January 8, 2013 – The dawning of a new year means new beginnings and new possibilities — are you ready to explore your potential at SNA’s 2013 Child Nutrition Industry Conference (CNIC)? If so, then pack your bags and head to San Antonio, where school nutrition professionals will come together for three days of learning, collaborating and engaging.

If you haven’t registered yet, it’s not too late to attend this year’s conference! Held from January 13-15, 2013, at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, CNIC onsite registrations will be accepted — just fill out the onsite registration form and bring it with you to the CNIC registration desk, where the SNA staff will set you up with everything you need to participate in this enlightening event.

Highlights of the 2013 CNIC include:

• Impact of the New Meal Pattern Guidelines on operators and industry, how the 2012 election will affect school nutrition programs, using social media to your advantage!
• Book signings from the conference’s compelling speakers, authors Ross Shafer (Nobody Moved Your Cheese) and Dr. Jackie Freiberg (NUTS! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success). To learn more about Freiberg’s business philosophies, see video below.
• Targeted industry sessions featuring focused, useful information about operations, a la carte, social media and updates from USDA.
• Incredibly popular Innovation Stations, where you have the chance to learn about the latest and greatest in school nutrition solutions, including food beverage, service, supply and equipment.
• Posing for photos in the conference theme areas and networking with fellow attendees at the MyPlate Breakfast, where you can mingle with old friends, create new relationships and catch up on information you might have missed over the course of the conference.

Additionally, don’t forget to pack your athletic shoes to take part in the STEPS Challenge wellness events, taking place on Sunday afternoon and Tuesday morning. Both events will include a guided walking tour of the beautiful San Antonio Riverwalk. Participants will earn a STEPS Challenge T-shirt, plus a conference badge ribbon. Sign up for the wellness events at registration or at the STEPS Challenge registration station. Don’t forget — participating in activities at CNIC will earn you points for January’s STEPS challenge, “Make Time for Fitness.” To learn more about the STEPS Challenge, click here.

San Antonio’s weather calls for temperatures in the mid-50s to mid-60s with a chance of light rain on Tuesday, so dress in layers and don’t forget a light jacket! To learn more about what San Antonio has to offer, head to www.visitsanantonio.com.

The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless! For more about CNIC 2013, click here. See you in San Antonio!

Related Links

CNIC 2013

CNIC Onsite Registration Form

STEPS Challenge

January 7, 2013—When it comes to equipment, on a daily basis, school nutrition operators rely on machines and devices that are efficient and hard-working, but what aspects of the bigger equipment picture also are important to consider? The January issue of School Nutrition, SNA’s award-winning flagship publication, explores the equipment-related topics that should be top of mind for school nutrition professionals. The issue also details the types of vegetables that must be served on a weekly basis as part of the dark green vegetables requirement of the new meal pattern regulation.

The top procurement goals of the equipment vendor are quite different from those of the school nutrition operator. But that doesn’t mean they have to be at odds! Learn how vendors and operators can find common ground in the equipment procurement process in “The Buying Game.” Bonus Web Content: Curious about how equipment manufacturers train their reps to sell effectively to the K-12 school nutrition market? Find out in exclusive online content, and hear reflections from several operators on the different experiences they have purchasing replacement pieces versus equipping a brand-new facility.

While school kitchens today look nothing like those predicted in Sixties-era science fiction, basic kitchen equipment technology has evolved over the years. Take a journey of equipment through the ages in “Hot & Cold.”

Is your operation equipped for the challenge of surviving a much-needed, but possibly ill-timed, kitchen or cafeteria renovation? School nutrition colleagues who have undergone such renovations offer insight and wisdom that just might save you some time—and money—in “In the Wake of the Wrecking Ball.”

“Bein’ Green” decodes which dark green vegetables are acceptable under the new meal pattern regulation and offers some suggestions for kid-friendly menu options. Bonus Web Content: Don’t miss additional recipe selections available as online-only content.

Related Link

School Nutrition–January 2013