Kansas State University

OLATHE -- Kansas City metro area restaurants and caterers are invited to participate in the Catering and Restaurant Showcase from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, on the Kansas State University Olathe campus, 22201 W. Innovation Drive.

The showcase will bring local caterers, event vendors and meeting and event planners together for this premier catering event in the Kansas City area. It will help vendors market their companies, learn current ideas and trends and develop business connections. The event also will give companies the opportunity to introduce themselves to event planners and other key decision-makers in the business industry.

Space is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The options for vendor space include vendor showcase booth, $125; food truck, $150; premium demo, $250; and studio kitchen/theater space, $350. One ticket to the educational program is included with each vendor registration.

"Food Safety for Event Planners" is an educational program at the showcase providing tips and techniques for catering events. It will be led by K-State Olathe's food services and programs manager Bryan Severns and will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Attendees will learn ways to handle catering relationships, identify best practices for events involving food and recognize food sanitation concerns.

Severns has spent the last 30 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, having worked as a chef in operations as diverse as hunting camps, hotels and luxury resorts. Before coming to K-State Olathe, he taught for 11 years at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt., with an emphasis on meats and food safety. His presentation will cover foodborne illness outbreaks, and watch to watch for at catered events and restaurants as both the vendor and the guest.

To register a business, secure a booth or kitchen space, or for more information visit http://olathe.k-state.edu/events/catering-showcase.html or contact K-State Olathe events manager Renee Hultgren at 913-307-7308 or reneeh@k-state.edu.

The event is co-sponsored by the Kansas City chapter of Meeting Professionals International, the Olathe Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Kansas State University Olathe.