Welcome to the SPIN January 2026 Newsletter with contributions by:
Sharon DeFelices, CMP
Carolynn Santos, SPIN Executive Director
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January Articles
💡 Food & Beverage Trends 2026 💡 Sharon DeFelices, CMP - Owner, EIR Meetings Founder Blueprint for a Healthy Meeting® 🍁 The Magic of Momentum: What If the Feeling You Create Matters More Than the Content You Deliver? 🍁 Angela Cava, InnoVia |
January Contents
SPIN Events and Programs SPINCon Update, Ask Me Anything Launch & More Strategic Alliance Partners and Sponsors Talkadot, Innovia, Wildly Different & Soulbare Newsletter Guest Writers Wanted! Share your Experience and Insight on anything (doesn’t have to be planning- related!) Photo Fun Winter Fun, Happy New Year |
💡A Case Study in Crunch, Comfort... and Cabbage 💡
Sharon DeFelices, CMP
Owner, EIR Meetings
Founder Blueprint for a Healthy Meeting®
Owner, EIR Meetings
Founder Blueprint for a Healthy Meeting®
In 2026, meeting menus are shifting away from performance and toward purpose. Attendees are no longer looking for culinary theater; they want food that helps them feel steady, focused, and cared for throughout the day. Two macro trends are shaping this evolution across all menus: more crunch and nonna-stalgia — a word and concept that I am obsessed with, having grown up with Nonna’s in my family and neighborhood.
The Bigger Picture: More Crunch
“More crunch” reflects a move toward textural satisfaction rather than visual excess. Crunch keeps food engaging without overwhelming the senses, making it particularly well-suited to professional settings. Across meeting menus in 2026, this shows up as:
The Bigger Picture: Nonna-stalgia
Nonna-stalgia is not nostalgia for a specific cuisine—it is nostalgia for care. Attendees are gravitating toward foods that feel inherited, practical, and familiar. These are dishes rooted in home kitchens, shaped by resourcefulness and repetition rather than trend cycles.
On meeting menus, nonna-stalgia looks like:
The Bigger Picture: More Crunch
“More crunch” reflects a move toward textural satisfaction rather than visual excess. Crunch keeps food engaging without overwhelming the senses, making it particularly well-suited to professional settings. Across meeting menus in 2026, this shows up as:
- Raw, or barely cooked, and lightly dressed vegetables
- Seeds, grains, and toasted elements
- Crisp finishes that wake up the palate without heaviness
The Bigger Picture: Nonna-stalgia
Nonna-stalgia is not nostalgia for a specific cuisine—it is nostalgia for care. Attendees are gravitating toward foods that feel inherited, practical, and familiar. These are dishes rooted in home kitchens, shaped by resourcefulness and repetition rather than trend cycles.
On meeting menus, nonna-stalgia looks like:
- Simple preparations with honest ingredients
- Techniques like braising, fermenting, and slow cooking
- Flavor profiles that feel known rather than surprising
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Where and How Cabbage Fits In
Please note that when I started writing about this, I wasn’t thinking about cabbage. But after considering Crunch and Comfort, it made sense. The trends of Crunch and Comfort are broader signals of how food is functioning at meetings. Cabbage succeeds in this context because it understands the assignment. Cabbage is not the trend; it is a highly effective expression of these trends. It delivers crunch when raw, softness when cooked, and depth when fermented. It carries cultural familiarity across regions and cuisines, and it performs well operationally in meeting environments. As a result, cabbage is emerging as a quiet hero ingredient—not because it is novel, but because it supports the broader goals of 2026 menus: nourishment, texture, and emotional grounding. What It Looks Like Onsite When used thoughtfully, cabbage-based dishes align seamlessly with trend-driven menu strategies:
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Why It Matters
Meeting attendees arrive cognitively saturated. Food must help regulate the experience, not compete with it. Trends like more crunch and nonna-stalgia are responses to this reality, shaping menus that feel human, intentional, and supportive. In the words of the humble cabbage, “Live, laugh, leaf”. Sharon DeFelices, CMP is the founder of EIR Meetings and Blueprint for a Healthy Meeting ®. Sharon is a chef, wellness expert, and corporate event planner who believes the most effective gatherings are those that nourish people as thoughtfully as they inform them. She partners with clients, planners and venues and designs experiences that engage, include, and refresh—bringing together event strategy, hospitality, and wellness-driven food and beverage. |
SPIN Events
ASK ME ANYTHING Series
Thursday, February 19, 2026, 9:00 AM Central
Barbara Scofidio, Skift Meetings
February - Barbara Scofidio, Skift Meetings
The Editor at Skift Meetings, Barbara takes her place as the only industry journalist who has also worked as a professional meeting planner. In her previous roles at Prevue and MeetingsNet, she spearheaded (and ran) dozens of F2F and virtual events for meeting planners. She was also the first journalist ever to be named to a GBTA committee, the former Groups & Meetings Committee.
