By Sara Perez Webber
Miami caterer Bill Hansen—CEO of Hansen Group and Bill Hansen Catering—celebrated his 80th birthday on Aug. 16 with 300 guests at the Kovens Conference Center at Florida International University (FIU) in North Miami.
The event also marked the unveiling of the Bill Hansen Catering & Events Laboratory at FIU. The lab will provide students in FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management with hands-on training in event management.
Equipped with industry-leading technology and guided by mentorship from top professionals, the lab serves as a transformative hub for aspiring hospitality leaders focused on mega and large-scale events. Starting this academic year, a range of courses will utilize the lab.
“When I first started here at FIU as a student, I couldn’t have imagined this amazing future I’ve created for myself in this wonderful industry,” said Hansen, who graduated from the Chaplin School in 1980 with his master’s degree and teaches catering management at Chaplin as an adjunct professor. “Now I’m excited to pass on my knowledge to the future leaders of hospitality in this creative and innovative way.”
“We can’t wait to have our students experience this unique and innovative way of planning events,” said Sharifa Wilkinson, lead faculty of FIU’s mega event management program. “What sets this space apart is its flexibility, creativity and focus on industry immersion. Students will be able to diagram event floor plans, design mood boards, rehearse duties, practice for emergency scenarios, and use the skills to engage in activities required in the events and entertainment industry before they even graduate from college.”
Hansen’s beach club-themed bash raised $30,000 for Touching Miami with Love, a charitable organization serving the children, youth and families of Overtown and West Homestead in Miami-Dade County. The organization presented him with the inaugural Bill Hansen Lifetime Service Award for his decades of dedication to the nonprofit.
