Avendra Launches Educational Forum Series :: Restaurant Supply Resource

Avendra Launches Educational Forum Series

Initial Event, 'Emergency Preparedness in the Hospitality Industry,' Includes Expert Speakers on Homeland Security and Disease Control

Avendra, the hospitality industry's leading procurement services company with nearly $2 billion in purchasing volume, announces the launch of its Educational Forum Series. The Series leverages the expertise of Avendra, its suppliers, its customers and other subject matter experts to provide valuable insight on important topics to the hospitality industry.

The educational program is just one example of Avendra's ability to add value to its supplier and customer partners beyond the core contracting programs it develops for the two groups. Other Avendra services, many available on a stand-alone basis, include spend information & analysis, quality assurance audits, and operational improvement consulting.

The initial Avendra Educational Forum will be held in Atlanta on August 31st at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. The event will bring together a group of noted experts in their fields, with a focus on risk identification, mitigation and emergency planning for hospitality businesses.

"Avendra is in a unique position to anticipate topics of interest to the industry and draw on the relevant expertise of our suppliers, customers and from our own associates in order to better understand these topics. The goal of our Educational Forum is to assemble subject matter experts on current issues and put the knowledge and experience these experts bring into the hands of our customers," said Dennis Baker, president and CEO of Avendra. "Being prepared for a wide range of emergency situations is top of mind for most businesses today, especially those in the hospitality industry."

Ed Badolato, a noted expert on Homeland Security, military, and terrorism, will speak on security and emergency planning for the hospitality industry. His discussion will be based on personal experiences in infrastructure protection and counterterrorism tactics.

Ralph Reichert, the Director of the Georgia Emergency Management Agency's (GEMA) Terrorism Emergency Response and Preparedness Division, will address the issue of terrorism preparedness. He will discuss how the State of Georgia has helped the local business community prepare for and respond to the threat of emergencies.

Captain Charles Otto, from the Centers for Disease Control and a recognized authority on the Norwalk virus, will speak about detection, prevention and risk mitigation of the virus, which is of urgent concern for the hospitality industry.

Engineering expert William Sako, with over 30 years of professional consulting experience in the area of physical and technical security, protection, and communication systems, will discuss the three elements of a successful security program: physical/force protection, technical security systems, and security personnel executing appropriate procedures.

On a lighter note, the one-day Avendra Educational Forum will also feature award-winning celebrity chef Guenter Seeger of Seeger's Restaurant in Buckhead. He will discuss current trends in the food service sector and suggest how to adapt various menus.

About Avendra
Avendra is North America's leading procurement services company serving hospitality-related industries. Avendra customers gain access to contracts leveraging $2 billion of annual purchases, expert advisory services and in-depth purchasing data and analysis. Through Avendra, customers obtain substantial savings on their purchases and other value added services to improve their operations and bottom line results. Formed in 2001, the company is headquartered in Rockville, MD and has regional offices throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, please call toll free, (866) AVENDRA, visit www.avendra.com, or email inquiries to .

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Date Listed: 2004-08-25

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Industry: Hotel
Industry: Restaurants
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