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November 2023

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From the Board of Trustees



Greetings from the beautiful west coast of Canada,

While our friends south of the 49th parallel celebrate Thanksgiving, I find myself taking a moment to reflect on gratitude.


The year 2023 has been filled with reasons to be grateful. Starting with the NAFEM show in February, reconnecting with familiar faces and witnessing the industry's innovations during the challenging months of COVID was truly inspiring. The return to a semblance of "business as usual" has brought a collective sense of relief and positivity.

This was also my first FCSI The Americas board meeting, and I must say it has been a pleasure to get to know my fellow board members as we work to thoughtfully guide FCSI in the Americas.  Being on the board has allowed me to share my Canadian perspective and to firsthand see the directive to Share, Support, and Inspire in action.


Fast forward to September and the inaugural Latin American Summit. This groundbreaking event holds great promise for the continued growth of our society. The warmth and hospitality experienced during the summit are etched in my memory. In the days leading up to the summit, the Board engaged in strategic planning, laying the foundation for several initiatives that FCSI The Americas will act upon to continue strengthening our position in the industry and supporting the membership.


Speaking of growth and the future sustainability of The Americas Division, I am thrilled about the EPiC Committee. This dynamic group of young consultants has begun meeting and strategizing on how to actively engage with the Society. We eagerly anticipate hearing more from the EPiC committee in 2024!


As 2023 seems to have swiftly passed, it's hard to believe that December is just around the corner. Wishing you all the best for the holiday season, and I hope to see many of you at Camp FCSI in Austin this coming April.


Cheers,

Par


Par Bain, FCSI

FCSI The Americas - Canadian Trustee


FCSI The Americas On Tap

That's a Wrap on Season 5


Sadly Season 5 has come to an end. We hope you had a chance to view our final episode with the amazing Karen Malody. If not, what are you waiting for? View the full episode here.


While we will be on hiatus for 2024, we encourage you to go back and watch some of the episodes you may have missed or not finished watching. FCSI The Americas has so many talented members with great stories.

Karen Malody, FCSI MSW - Culinary Options


Welcome to the final episode of this season of On Tap Presented by FCSI The Americas! 


In this episode Wade is joined by none other than Karen Malody, FCSI MSW, Founder & Principal of Culinary Options. Karen is a legend in the foodservice industry, having spent her career launching brands, developing menus and building entire F&B programs - including a frosty beverage at a “small” coffee chain that you might have even enjoyed this morning!


Karen skillfully navigates and improves the nuances of foodservice operations for her clients, from startups to established multi-unit operations. Her passion for the industry has been evident during her many years of involvement in FCSI, mentoring the next generation of consultants and operators and serving in a variety of roles and committees. You will not want to miss this delightful conversation with one of the finest members of our FCSI community! 


That’s a wrap on season 5 of On Tap! Be sure to catch up on all of our previous episodes to hear the unique journeys of your peers in foodservice consulting.

Haven't watched all episodes of On Tap yet?

What are you waiting for? Catch every episode here

New EPiC Committee Appoints First Leader

EPiC is made up of Emerging Professional Consultants under the age of 45. The committee was formed earlier this year and serves as a think tank of FCSI's youngest professionals. The group's mission is to empower and inspire a new generation while offering a community for emerging foodservice consultants.


Alison O'Hearn, Project Designer from Cini-Little International, was selected by the Committee to serve as group's first leader. As a young foodservice design professional on the rise, Alison is aware of the challenges newcomers to the industry face each day. She believes EPiC is a great program to build a healthy industry community of young professionals and she is thrilled to be elected to the 2024 Committee as Chairperson. Her goal is to welcome new members and onboard them to the exciting world of foodservice. Through EPiC’s education and support, young professionals will move the industry forward bringing new ideas and technology to the ever-changing landscape of foodservice. 

The EPiC Committee meets via Zoom twice per month. If you are an emerging foodservice consultant under the age of 45 and would like to join a meeting or learn more about EPiC, contact Alison for more information about how to get involved.

EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS!



