Catering Sales Training
Catering falls into the food and beverage services industry and the hospitality management industry, depending upon the type of catering operation featured. It offers an array of career options, from catering sales and marketing management to event planning and coordination as well as the traditional food preparation and services positions. Professional catering positions typically combine culinary arts training with education in business administration.
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Roles and Responsibilities
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Catering sales managers and staff provide many of the business administration functions of event planning, including fostering client relations and generating proposals and contracts for services. Large facilities, such as hotels or convention centers, employ sales staff responsible for all aspects of promoting, marketing and booking catering services. In addition to the client relations, catering sales staff members serve as liaisons between external vendors, such as food suppliers or linen services, and the event venue, and they handle the logistical coordination between the event facility and the client.
Professional Development
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Professionals in the industry can participate in informal catering sales training at national conventions and conferences. For example, the International Catering Association's CaterArts Conference, held each August, offers special education sessions on sales, marketing and design. The National Restaurant Association (NRA) offers similar sessions at its annual show that provide continuing education for working professionals. These types of sessions focus on specific techniques, such as maintaining customer relations, effective writing and presentation skills, or how to increase profitability. The conference sessions range from short sessions lasting 60 to 90 minutes to full-day workshops.
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Certification and Continuing Education
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The National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) promotes a voluntary certification program designed to encourage professional development for catering executives. One of the core competencies of NACE is sales and promotion. NACE offers a fast-track program lasting seven weeks, which helps participants prepare for the certification exam, or individuals may purchase the examination study guide.
Two-year community colleges and technical or vocational schools offer certificate programs for students interested in pursuing culinary and catering careers. Some of these programs may grant associate's degrees. The programs will introduce students to concepts in sales and marketing, along with food- and beverage-related topics.
Culinary Arts Degree Programs
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Formal education for catering sales occurs in colleges and universities in departments specific to hospitality and restaurant management or at culinary institutes and cooking schools. These programs prepare graduates for successful careers in the hospitality industry. Students enroll in a combination of classes that allow them to focus on specific jobs within the culinary arts, such as pastry chef or executive chef, and to develop their business skills, such as general business administration, accounting and sales. Many programs feature hands-on experiences through internships and fieldwork to expose students to all aspects of hospitality management. Graduates earn bachelor's degrees in hospitality, restaurant management or business administration. Graduates may go on to complete a master's in business administration.
Scholarship and Funding
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Culinary arts programs make scholarships and other types of funding available for students. The James Beard Foundation (JBF), for example, offers several scholarships annually, ranging from $2,500 to $3,000 for students pursuing degrees or certification in the culinary arts. JBF also provides grants for professional development and continuing education. Les Dames d'Escoffier International, which recognizes and supports the professional development of women chefs, awards scholarships annually in the amounts of $1,500 and $2,500 to the best female students. Other culinary arts associations, including The Culinary Trust or Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, also sponsor students and professionals through scholarship and grant programs.
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References
- HCareers: The Foodservice Industry: Rewarding Careers in Catering
- International Caterers Association: Education: CaterArts Culinary Conference
- National Restaurant Association: NRA Show: NRA Show 2010 Education Sessions
- National Association of Catering Executives: Certified Professional Catering Executive
- Education-Portal: Catering Certificate, Diploma and Certification Program Overviews
Resources
- Photo Credit prawns image by Zlata from Fotolia.com
