trends

Social Media Strategies

How much do people “like” you? Are engaged couples engaging with you online? Are you feeding customers who found you through your feed?

To learn more about how to increase interaction with potential clients through social media, CFE turned to two experts: Liese Gardner, a content strategy specialist who has advised hundreds of hospitality clients about their social media tactics since 2004; and Dora Fudali, marketing director for Bill Hansen Catering in Miami, who has organically grown the company’s social media follower count by about 10,000 since 2018. They shared some of their top strategies for creating powerful posts and expanding your virtual audience.

Immersive Wedding Weekends

Today, wedding celebrations are no longer just one day. Newlyweds are reimagining tradition—swapping single-day timelines for full wedding weekends that invite guests to connect, explore, and celebrate in a way that feels both elevated and deeply personal.

As a luxury resort with a rich history and endless opportunities for personalization, Arizona Biltmore has become a natural canvas for these experiences—where every gathering, toast and detail is thoughtfully designed to reflect both the couple and the destination.

Feeding the Fans

From major golf tournaments to air shows to motorsports races, Proof of the Pudding knows how to keep sports fans well fed.

The Atlanta-based catering company is expanding its reach into major outdoor sporting events. A longtime partner of the PGA Tour, Proof recently added NASCAR races at Rockingham Speedway in North Carolina and the Quad City Air Show in Davenport, Iowa, to its roster. That’s in addition to Proof’s many other large foodservice clients, including convention centers, sports and entertainment arenas, yachting shows and college stadiums.

A Breath of Fresh Air

The allure of the great outdoors is proving irresistible to a growing number of catering clients.

“At Constellation Culinary Group, we’ve seen a continued and growing preference for outdoor events across a wide variety of occasions,” says Katia Ponomareva, director of catering for off-premise events. “The pandemic certainly reshaped how people think about gathering spaces, elevating the appeal of fresh air and natural surroundings.”

To meet the rising demand for outdoor affairs, caterers and venues across the country are creating events that are a breath of fresh air.

What’s Hot in Hospitality

Caviar carts, sensorial cocktails and corporate events that emphasize flexibility.

Those are just a few of the 2025 industry trends identified by Elite Catering + Event Professionals (ECEP), a collaborative network of leaders from the world’s top catering and hospitality organizations. The organization released the ECEP 2025 Trends Report, compiled during this year’s ECEP Symposium in Napa, California.

Rentals: The Responsible Choice

From large festivals to intricate and intimate gatherings, we who work in the events space generate our fair share of waste and carbon emissions. Single-use décor, mass-produced materials and short-lived installations all contribute to a cycle of consumption that can strain our planet’s resources.

But what if we could shift this narrative—not by compromising creativity or experience, but by rethinking the way events are designed and executed?

A growing movement within the industry is proving that it’s possible. And at the heart of that movement is a concept that’s known to us all: rentals.

What’s Next for Catering?

Signs point to a robust year for catering in 2025. That’s the consensus from three veteran caterers, who shared with CFE their outlook for the industry.

“It’s hard to believe that we are five years removed from the pandemic,” says Anthony Lambatos, owner and CEO of Footers Catering in Arvada, Colorado. “After the dramatic drop-off and then meteoric return of events, business has stabilized, and we are settling into an environment with a bit more predictability.”

Lambatos—along with Kevin Lacassin of Good Food Events + Catering in Tampa, Florida, and Robin Selden of Marcia Selden Catering in Stamford, Connecticut—pointed to six trends they see impacting their businesses going forward.

Personalizing the Big Day

Creating weddings that capture a couple’s personalities is what it’s all about for event planner Brian Worley.

Based in Atlanta, Worley has produced and designed about 250 weddings in his career—including his own mother’s. CFE recently caught up with Worley to get his take on wedding design trends and to learn what inspires him when planning a couple’s big day.

Tapping into the Experience Economy

The “experience economy” refers to consumers prioritizing experiences over material possessions. For some, this preference aligns with their minimalist lifestyle, while others may be spurred on by social media and “FOMO” (fear of missing out). Regardless of motivation, consumers are increasingly craving dining experiences that go beyond simply eating and enjoying a meal.

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