FCSI THE AMERICAS CONFERENCE 2026 INDUSTRY EDUCATION


LEARNING AND SHARING


A continuous education loop between manufacturers, consultants and other stakeholders in foodservice is at the heart of FCSI and the events organized by the Educational Foundation. Here a selection of Allied members outline why events such as FEED and the open exchange of knowledge is important to them


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he FCSI community has been built on the exchange of knowledge – a commitment to learning, sharing


insights and elevating standards. Education and events underpin this ecosystem, shaping how consultants develop their expertise. Te relationship between


foodservice consultants and manufacturers is inherently mutually beneficial – a continuous exchange of technical knowledge, practical insight and real-world application. Yet so far, foodservice


consulting has been a career discovered by chance. Many


found their way into the industry through relationships or adjacent roles, at a time when structured pathways and formal education were limited. Tat model is no longer enough. Te FCSI Educational Foundation (EF) is spearheading a shift towards intentional routes into the profession, supported by stronger academic frameworks and industry-led initiatives. For Kathleen Held, CEO


and president of Cini-Little International and president of the FCSI EF, the ambition is “to make foodservice consulting a recognized and aspirational career choice.”


GENE DOERR DIRECTOR OF CONSULTANT SERVICES, UNOX


At Unox we see ourselves as an innovation company. And innovation doesn’t just come from discovering absolutely new ideas. It’s about being out there, speaking to colleagues, learning from our own industry and other industries, taking that knowledge and then using it to innovate products that help our customers today. FEED (Foodservice Essentials for Effective Design) serves as a great forum to gather different stakeholders to learn together. Ever since I’ve been in the industry dealing with different parts, whether it’s dealers, community servicers, manufacturers and or consultants, we have always had a hard time finding great, experienced employees, and this type of event does exactly that. For one, it means sponsorship to the FCSI Educational Foundation, allowing it to offer training and better support their part of the industry. In any industry – just like in life – we need to keep educating ourselves; if we don’t learn, we perish. Having close relationships with other


stakeholders enables that easy transfer of information. We want to know directly from our end-user customers, what they like and what they don’t like about our products. And we want the same from the design community – if it’s difficult to implement our equipment in their designs and the space they’re trying to develop, then we need to know, so we can develop products better for them. Events like FEED are all about getting together with consultants and manufacturers, as well as architects, educators and students. Sharing that knowledge together is better for all of us.


“ Innovation is about being out there, speaking to colleagues and learning from them”


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