being held at the Convene Conference Center (730 Third Avenue) on October 17 and 18, will bring together a diverse group of experts from across disciplines to explore the genesis and lifecycle of trends and apply that knowledge to food-system issues. Using food waste and other issues that are now trending, the conference agenda will unpack the way interest and enthusiasm for a topic build to become a social movement.
“In a world of 24-hour news cycles and viral hashtags, we are so susceptible to trends and forever craving the next big thing,” said Mitchell Davis, executive vice president of the James Beard Foundation. “By looking at other trend-focused industries and other social movements our esteemed speakers will present thought-provoking views to evaluate our appetite for change and answer the all-important questions, Is there a food movement, who is part of it, and what is it moving toward?’”
Over the course of two days, speakers, panelists, and presenters will help participants examine their own influence in trend-making and their place in the food movement so they can be more effective and strategic in their work. Drawing on the influence of trends in fashion, television personality, and fashion consultant Tim Gunn will discuss the way trends impact individual behavior. Actress and JBF Award–winning cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey will debate New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik on the lasting value of food trends. Freedom to Marry founder Eric Wolfson will present lessons learned from the LGBTQ movement to help strategize for the food movement. Former Obama Administration senior policy advisor Sam Kass will go head to head with challengers to the very existence of the food movement.
The JBF Food Conference will also include the James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards dinner and ceremony on Monday, October 17, at Hearst Tower, co-hosted by Good Housekeeping. Now in its sixth year, the ceremony will honor six visionaries across a broad range of backgrounds who influence how, why, and what we eat. All six of the 2016 Leadership Awards recipients — Greg Asbed and Lucas Benitez, John Boyd, Jr., Anna Lappé, Jim McGovern, and Raj Patel — will also be participating in the conference.
Conference attendees are also invited to the official welcome reception, featuring the winners of the Blended Burger Project, on Sunday, October 16 from 6:00–8:00 P.M. at the James Beard House (167 West 12th Street, NYC).
Founding support for this year’s JBF Food Conference was provided by GRACE Communications Foundation, with additional support provided by Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the Blended Burger Project and the Mushroom Council, Bon Appétit Management Company, Karen Karp & Partners, Bonterra Organic Vineyards, Good Housekeeping, Fairlife, and the Natural Gourmet Institute*.
Register early and save. From July 12 – October 2, ticket price is $500, which includes breakfast and lunch both days of the conference. Registrations purchased after October 2 are $600. A package ticket that includes the two-day conference plus a seat at the Leadership Awards dinner on Monday evening is available for $1,000. Visit Eventbrite.com to register, or contact Bowen & Company at 914.231.6180 or jamesbeard@bowenandco.com. For more information, visit jbffoodconference.org and follow #JBFCONF2016 on Twitter. To learn about more of the JBF Impact Programs visit jamesbeard.org/impact-programs.
*Current list as of press time.
About the James Beard Foundation (JBF)
Founded in 1986, the James Beard Foundation celebrates, nurtures, and honors America's diverse culinary heritage through programs that educate and inspire. A cookbook author and teacher with an encyclopedic knowledge about food, the late James Beard was a champion of American cuisine. He helped educate and mentor generations of professional chefs and food enthusiasts, instilling in them the value of wholesome, healthful, and delicious food. Today JBF continues in the same spirit by administering a number of diverse programs that include educational initiatives, food industry awards, scholarships for culinary students, publications, chef advocacy training, and thought-leader convening. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. For more information, please visit jamesbeard.org. Get food news, recipes, and more at the James Beard Foundation’s blog, or subscribe to the free digital newsletter Beard Bites. Follow the James Beard Foundation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Livestream.
Source: James Beard Foundation (JBF)