Tracy Stuckrath is the founder of thrive! meetings & events, where she helps planners, venues, and chefs stop accidentally poisoning their guests (a low bar, but here we are). After being diagnosed with a food allergy and realizing she couldn't safely eat at her own events, Tracy built a mission around safer, more inclusive hospitality, and later launched the "Eating at a Meeting" podcast during COVID. Susan and Tracy talk about safety, systems, and signage.

• Simple tools that actually make event planning smoother • How Tracy's career pivots happened without a "master plan" • The moment she realized the industry wasn't feeding people safely • Why the people who "get it" fastest usually have restrictions themselves • How kitchens and front-of-house accidentally play telephone with allergens • Why labeling food lowers liability instead of raising it • The top nine allergens that cause most reactions • How food allergies and celiac can count as disabilities under the ADA • Why smaller, more intentional menus may beat endless buffet chaos • What the future of event menus could look like: fewer surprises, clearer trust • The one phrase Tracy wants the industry to stop saying immediately

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Our Top Three Takeaways

1. Inclusive food practices are a business decision, not just a courtesy. Treating food allergies and dietary restrictions seriously reduces risk, builds trust, and makes events more accessible and welcoming. When guests feel safe eating, they participate more fully and remember the experience for the right reasons, which directly impacts brand perception and loyalty.

2. Most food-allergy failures aren't about ingredients — they're about communication breakdowns. Problems usually happen when information gets lost between sales, planners, kitchens, and front-of-house teams. Clear systems, standardized language, and consistent labeling matter more than heroic last-minute fixes. Inclusion fails when teams don't talk to each other.

3. Smaller, more intentional menus outperform "abundance." The future of event food is fewer choices that are clearly labeled, thoughtfully designed, and easy to trust. Guests don't want endless options they can't safely eat. They want a handful of well-considered ones that reflect care, place, and purpose.

Tracy Stuckrath on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracystuckrath/

thrive! meetings & events https://thrivemeetings.com/

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