Kansas State University

OLATHE -- Area businesses are invited to attend the 2013 Catering/Restaurant Showcase to sample menu items and interact with caterers and restaurants. The showcase will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at Kansas State University Olathe, 22201 W. Innovation Drive. The event host is the Kansas City chapter of Meeting Professionals International.

Food tastings, food samples from food trucks, activities and prizes will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and an educational seminar on food safety for event planners and caterers, led by K-State Olathe's food services and programs manager Bryan Severns, will be from 1-2 p.m. The program will offer an educational opportunity for all guests to learn more about food sanitation and event catering.

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, Severns 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 what to watch for at catered events and restaurants as both the vendor and the guest.

The showcase costs $10, with the educational seminar an additional $35. For more information or to register, visit http://www.olathe.k-state.edu/events/catering-showcase.html. Advanced registration is encouraged, as there will only be a limited number of walk-on tickets available. Contact K-State Olathe events manager Renee Hultgren at 913-307-7308 or reneeh@k-state.edu, with questions.

Parking at K-State Olathe is free, but is limited to the first 360 guests. Overflow parking will be available at the College Boulevard Activities Center across the street from the university campus.

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.

K-State Olathe advances the mission of Kansas State University by integrating education, research and entrepreneurship focused on animal health, food safety and security to address the needs of a rapidly changing world.