Centerplate Leads the Way as Bob Pascal is Named to "Leaders in Retail Foodservice" by CSP Business Media

STAMFORD, Conn., June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foodservice at Retail Exchange (FARE), produced by CSP Business Media, has announced the winners of its fourth annual Leaders in Retail Foodservice awards. The award winners represent the innovation and best-in-class practices found in the foodservice-at-retail segment. This year's Leaders in Retail Foodservice included Centerplate, University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical Center, Vanderbilt University and Wawa.

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Centerplate's Chief Marketing Officer, Bob Pascal, attended FARE to accept the award and participate in a general session panel. Other honorees included Dan Henroid, director of nutrition and food services, UCSF Medical Center; Camp Howard, director of campus dining, Vanderbilt University; and Michael Sherlock, vice president of fresh food and beverage, Wawa.

Leaders in Retail Foodservice must balance culinary creativity with a greater business plan; exemplify the evolution and potential of foodservice at retail; and be already seen as leaders within their respective channels.

"It is an honor to be noted among the most forward-thinking operators in retail foodservice, and I'm delighted that Centerplate's innovative approach to event hospitality is being recognized outside of the traditional realm in which we operate. It's a great success," said Pascal.

Centerplate stood out for its unique technology initiatives including pioneering mobile payments; its strong community connections in the cities where it works across the country; and its culinary creativity, reflected in partnerships with chefs and restaurateurs to bring a local flair to its foodservice offerings.

During the discussion, Pascal highlighted the fundamental shift happening in the food and beverage sector of sports, convention, and entertainment based on generational factors and rapid cultural shifts noting, "It's clear that the 'one size fits all' approach is over in our industry."

The 2013 awards were presented at the sixth-annual FARE conference, held June 18-20 at the Renaissance Schaumburg just outside Chicago.

ABOUT CENTERPLATE
Centerplate crafts and delivers "Craveable Experiences. Raveable Results." for more than 115 million guests each year in over 300 prominent entertainment, sports and convention venues across North America and the United Kingdom. Centerplate has provided event hospitality to 30 official U.S. Presidential Inaugural Balls, 13 Super Bowls, 21 World Series, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, and the largest plated dinner in history. In 2011, the company was named the fastest growing restaurant/hospitality group in the United States by Nation's Restaurant News, and has recently expanded operations in the United Kingdom. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com.

ABOUT FARE
FARE is the only event of its kind that brings together the dynamic, fast-growing foodservice-at-retail industry. Operators and suppliers gather to discuss the changes, challenges and opportunities facing foodservice across retail channels. Attendees include operators in convenience, grocery, drug, recreation, college & university and healthcare. The 2013 FARE conference will be held June 18-20 at the Renaissance Schaumburg, just outside Chicago. For more information, visit www.foodserviceatretail.com.

SOURCE Centerplate