 Large food service companies with a national presence generally contract with convention centers or arenas. Conference centers either rely on onsite caterer—more than likely the food & beverage department of the hotel or resort component of the venue—or select from off-site caterers for meeting and events. These two general statements may no longer be true because in October, it was announced that Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California will out-source its food & beverage department through a new, multi-year contract with Ovations Food Services.
Ovations Food Services, which is headquartered in Lutz, Florida and has a west coast office in Pleasanton, California, is a leading caterer to meeting and event venues nationwide, including dozens of arenas, stadiums,  fairgrounds and convention centers. "Everything’s FreshTM" the company-wide program which emphasizes fresh food and regional culinary influences, has helped solidify Ovations Food Services reputation and raise consumer expectations for concessions no matter what the venue setting—except Conference Centers, until now.
 The Monterey Conference Center deal signals a new territory for the company. "It is our first conference center," admitted Stephen Gregosky, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Ovations Food Services. "It is an extension of our convention center business, but it will have to be a little more focused."
In actuality, for a conference center, the Monterey venue has some similarities with the  "typical" a convention center—it is city owned and relatively large—approximately 58,000 square feet with three levels of meeting space, including a 19,600-square-foot Sierra Ballroom and 494-seat theater. Although the venue can host meetings and events for up to 1,700, the venue is also provides a more traditional Conference Center role as a setting for more intimate meetings, with a host of smaller meeting rooms and board rooms. Adjacent to the spectacular Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Monterey Conference Center is located in historic downtown Monterey, just minutes from the Monterey Peninsula Airport and steps from leading hotels, restaurants and attractions.
"The quality of our staff is second-to-none, and now, through our partnership with  Ovations Food Services, the Center will be able to add unique culinary style and presentation to its growing attributes," said Dan Concepcion, CFE, Conference Center General Manager.
"We look forward to working with the Conference Center’s management to provide unique culinary offerings to satisfy the most discriminating of tastes," said Todd Wickner, Chief Operating Officer, Ovations Food Services. 
 How Ovations will apply its food services to the unique features of a Conference Center are still being worked on. Initial impressions indicate that those applications are likely to be different not just for the food service provider but for a Conference Center. "We are looking at several kiosk type of concessions that will work in a conference center," said Gregosky. "For the smaller meetings, catered breaks are very common, which will be a distinguishing factor. We are also going to utilize a variety of portable service carts, which can be morphed to various formats."
Upscale food service, an emphasis on fresh products and a higher-level of cuisine quality—trademarks of Ovations in larger venues—Gregosky feels will transition well to the Conference Center atmosphere, especially in Monterey, a  city renowned for its superior restaurants and seafood.
"The important thing is that we reflect the host community and we custom-design our menus to the venue and the event. We are heavily engaged in sustainable purchasing, using local growers, local farmer markets, and being part of the  local cuisine scene. Monterey has an abundance of celebratory chefs in the area, and we will partnering with them for some instances. The city has made it clear they want to maintain their reputation for excellence and continued creativity. They are looking to add  revenue in creative ways and we can help with that."
"Monterey Conference Center is committed to continuous improvement and excellence in a competitive market and challenging economic conditions," said Concepcion.
For Ovations Food Services, this California seaside conference center appears to be just the start of a new marketing effort. "There are several conference centers we are talking with right now," said Gregosky. "It is a market we intend to go after."
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