AMHERST, Mass. (AP) - An annual UMass-Amherst culinary conference that tackles issues facing the food service industry is going virtual for the first time in its 26-year history.
The Chef Culinary Conference, expected to attract more than 800 participants, is scheduled to be held in a virtual format Tuesday through Thursday.
This year’s theme is Planetary Health, with a focus on the post-coronavirus world, including strategic operational planning, wellness and safety, and communication.
“We will be highlighting the concept of planetary and human health as an exciting opportunity to find alternative solutions for a better and more resilient future,” Ken Toong, UMass Amherst executive director of auxiliary enterprises and chairman of the event, said in a statement.
The event features about two dozen speakers from 12 universities, including Harvard, Yale, Georgia and UMass, as well as industry representatives from Nestle, Sysco, GrubHub and more.
The final session includes a roundtable of six students from the U.S. and Canada discussing their expectations of what the fall will look like.
Participants include chefs, operators, administrators, educators, dietitians, suppliers and students.
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