8th Annual Culinary Kickoff™ Benefitting The Culinary Institute of America Set In-Person for February 10

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Culinary Kickoff today announced it will host the eighth annual Culinary Kickoff™ on February 10, 2022, bringing a star-studded roster of celebrity chefs together for a special evening of interactive food tastings, track Demonstration Laps, and experiences. Hosted in-person at the Porsche Experience Center in Carson, CA, the event will feature celebrated Chefs Charlie Palmer, Michael Mina and Restaurant 917's Chef Matt Lee. Event proceeds will support the Culinary Kickoff™ Scholarship Fund at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). To learn more about this annual kick-off to the Big Game and purchase tickets, click here.

Launched in 2012, Culinary Kickoff™ was created to "kick off" the weekend of festivities surrounding the Big Game with an exclusive event and star-studded after party. Notable chefs, paired with elite wineries and celebrities, celebrate this event each year and raise money for the Culinary Kickoff™ Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for future culinarians and is designed to develop culinary artistry, creativity, and excellence in college-aged students

The evening will feature interactive chef and wine pairing stations and unique activations such as 911 Demonstration Laps with a Porsche Drive Coach on the Experience Center's track. Each course will be skillfully created by the host chefs and paired with wine from winery partners. The event will conclude with a special live music performance.

"As an alumnus and long-time member of the CIA's Board of Trustees, I am thrilled to participate in the 8th Annual Culinary Kickoff™ benefiting future CIA students," said Charlie Palmer. "I'm looking forward to cooking with my good friend, Michael, and celebrating both raising money for my alma mater, and my favorite sporting event of the year!"

"As an NFL-superfan, this event ties together everything I love in one place. It's something I can always look forward to and it's such an honor to be cooking with my mentor Charlie for the 8th year in a row," added Michael Mina, founder of award-winning restaurant group MINA, and CIA alumnus and trustee. "Having the scholarship fund at CIA as our beneficiary really ties it all together for me and I can't wait to get cooking in February!" 

"I'm so excited to be returning to the best event of the big game week," said Charles Woodson, former Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers defensive back. "I look forward to Culinary Kickoff™ this year and every year."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Porsche and The Delisle Group on the 8th Annual Culinary Kickoff™ at the Porsche Experience Center in LA.  The Super Bowl is one of the premier experiential marketing opportunities of the year for Fortune 500 and other leading brands and it's exciting to bring all of the key marketing executives responsible for making this happen together under one roof," said Marc Sternberg Co-Founder and CEO of Brand Innovators.

The Culinary Kickoff™ Hall of Legends Lounge – Introduced in 2021 will also showcase wines and spirits from notable sports and entertainment celebrities. Brands on display include Charles Woodson's Intercept Wines and Woodson Whiskey, Ty Law's V1 Vodka, Justin Hartley and Micah McFarlane's Revel Spirits, Dan Marino and Duane Huard's Passing Time Wine, Rick Mirer's Mirror Wines, and more…

Partners for this year's event include:

• Porsche Cars North America, Inc., presenting sponsor of the 8^th Annual Culinary Kickoff™.
• Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles, host venue.
• Marketing partners Brand Innovators, an exclusive community of brand marketers from the world's top brands; Stagwell, the challenger network built to transform marketing; and 72andSunny, long-time advertising partner of the N.F.L.
• Wine and spirits brands Charles Woodson's Intercept Wines, Woodson Whiskey, V1 Vodka by Ty Law, JaM Cellars, John Anthony Vineyards, Silver Oak, Twomey, and many more…

Event organizers are closely following the spread of the Omicron variant and will adhere to local, state, and federal COVID-19 safety guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all in-person participants.

For Sponsorship Inquiries, please email [email protected]

Follow Culinary Kickoff™ on Facebook: Culinary Kickoff, Instagram: @culinarykickoff, and Twitter: @culinarykickoff

About Culinary Kickoff™

Culinary Kickoff™ annually convenes America's top chef, celebrity, and athletic stars for a highly anticipated weekend of food, wine, sports and live music ahead of The Big Game. It is our passion to entertain and host our guests at the highest level while creating an intimate, fun, and delicious atmosphere…with a purpose! Learn more at www.culinarykickoff.com

About Charlie Palmer Collective:

Charlie Palmer Collective grew out of Aureole, American cuisine pioneer Charlie Palmer's landmark restaurant. For 30 years it has been one of New York City's most celebrated restaurants, garnering 13 Michelin stars and two James Beard awards, and in June 2020 it evolved to include a virtual model, Aureole at Home, while a new Manhattan home is finalized. Other coast-to-coast locations by Charlie Palmer Collective encompass an expanding body of award-winning restaurants and luxurious boutique hotels—many in equally significant historical locations and each designed with distinctive personalities to provide unique experiences. These properties include: Charlie Palmer Steak NYC, Charlie Palmer at The Knick, AVA Social and Spyglass Rooftop Bar at Archer Hotel New York, Willow by Charlie Palmer (Rhinebeck, N.Y.), Aureole at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Charlie Palmer Steak (Washington, DC), Charlie Palmer Steak (Reno, Nevada), Charlie Palmer Steak and Sky & Vine Rooftop Bar at Archer Hotel (Napa, Calif.), and Dry Creek Kitchen at Hotel Healdsburg (Sonoma County in California). Learn more at www.charliepalmer.com 

