Speakers 2026
Learn from experienced catering chefs sharing the latest trending techniques, food costing, technology, and catering efficiencies.
Annie Pennings Edmond, Event Design & Sustainability Manager, Chowgirls
Annie Pennings Edmond is the Event Design & Sustainability Manager at Chowgirls, where she has been creating sustainable and artful events for over a decade. Raised on an organic vegetable farm, Annie brings a deep-rooted passion for local sourcing and circular design to every event, blending creativity and sustainability to craft memorable food and beverage displays that leave a lasting impression without leaving a wasteful impact on the planet.
Her innovative approach has earned industry recognition, including ILEA MSP's Best Food & Beverage Innovation (2025), Best Off-Premise Catered Event (2023), and Best Sustainability Effort (2026) as well as the ACE Award for Sustainability in Catering (2026). Annie has shared her expertise as a featured speaker at Catersource 2025 and 2026 and represented Chowgirls as a U.S. delegate at Slow Food International's Terra Madre in 2018 and 2024. Her food & beverage design work has been showcased by national brands such as REI and Scotch-Brite. She is the co-producer of Cultivate, a Minneapolis-based sustainable event conference that aims to provide creative inspiration for low-waste event design.