
"My hope is that more clients recognize how food and drink can make or break any event—that it should never be an afterthought," says Elayne Sawaya, owner and CEO of Catering Concierge, who serves as a "food matchmaker" between caterers and event hosts. "Creating an experience for guests encompasses designing a total environment where food, beverage, table settings, color choices, and comfort harmonize and coexist."
Sawaya and the other Industry Innovators on this year's list certainly understand the power of a good F&B experience—and are pushing the industry forward with their creative techniques, showstopping presentations, forward-thinking sustainability practices, and more. Click through the profiles below to learn what drew them to the industry, how they define "innovation," their all-time favorite foods, and much more.
Carlo Donadoni
Founder, Owner & Executive Chef, Spuntino Catering & Events
Chris Evan Taylor
Owner & Executive Chef, Chris Evans Events and Catering
Elayne Sawaya
Owner & CEO, Catering Concierge
Frankie Thaheld
Partner & Director of Mixology, Snake Oil Cocktail Co.
Jason Sutton
Director of Operations, Footers Catering and Social Capitol Venue
Joann Roth-Oseary
President, Someone's In the Kitchen
Laura Calderone
Founder, Relish Catering
Michael Stavros
Vice President of Business Development, M Culinary Concepts
Miriam Milord
Founder & Creative Director, BCakeNY
Thao Moore
Co-Proprietor & Executive Chef, Green Mangos Catering
About the list: Our Industry Innovators features are compiled by our editorial team using a variety of resources. The idea is to go beyond the biggest names in the biz—though it has plenty of those too—and dig deep into the industry professionals who are using truly innovative thinking to push the boundaries of live experiences.
If someone has previously been named a BizBash Innovator, they are not eligible for the list. Check out our full Industry Innovators Hall of Fame here!