Barbara is known for her coverage of the causes she believes in: women's empowerment, sustainability, CSR, and human trafficking awareness. She is a founding member of SITE's Women in Leadership Committee, and recently became a member of the Advisory Board of The Above and Beyond Foundation.
SPINCon 2026: Conversations are Happening
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The SPINCon Planning Committee has re-grouped and started our outreach to 14 destinations recommended by SPINners. We are excited about the prospects and hope to have dates and details soon. Stand by!
Want to join the Planning Committee? Calls are held on Wednesday, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Central. Next calls: Wednesday, January, 14, 2026 Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Wednesday, January 28, 2026 Email Carolynn if you'd like to join our planning committee. |
💡 The Magic of Momentum...
What If the Feeling You Create Matters
More Than the Content You Deliver? 💡
Angela Cava, InnoVia Productions
What if the true measure of your 2026 program isn’t the agenda, the speakers, or even the content itself — but the feeling your attendees carry with them long after they leave the room?
It’s a question worth sitting with, because research continues to confirm what the best meeting architects already sense intuitively: emotion drives memory, and memory drives action. In fact, Harvard neuroscientists report that emotionally charged events are stored “more vividly and accurately,” while Stanford studies show that audiences retain up to six times more information when it’s paired with meaningful visual and sensory cues.
So, the real challenge becomes:
How are you engineering the momentum that makes your message unforgettable? At innoVia, we’ve seen this truth play out across decades of programs. The most successful meetings are not simply well-produced, they are intentionally architected to guide human emotion. Lighting shifts don’t just illuminate a stage; they signal importance. Carefully timed audio cues don’t just support transitions; they elevate anticipation. Visual storytelling doesn’t simply decorate a room; it anchors memory.
Yet many teams begin planning with content first, production last assuming information alone will move people. But imagine, for a moment, removing the production layer entirely.
It’s a question worth sitting with, because research continues to confirm what the best meeting architects already sense intuitively: emotion drives memory, and memory drives action. In fact, Harvard neuroscientists report that emotionally charged events are stored “more vividly and accurately,” while Stanford studies show that audiences retain up to six times more information when it’s paired with meaningful visual and sensory cues.
So, the real challenge becomes:
How are you engineering the momentum that makes your message unforgettable? At innoVia, we’ve seen this truth play out across decades of programs. The most successful meetings are not simply well-produced, they are intentionally architected to guide human emotion. Lighting shifts don’t just illuminate a stage; they signal importance. Carefully timed audio cues don’t just support transitions; they elevate anticipation. Visual storytelling doesn’t simply decorate a room; it anchors memory.
Yet many teams begin planning with content first, production last assuming information alone will move people. But imagine, for a moment, removing the production layer entirely.
- Would your keynote still carry weight without the sound design that shapes its rhythm?
- Would your brand narrative still resonate without the visuals that give it dimension?
- Would your attendees still feel connected without the environmental cues that foster belonging?
- Most importantly, would the message still travel with them into the behaviors, decisions, and actions that happen after the meeting?
This is the heart of momentum, the unseen force that carries a message forward. And it doesn't happen by accident. It's engineered. That's where Innovia Productions operates as a true solutions partner, connecting deeply with meeting architects. Not as an AV suppler, but as a co-strategist in experience design. We help teams clarify the emotional arc of their program, identify where momentum builds and where it risks breaking, and ensure every technical choice supports the behavioral outcomes leaders care about. Because production isn't a line item. It's an accelerant. It's the difference between a message that lands… and a message that lives on.
