Background
Business Expo Center presented Orange County’s finest caterers and event planners at CaterCon. The convention began in 2015 when our founder Jim Shab asked our marketing team to create a convention. He wanted an event that would be beneficial to local professionals in our field. Above all, Jim envisioned an event that would promote growth and connection in our community. Since, our large venue space provides us with the resources necessary to create great conventions. Once our marketing team heard Jim’s vision, they identified CaterCon as an opportunity for an event that supports growth within the Orange County catering industry.
Supporting Local Businesses and Creating Partnerships
Because, we are business people who have created a space where businesses can come together to flourish; We believe that partnership is vital to equity growth and company strength. So, we decided to merge our hunt for the best caterers with our desire to form strong partnerships. As a result, we were able to gather the finest of Orange County’s events industry professionals to network and build better businesses together. Above all, the Business Expo Center serves to support business.
CaterCon 2015
Furthermore, CaterCon was created with the help of a few generous sponsors, many local businesses, and a few guest speakers. During the event, entertainment was provided by a couple of live bands. While the speaker sessions ran, attendees were free to explore the exhibits. Also, there were 50 exhibitors with booths. The booths showcased restaurants, caterers, wineries, breweries, and event venues. Ultimately, CaterCon was a huge success and we were able to plan a second CaterCon.
Schedule
Furthermore, this event hosted guest speakers presenting 30-minute seminars.
- Will Robertson “How to Grow Your Business in the Event Industry”
- Terri Schaeffer “What to do With Leftover Food?”
- Carolyn Carpenter “How Catering Nonprofit Events Can Boost Your Business”
- Marlyn Diaz “Include Healthy Food in Your Event”
- Roy Porter “The Most Complete Checklist for Event Site Inspection”
Entertainment
Pinch Me! – Is a Southern California band made up of six musicians with respected backgrounds. The band includes saxophone, keyboards, and guitars.
Derek Thomas – an established independent artist with a four-star rating in Rolling Stone.
CaterCon 2016
We hosted the second CaterCon in 2016. Notably, more than 80 professional event organizations presented their products and services. Attendees came to sample food, beer, and wine. In addition, they were able to enjoy live music and learn about their event planning options. As a result, more than 750 attendees came to experience CaterCon.
Schedule
Furthermore, this year, we decided to reduce the number of speakers and focus on the exhibits.
- Will Robertson “How to Grow Your Business in the Event Industry”
- Carolyn Carpenter “Hosting an Event with the Best Strategies”
Entertainment
Saxophone One! – a saxophone, clarinet or flute soloist and vocalist.
In addition to the booths, attendees enjoyed having live music played. Above all, attendees at CaterCon 2015 showed a great appreciation for the variety of businesses showcased. In short, this feedback helped redirect our focus and helped us produce a CaterCon in 2016 with 30 more vendors than the previous year.
“I liked the diversity of vendors available, It was a good opportunity to get ideas for upcoming events.”
John B
Attended CaterCon 2015
Learn more about our featured caterers here and book your next expo with us!
