Our Sponsors

The French Pastry School is a vocational school that teaches based on the traditional Master-Apprentice model.  Students are optimally prepared to pursue a career in pastry after learning to use the finest ingredients and equipment and receiving intensive hands-on instruction from internationally acclaimed master pastry chefs. Whether in their full-time certificate programs or a Continuing Education courses, students are personally mentored by experts in their crafts. The French Pastry School’s goal is to transmit the knowledge, commitment and passion necessary for students to continually elevate the art of pastry.

The French Pastry School was founded by Chefs Jacquy Pfeiffer and Sébastien Canonne, M.O.F. in 1995 as a resource for intensive pastry education.

The Fine Chocolate Industry Association (FCIA) is the only organization focused 100% on supporting professionals in the Fine Chocolate segment of the Chocolate Industry. FCIA began in 2007 with 15 founding members and currently there are over 200 members worldwide. The FCIA is an international group of chocolate professionals who come together in support of the art of fine chocolate making.

Membership includes professionals involved in chocolate from blossom to bonbon and bar: growers/producers, chocolatiers, chocolate makers, pastry chefs, chocolate manufacturers, marketers, writers, educators and specialty retailers.

Is a trade publication delivered bi-monthly to 32,000 professionals consisting of pastry chefs, frozen dessert retailers, chocolatiers, bakers, caterers, and other industry professionals. Our mission is to promote, display and enhance the culture of desserts and baking in North America by providing valuable information designed to enhance customer satisfaction and company profit.

Dessert Professional is the resource for this ever-growing, ever-in-demand pool of talented, creative and influential food artists, and a forum for the exchange of their ideas and techniques.

Founded in 1884 in Chicago by representatives of 69 confectionery manufacturing firms, the National Confectioners Association (NCA) is one of the oldest, most respected trade associations in the world. The National Confectioners Association's Chocolate Council was founded in 2008 by members of the trade association who process cocoa and make chocolate.

The Council focuses on opportunities to educate the public about the natural origins of chocolate and build a better understanding of this unique and special food.

TheChocolateLife is a 6000 member on-line community of chocolate lovers, and aspiring chocophiles of all flavors form 140 countries, pursuing their interests and passions for chocolate.

The Chocolate Life is a metaphor for living your life with conscious purpose and intent by making a connection with an authentic passion and using that connection to fuel personal, spiritual, and professional growth and to inspire others, by example, to live their own Chocolate Lives.

Bean to Brand is a woman-owned design studio, dedicated to artisan chocolate companies. Lisa Leick, owner/designer, offers dedicated experience in the chocolate industry.

Phenomenal chocolate…in taste, quality and value…is created on a small scale with meticulous care and precision. And so that should reflect in one's visual identity consistently throughout one's company from packaging to culture and beyond. When you've taken the leap, perhaps bought the equipment, maybe even met the farmers on the plantation and created your very first batch, you need a way to differentiate yourself from the competition. Lisa goes to the source for creating a chocolate brand: you. She works hard to create a visual identity that is unique and that fully embodies everything you and your product represent.

Bean to Brand is a proud member of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association, supporting fine chocolate makers, manufacturers and others in the industry.

ACF Windy City Professional Culinarians, one of six Illinois Chapters of the ACF represent all who learn, practice and craft the art of gastronomy in greater Chicago. As one of the fastest-growing chapters of the American Culinary Federation, we uphold the highest standards of cooking while supporting a vibrant culinary community through education, professional development and promoting the renowned floodways that make Chicago the envy of the world.

From food and wine to travel, Cuisine Noir magazine delivers a culinary publication that compliments readers’ lifestyles and desire for a diverse epicurean experience.

Cuisine Noir made its debut online in October of 2007 with a successful run through December 2008 as the first magazine to feature the talents of African-American culinary and wine professionals across the country.  As the vision of Chef Richard Pannell, the magazine is tapping into an underserved market of African-American foodies and wine enthusiasts as well as acting as a unique vehicle to showcase the talents of industry professionals.

Since 1944, Candy Industry has been covering the global confectionery industry, providing readers with in-depth news analysis and comprehensive business profiles, while simultaneously detailing the latest developments in processing, research and development, category growth and new products.

Today, the global confectionery industry totals nearly $137 billion, requiring a broader editorial reach than ever before. Each month Candy Industry’s editorial team delivers the most “in-the-field, in-the-plant” coverage of any industry publication, traveling the globe from Galveston to Ghana.

Gourmet News is the business newspaper for the gourmet industry. 23,100 members of the trade rely on our active monthly reporting of the news affecting the retailing and distribution of specialty foods and related products. Subscribers include independent gourmet stores, upscale supermarkets and department stores, specialty food distributors, and other key industry professionals.

American Cake Decorating magazine has been a key resource to the cake decorating community since 1995. Recognizing that cake decorating and sugar arts continue to grow as a profession and passion, ACD brings fresh, evolving ideas and inspiration to its readers. The ACD team works diligently to keep the magazine and its website a leading education and training resource.

ACD is dedicated to the passion and profession of cake decorating and is a bi-monthly national publication bringing new ideas, techniques and inspiration to its readers. Each issue features step-by-step tutorials, themed showcases, new product information and more. As an industry that thrives on sharing, ACD inspires creativity by giving all of its readers access to top-level talents from around the world.