Industry Leaders Archives

MIBE Summit: Helping Hospitality Leaders Reach New Heights in 2026

With the Rocky Mountains as its backdrop, the upcoming MIBE Summit—taking place Jan. 25-27 in Denver—is embracing a theme that feels especially fitting.

“It’s called ‘Unleash Potential,’ and it’s the idea that we’re all summiting our own mountain,” says Anthony Lambatos, the founder of MIBE (Make It Better Every Day), a culture-building and training organization for business leaders. “We all have our own challenges. How are we going to get to the top?”

Caterer Close-Up: Mary Rohan of Miami’s Bill Hansen Catering

Black-and-white photos of the beach line the walls of Mary Rohan’s office at Bill Hansen Catering in Miami. They’re a calm counterpoint to the constant motion outside the door—and a clue to the flavor point-of-view she brings to one of the city’s busiest catering operations: Caribbean-inspired cooking with a global lens.

Caterer Close-Up: Jeremy Langemann of Bingemans in Kitchener, Ontario

Before Chef Jeremy Langemann—executive chef of Bingemans Catiner ever set foot in a professional kitchen, his love of food was kindled in the warm, familiar embrace of his grandparents’ home. It was there, in the heart of a Mennonite household, that the first sparks of his culinary passion began to grow.

Caterer Close-Up: Keith Lord of the Strateje Fourteen Consulting Firm

When Keith Lord launched Strateje Fourteen in January 2020—just weeks before the pandemic shuttered the events industry—he knew one thing for certain. After decades running high-volume restaurants and catering operations, he was ready to “give back and teach others.”

Top Caterers Share Advice and Strategies at Florida Restaurant Show

Between them, they’ve catered everything from papal visits to intimate backyard weddings. But when Warren Dietel, Bill Hansen and Kevin Lacassin took the stage at the Florida Restaurant Show in Orlando in November, they came ready to talk about something more universal than their most glamorous gigs: the nitty-gritty of running a catering business in 2025.

Caterer Close-Up: Jordan and Emily Swim of Vestals Catering in Dallas

The story of Dallas-based Vestals Catering begins like many meaningful meals do—with a charming backyard party that grew beyond the picket fence.

In 2008, Jordan and Emily Swim launched Food Creates Community, a grassroots dinner series they hosted in the backyard of their Texas home. With long tables under string lights and seasonal menus thoughtfully curated, the couple invited friends, neighbors and curious guests to slow down and truly savor a meal.

CFE News Introduces Inaugural Editorial Advisory Board

CFE News is proud to announce the formation of our
inaugural Editorial Advisory Board, featuring nine prominent catering professionals from across the country.

These respected industry leaders will provide insight, guidance and expertise to help shape the digital news outlet’s editorial direction and ensure that CFE News continues to serve as a trusted voice for catering, foodservice and event professionals.

Caterer Close-Up: Ken Barrett-Sweet of Boston’s The Catered Affair and Folio

Long before he stepped into Le Cordon Bleu in France, Ken Barrett-Sweet’s culinary journey began in Alabama with a simple recipe: one wise grandmother and a set of well-worn pots and pans.

“I must have had four or five,” he recalls. “While other kids played with dolls, I played chef. My grandmother gave me her old cookware, and I’d mimic her every move.”

Introducing CFE News: Fresh Look, Same Trusted Source

We’re thrilled to announce that Catering, Foodservice & Events (CFE) has a new name—CFE News—and a new digital-first direction.

Perez Webber Media Group acquired the leading trade publication and digital communications platform from International Media Group, Inc., and former publishers Klaas and Antoinette De Waal. The new CFE News is led by longtime Editor-in-Chief Sara Perez Webber (editor since 2010) and Publisher Jay Webber, who will build on the publication’s legacy as the premier news source for catering, foodservice and events professionals.

Bill Hansen Unveils Innovative Catering Laboratory at 80th Birthday Bash

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.