Join us for the biggest event of the year - two full days of education, epic evening events under the stars, networking with other campers, and so much s'more!

REGISTER NOW
RESERVE YOUR ROOM 

ATTENTION FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES


Thanks to the generosity of the FCSI Educational Foundation and FCSI’s Corporate Members, we are offering 20 grants, each valued at USD$1,200, to offset some of the costs of attending the 2024 Austin Conference. Grants are available for first-time attendees of the FCSI The Americas Biennial Conference, or someone who did not attend the Denver and Montreal Conferences. Submit your application ASAP to be considered for this amazing opportunity to attend CAMP FCSI on us! 

APPLY FOR GRANT

Sponsorship Opportunity

From the FCSI Educational Foundation

FCSI Educational Foundation Board is looking for Volunteers


Have you ever thought about taking a leadership role in FCSI? Well, here is your chance!


The FCSI Educational Foundation is seeking interested consultant members to join its board of directors. The Foundation is nearing completion on the development of a new certificate program in conjunction with Western Kentucky University and has recently developed FEED - a new educational program for consultants, architects and other foodservice professionals.


The requirements are simple: support for our mission, one hour-long Zoom call per month and one face-to-face board meeting annually. Airfare, hotel accommodations and meals are provided.


To learn more contact Educational Foundation Administrator, Greg Jewell.

Membership News

Associate Members

Sarang Joudat - Smart Design Group


Clay Lane - McKay-Lane Consulting



Lu Schildmeyer - LU S Design Associates



Corporate Members


Gastros AG



2024 Membership Renewals and CEUs

It's that time of year again!


2024 renewal statements were sent to all members earlier this month. Be sure to process your renewal by 12/31/23 to ensure that you continue to receive all the benefits of your FCSI membership in the new year!


If you did not receive your renewal statement or have questions about your renewal, please contact Penny Price, Director of Member Services for assistance.

Consultant Members - Be Sure to Log Your Required CEUs for 2023

Professional members of FCSI must log 12 CEUs, Senior Associates must log 6, and Associate members must log 3 CEUs annually.


Check your membership profile to see where you currently stand for 2023 - make sure you are in compliance by 12.31.23.


FCSI Education Providers offer hundreds of programs to help you you meet your CEU requirement. Check out the calendar of events here and all the Access On Demand programs here. In addition to these programs, many other activities qualify for CEU credit - trade show attendance, factory tours, speaking engagements, etc. If you have questions about eligible programs, please contact Daniel Milana, Professional Development Coordinator for assistance.

Industry News

Updated Revit Standards
FCSI has established standards to ensure consistency, optimum functionality and quality of the BIM content provided for foodservice equipment. The standards document has been created in cooperation with input from representatives of the three FCSI divisions APD, EAME & TAD, having formed the FCSI BIM Taskforce of Professional Consultants. The FCSI BIM Taskforce proposes that this document is used as guidelines to assist content creators globally. The objective of this Standard is provided as a template when content creators are commissioned with producing Revit families of foodservice equipment for the manufacturers of foodservice equipment. This document is not catch all to solve all issues in all regions. We acknowledge that some additional work will need to be tailored to suit local applications and codes. View the full document here.

Compass Reports

  • According to the latest report, all U.S. ports are now at capacity of pre-covid.
  • Board remains resolute to return inflation to 2% over time.
  •   2023 final Joint Employer Rule - heavy blow to small business owners and creates a vague definition of what qualifies as a Joint Employer.
  • Loyalty Programs proving successful at generating customer return visits.
  • The National Restaurant Association's report on Industry sales for September 2023 was $91.9 Billion, this was up 0.9% from August.
  • California's new labor law which goes into effect in April 2024 will have tremendous impacts on QSR's labor costs.


View full report here

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Want to share your stories, projects, or insight?

Headquarters is always happy to feature articles from Consultant Members in the Direct Connection. We encourage you to share your experiences and ideas with the membership!


If you would like to have an article featured in the Direct Connection, email your submission to Penny by the 23rd of each month.

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