ASK ALISON: What to expect at MAFSI 2024 - Dec/Jan 2023-2024

Question: What should I expect from MAFSI 2024?

Answer:

That is a great question. By and large, the conference will be set with the same framework as previous conferences. However, with the help of the conference committee, we have some innovative and fun new things to showcase this year. Let me start by saying that the La Quinta Resort & Club in Palm Springs could not be a better setting for this year’s conference.

Here we go… Here is a day in my life at MAFSI Conference 2024!

6:30 am
Wake up, make a cup of coffee in my Bungalow, and take a leisurely stroll to the Capra Lawn, around the Hotel Waterfall, and back to the room just as the sun rises.

7:50 am
Go by the Registration Booth, grab my badge and breakfast, and head around to the Reps Wanted booth to greet the exhibitors and say hello to other MAFSI members.

8:35 am
Grab a coffee from the networking area, head into the Fiesta Ballroom, and get a seat for the opening remarks and keynote speaker.

10:16 am
After a great keynote from Donatella Arpaia, I walk through the Fiesta Veranda to the Plaza for some fresh air and sunshine on my face. Before I return to the breakout session, I stop by the Marketplace for a snack.

10:45 am
I start the breakout sessions by joining a SpecPath session, followed by a “How to Maximize My Culinary Staff’s Potential” session.

11:45 am
I rush back to my room to dress for my first-round pickle ball match. Now, on the pickleball court, my first matchup is against Mellissa Greenwald, and unfortunately, I do not advance to the next round.

12:30 pm
It is now lunchtime; after that challenging match, I am ready for lunch and a chance to get off my feet. Back in the Fiesta Ballroom, I enjoy the Keynote from Chef Roy Choi and his story from resort hotels to the Cogi Food Truck to his seat now in the pantheon of celebrity chefs.

2:40 pm
Headed back outside after the keynote, I stop Mike Klosterman near Morgan’s Garden to discuss a possible rules infraction from my previous match. He kindly explains that there is no formal process to file a protest complaint about the game. My loss will have to stand.

3:00 pm
I step into my first Micro-Learning session to listen to a discussion on the “Rep Firm of the Future.” From there, I continue to multiple other Micro-Learning sessions.

5:00 pm
It’s cocktail hour, so I join some other members for a drink on the patio at Twenty6, just off the north end of the Plaza.

5:25 pm
I’m at the M Chef event early because I don’t want to miss a minute. Watching all the rep chefs compete in an Iron Chef-esq competition in an outdoor exhibition-style cook-off is wild! I can’t wait to see how Chef Donatella Arpaia judges the competition. It’s hard not to fill up on all the great dishes prepared by these chefs. I won’t need dinner after all that.

7:30 pm
Join me for a nightcap at Morgan’s. Endless discussions of the day ahead and the days past. Where did the time go?

Have a question for Ask Alison? Email Alison at acody@mafsi.org.