SENFC Newsletter

March 2022

Wednesday, April 6, 2022 - FWPW Hospitality Day

"The Circularity of Event Food Waste - A Full Menu of Perspectives!"

11:00 am - 11:50 am - "Minimizing Event Food Waste:  Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance"

Moderator - Marianne Schmidhofer, CMM, Sustainability Managing Director, Whats Your Purpose Meetings & Events

Panelists:

Joanna Berens - Joanna Berens Hospitality & SENFC Zero Food Waste Chair & President

Brittany Price - Director of Sustainable Operations, MGM Resorts International

Brittany McPeak - Sustainability Project Coordinator, Office of Sustainability & Resilience, City of Orlando

12:00 noon - 12:45 pm - "The Circularity of Event Food Scraps:  Cooking & Composting - A Virtual Demo"

Chef John Noble Masi - PhD Candidate 2025, Faculty of Culinary/Industry Consulting

          Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, FIU

Dr. John Buschman - Lecturer, Post-Doctoral Associate, Co-Director, Global Sustainable Tourism Program, Director, Hospitality at Sea Program,

Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, FIU

1:00 pm - 1:50 pm - "Composting & Compostable Single Use Serviceware:  Dispelling the Myths"

Moderator - Sue Flak, Recycling Coordinator & Marketing Director, Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal District

Panelists:

Xavier DeRoos, Environmental Entrepreneur and independent owner, Renuable

Anastasia Mikhalochkina, Founder & CEO, Lean Orb Co

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Live Virtual Networking - "SENFC Sips n Tips: Share Your Favorite F&B Tip to Reduce Waste"
REGISTER HERE

GET INVOLVED!

There are opportunities to participate and become engaged with our Membership, Communications, and Education and Zero Food Waste Enthusiasts (Committees). Active volunteers are encouraged to reach out to SENFC at senfcmgt@gmail.com if you can commit to any of these endeavors. This can be a learning exercise or an opportunity to share your expertise!

Recognizing New & Renewed Members of SENFC:

Jamie Botkin - Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Hotel

Eddie Dunsford - Colmena

Susan Fitzgerald - Huddle Agency, LLC

Michelle Dunsford - American Meeting Management

Stella Quintero - Florida Atlantic University

Joost De Meyer, First Incentive Travel

The Official Proclamation of Food Waste Prevention Week!

April 4-9, 2022 has officially been recognized and proclaimed as Food Waste Prevention Week!

Broward County (greater Ft. Lauderdale) issued the proclamation per the request of Food Waste Prevention Week founder and zero food waste enthusiast, Elaine Fiore (left, below). By doing so, all residents are encouraged to commit to reducing food waste. 

SENFC President, Joanna Berens (right, below), attended the ceremony on March 15, 2022 and spoke before the commission about SENFC’s commitment to zero food waste within the events and hospitality industry!

A Community Fridge Opened in Fellsmere, Florida!
SENFC is pleased to support Board Member Sue Flak in the creation and execution of Fellsmere Fridge, the first in Indian River County, of a new local pilot scheme to aid the food compromised called the Community Fridge Program. The  household-size refrigerator is placed within a community and is used to share food at the neighborhood level. The motto of the program is, “Take what you need, Leave what you can.” The purpose of the program is to reduce food waste, build stronger communities, encourage local artists and promote equal access to healthy food. 

The Fellsmere Fridge will be maintained by a communal collective of partners from various communities, officials, businesses and individuals. The volunteer organizations include the City of Fellsmere, Indian River County, the Sunrise Rotary, the Haller/Loja family, Cutting Edge Signs, United Against Poverty, the Treasure Coast Food Bank, the Boys and Girls Club of Fellsmere, Indian River Charter High School Interact Club, Heather Kramer/Luz De La Hoz, Marsh Landing, Lowe’s of Vero Beach, Complete Electric and the first-grade students of Fellsmere Elementary. 

Watch WPTV's news story on the new Fellsmere fridge HERE!

Sue Flak is flanked by Himanshu H. Mehta and Indian River County Commissioner Joe Flescher

Sue Flak earns a big smile and community thanks at the Grand Opening.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of the Month:

March - #6 Clean Water and Sanitation

This month we are looking specifically at Goal 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Welcoming Our New Corporate Member:

Colmena

Welcoming Our New Corporate Member:

American Meeting and Management

Welcoming Our New Partner:

MEANS Database
TO VIEW SENFC'S "EASY AS 1-2-3" FOOD RESCUE PROCESS CLICK HERE

The Zero Food Waste Committee is eagerly seeking volunteers! To express your interest, CLICK HERE.

Check it Out!

"Is Sustainable Swag Really Possible?"

"Let’s face it, gift-giving is tricky. One person’s treasure is another’s trash. But when it comes to meeting giveaways, the scale often tips toward trash, with too many tchotchkes littering attendees’ guest rooms when they head to the airport.

What’s a gift-buying planner to do? Use these rules thumb to reduce the carbon footprint of your giveaways..."

Read the full article HERE!

Source - meetingsnet.com

"St Kitts and Nevis Moves Ahead with Plans to Ban Single-Use Plastics"

"Last year, St Kitts and Nevis' Department of Environment commenced a series of consultations with relevant stakeholders in the proposal to ban single-use plastics in the country. 

The stakeholder meeting was attended by representatives from the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Small Business Development Center, the Ministry of International Trade, Solid Waste Management Corporation, the Ministry of Environment and Cooperatives, and Ital Creations. The next round of consultations will continue with the private sector this year."

Read the full article HERE.

Source - cndenglish.com

Follow SENFC!

The Sustainable Events Network, Florida & Caribbean (SENFC) is the sustainability resource for individuals, associations, corporations, event planners and event venues in Florida and the Caribbean. Founded in 2017, SENFC strives to lead the meetings and events industry in the advancement of sustainable practices in Florida and the Caribbean.