Catersource + The Special Event
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View, browse, and sort the ever-growing list of sessions by pass type, track, and format.

If you are seeing varied colors of session titles, here is your guide:
Dark teal = Catersource education sessions
Dark orange = TSE education sessions
Black = those sessions or events that can be attended by anyone with a Catersource or TSE pass, or requires a separate ticket.
Find your best experience by first choosing the pass type you have purchased. This will weed out all other extraneous sessions.

Sessions do fill up and seating is first come, first served. Note: Individual presentations may also be on this website shortly before the published show dates. They may or may not be the final presentation.

Earn CMP credits!

ALL education sessions at this year's conference are approved by The Events Industry Council to count toward your CMP certification. Keep your professional status up-to-date while enjoying and learning from this incredible lineup of speakers.

David PortoOwner / Director of EventsBlue Plate Catering

David lives in Madison, WI with his wife Nicola and their son, Maverick. Joining Blue Plate in December 2004, and a managing partner since 2014, the years have seen him in nearly every position possible. Currently, he leads the company, guiding Blue Plate to be named Wisconsin's best caterer by Wisconsin Bride Magazine in 2017, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Since 2018, David has traveled to Scottsdale, AZ, to partner with M Culinary Concepts for the Phoenix Open (the best-attended golf event in the USA, with an attendance of over 700,000 in 2018), managing a team of 50 staff at the iconic Bay Club and working with a total team of over 800 for the 6 day event. David was Awarded NACE's inaugural Frontline Hero Award in 2021 for his Feed the Front Lines initiative, helping to feed both frontline healthcare workers and Madison residents struggling with homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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