About MINA Group:

MINA Group, led by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Michael Mina, is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in creating and operating innovative full-service and virtual concepts. Operating for nearly two decades, MINA Group currently manages over 40 virtual brands and brick-and-mortar outlets, including: BARDOT BRASSERIE in Las Vegas; BOURBON BURGER BAR in Del Mar, Los Angeles and San Francisco; BOURBON STEAK in DC, Glendale, Miami, Nashville, Orange County, Scottsdale and Seattle; MICHAEL MINA's TAILGATE in Santa Clara; BOURBON PUB at San Francisco International Airport and Lake Tahoe; THE BUNGALOW KITCHEN BY MICHAEL MINA in Belmont Shore and Tiburon; CLOCK BAR in San Francisco; ESTIATORIO ORNOS A MICHAEL MINA RESTAURANT in Miami and San Francisco; THE HANDLE BAR in Jackson Hole; INDIE SUPERETTE in San Francisco; INTERNATIONAL SMOKE in Las Vegas, San Diego and San Francisco; MAC 'N CUE, MI ALMITA TAQUERIA and BUDDHA BOWL in Boise; MICHAEL MINA in Las Vegas; MINA BRASSERIE in Dubai; MINA'S FISH HOUSE in Oahu; MOTHER TONGUE upcoming in Los Angeles; PABU Izakaya in San Francisco; PIZZA & BURGER in Miami Beach; STRIPSTEAK in Las Vegas, Miami Beach and Waikiki; TOKYO HOT CHICKEN in Boise and San Francisco; TRAILBLAZER TAVERN in San Francisco; and WIT & WISDOM in Sonoma. For a complete list of restaurants and more information, please visit michaelmina.net and follow Chef Michael Mina on Facebook and Instagram at @ChefMichaelMina.

About Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles (PEC LA):

Established in 1984, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA) is the exclusive U.S. importer of the Porsche 911, 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, Macan, Cayenne, Panamera and Taycan. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, since 1998, PCNA is also home to the first Porsche Experience Center in North America featuring a module-based 1.6 mile driver development track, business center, and fine dining restaurant, 356. The company operates a second Porsche Experience Center near Los Angeles. That 53-acre complex features a driver development track with eight educational modules totaling 4.1 miles, a business center, and Restaurant 917. PCNA supports 193 independently owned and operated Porsche dealerships in the U.S., including supplying parts, service, marketing, and training. They, in turn, work to provide Porsche customers with a best-in-class experience that is in keeping with the Porsche brand's more than 70-year history of leadership in the advancement of vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency. PCNA is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Porsche AG, which is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.

At the core of this success is Porsche's proud racing heritage that boasts some 30,000-plus motorsport wins to date.

Follow us: twitter.com/porsche | facebook.com/porsche | instagram.com/porsche facebook.com/PECAtlanta | instagram.com/pecatl | facebook.com/pecla | instagram.com/pecla

To learn more about the Porsche Experience Center, visit https://www.porschedriving.com/.

About Brand Innovators:

Brand Innovators is an exclusive community of brand marketers from the world's top brands, gathering regularly for thought leadership conferences, virtual livecasts, and social events. Formed in 2011, Brand Innovators focuses on sharing knowledge about marketing and technology among fellow industry leaders.

About The Culinary Institute of America:

Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the world's premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality, the private, not-for-profit college offers bachelor's, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The CIA's School of Graduate and Professional Studies offers master's degrees in sustainable food systems, food business, and wine and beverage management, as well as executive education and certificate programs. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry, and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.

About 72andSunny: 

72andSunny is a global creative agency that believes in creativity that wins. With offices in Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore and Sydney, 72andSunny is on a mission to expand and diversify the creative class. 

72andSunny has been recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for two years in a row, a two-time "Agency of the Year" winner for Advertising Age and Adweek and Entertainment Agency of the Festival at Cannes Lions in 2021.  For more information, visit 72andSunny.com

About Stagwell, Inc.:

Stagwell is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing.  Led by entrepreneurs, our 10,000+ specialists in 20+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Press Contacts:

Culinary Kickoff™
Chrissy Delisle
[email protected] | 415.730.1728

Brand Innovators
Meghan Hubert
[email protected] | 201.783-3867

Porsche North America
Jade Logan
[email protected]

MINA
Lani Vaill
[email protected] 

Charlie Palmer Collective
Kristen Gegnas
[email protected] | 212.920.6804

The Culinary Institute of America
Amanda Secor
[email protected] | 845.451-1372

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.