As you build your 2026 programs, consider the questions that truly determine impact:
Ready to architect your 2026 experience? Let's talk about building momentum that matters.
Let’s connect!
About the Author: Angela Cava, HMCC, MMP, CMP, brings more than 30 years of experience across the hospitality industry, including destination management companies, ski resorts, hotels and currently in the meeting production space where all the magic happens. She believes deeply in the power of authentic relationships and the creativity that emerges through collaboration where we ideate, evolve, and solve our industry’s most meaningful initiatives. She would love to connect with you on your next program at [email protected]
As you build your 2026 programs, consider the questions that truly determine impact:
- What do you want people to feel in the first 30 seconds?
- What emotion should carry them into your most critical message?
- What will they remember six months later — and what sensory anchors will help them recall it?
- Where must your brand be felt, not just seen?
Ready to architect your 2026 experience? Let's talk about building momentum that matters.
Let’s connect!
About the Author: Angela Cava, HMCC, MMP, CMP, brings more than 30 years of experience across the hospitality industry, including destination management companies, ski resorts, hotels and currently in the meeting production space where all the magic happens. She believes deeply in the power of authentic relationships and the creativity that emerges through collaboration where we ideate, evolve, and solve our industry’s most meaningful initiatives. She would love to connect with you on your next program at [email protected]
SPINners - Newsletter Guest Writers Needed!
Did you enjoy this month's articles? What if the byline was yours?
Join us! The Editorial Team is looking for SPINners who would like to share their voice and expertise with the industry and over 2,000 of their peers.
Please consider being a SPIN Newsletter guest writer for an upcoming edition (or two or three or twelve!). Each month we'll have a theme and can provide topic ideas if needed. As a writer your voice will be heard in the Community and beyond, providing you with professional development hours for that CMP renewal, while showcasing your thoughts on a subject.
Please let us know you're interested here or by emailing Carolynn.
Join us! The Editorial Team is looking for SPINners who would like to share their voice and expertise with the industry and over 2,000 of their peers.
Please consider being a SPIN Newsletter guest writer for an upcoming edition (or two or three or twelve!). Each month we'll have a theme and can provide topic ideas if needed. As a writer your voice will be heard in the Community and beyond, providing you with professional development hours for that CMP renewal, while showcasing your thoughts on a subject.
Please let us know you're interested here or by emailing Carolynn.
Strategic Alliances Program
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We are excited to announce our first alliance is with Talkadot!
Find the Right Speaker Every Time Talkadot makes it easy to discover your perfect speaker match by using feedback from over 11,000 speakers and over a million data points. Our tool leverages our unique database and AI to match you to the perfect speaker for any topic, budget, or audience size, Talkadot helps you book with confidence. Best of all, there’s no cost or obligation, just smarter, data-driven matches. EARN A COMMISSION! SPIN receives a small commission for each speaker a SPIN member books through our link with Talkadot. YOU receive $100 commission that can be sent directly to you, your organization, or you can donate your referral fee back to SPIN. NOTE: TO GET YOUR REBATE, YOU MUST BOOK THROUGH SPIN's referral link!! Please reach out to Carolynn with any questions. Note: Please let us know when you book a speaker with Talkadot. We are recruiting senior-planners who have used the service for an upcoming white paper. Please let us know if you are interested. |
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Recommend Sponsors & Receive a Referral Fee!!!
Dear SPINners – we are actively doing outreach for our Annual SPIN Sponsors for 2026.
We have several sponsorships including in-kind, event, and annual options to choose from.
If you know a supplier company that would be a great partner for SPIN, please send contact information to Carolynn [email below].
If the Sponsor signs on the dotted line, the SPINner will receive a $100 referral bonus that goes right into your pocket
(or your company's, or you can gift it back to SPIN).
Winner-winner chicken dinner! Send contact details to [email protected].
We have several sponsorships including in-kind, event, and annual options to choose from.
If you know a supplier company that would be a great partner for SPIN, please send contact information to Carolynn [email below].
If the Sponsor signs on the dotted line, the SPINner will receive a $100 referral bonus that goes right into your pocket
(or your company's, or you can gift it back to SPIN).
Winner-winner chicken dinner! Send contact details to [email protected].
Happy New Year 2026
SPIN SUPPORTERS
Strategic Alliance Partner
In-Kind Sponsors
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