Catersource

What Catersource does

Catersource, now operating as Cater+Event, is a B2B media and events platform serving catering and event professionals in the United States. Founded in 1992 and headquartered in Minneapolis, the company produces industry content, newsletters, and recognition programs, and operates a portfolio of conferences including the flagship Catersource + The Special Event (held March 2–5, 2026 at the Los Angeles Convention Center with 150+ educational sessions, a tradeshow floor, and networking) and the specialized Art of Catering Food event (scheduled for August 10–11, 2026 in Chicago). The company also runs the ACE (Awards for Catering Excellence) program, which recognizes innovation and execution across the catering industry.

The underlying technology is a content publishing platform — supported by Informa's Contentstack CMS — delivering categorized editorial across Event Management, Business Operations, Event Trends & Styles, and Food & Beverage, alongside a free email newsletter and advertiser pages hosted through Informa Connect. There are no disclosed proprietary AI, ML, or data products, no patents, and no API/SDK surface; the platform is fundamentally a media/events asset rather than a technology product.

Revenue mechanics are typical of trade media: (1) conference and event registration fees with annual billing and early-bird discounting ($150–$200 tiers observed for 2026 events), (2) advertising and sponsorship sold to exhibitors and brand partners via the Informa Connect advertiser page, and (3) content and newsletter distribution that supports audience monetization. The company is a business unit inside the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC (LSE-listed, registered in England and Wales), which provides global distribution and event infrastructure. Customer segmentation is vertical — catering operators, event planners, and hospitality professionals — with no disclosed enterprise concentration.

Name

Catersource

Legal name

Informa PLC

Website

https://catersource.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catersource (rebranded as Cater+Event) is a B2B media and events platform serving catering and event professionals in the United States, producing editorial content, industry newsletters, the ACE awards program, and annual conferences including Catersource + The Special Event and Art of Catering Food.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Media and Conferences

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Exhibition & Trade Show Catering (Show Floor Concessions, Exhibitor Hospitality) (THAHAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate & Business Event Catering (THAHAKAA)

Keywords

• Catering industry media
• Event industry conferences
• Catering trade shows
• Event industry publishing
• Professional catering education

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorships: The platform offers advertising opportunities and maintains an advertiser page through Informa Connect, serving the catering and events industry B2B market.
2. Content and Newsletter Subscriptions: Free newsletter subscription providing industry insights and essential content to catering professionals, with premium content and resources available through the platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Catersource (now operating as Cater+Event) publishes trade magazines and a digital content platform covering the catering and events industry, and produces large-scale industry conferences and trade shows including Catersource + The Special Event and Art of Catering Food. Its offerings combine editorial content, newsletters, educational programming, and live events to serve catering and event professionals, with sponsorship and registration fees as primary commercial drivers.

Product overview

Cater + Event (formerly Catersource) is a media publishing platform for the catering and events industry. The company produces editorial content including news articles, industry insights, trend reports, and educational resources covering topics such as event management, business operations, food and beverage, event types, and sustainability. The platform operates under Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC and hosts industry conferences including the annual Cater+Event and Art of Catering Food events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cater+Event media and publishing platform Trade media and digital publishing platform for the catering and events industry, providing news articles, industry insights, trend reports, recipes, and educational resources covering event management, business operations, food and beverage, and event trends for catering and event professionals.
• Catersource + The Special Event 2026 conference and trade show Flagship annual conference and trade show for the catering and special events industries, featuring keynote speakers, 150+ educational sessions, venue tours, an exhibitor tradeshow, and networking activities, targeted at catering and event professionals.
• Art of Catering Food 2026 conference Smaller specialized conference for catering professionals, focused on food and culinary innovation within catering, including industry sessions and networking.
• ACE Awards (Awards for Catering Excellence) Annual industry awards program recognizing excellence in catering, including categories such as Catered Micro Event of the Year, open to catering professionals and companies.
• Cater+Event email newsletter subscription Free email newsletter delivering latest insights and essential content from the catering and events industry to subscribed professionals.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Special EventcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 March 2026Joint branded event Catersource + The Special Event is the flagship annual conference combining catering and special events industries. The 2026 edition took place March 2-5, 2026 at Los Angeles Convention Center featuring keynote speakers, 150+ educational sessions, tradeshow, and networking activities.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BizBash: B2B trade media brand covering event planning, venues, and catering industry trends. Directly comparable as an event-industry publication with original editorial, awards, and conferences serving the same professional buyer persona as Cater+Event.
• Special Events Magazine: Long-running trade publication and awards body for the special events industry. Comparable as a Catersource/The Special Event-vertical peer running editorial content plus awards (Gala Awards) for caterers and event professionals.
• IMEX Group: Operates major MICE trade shows (IMEX America, IMEX Frankfurt) for the meetings and events industry. Comparable as a B2B events organizer for the same MICE buyer set, with trade show floors, education programs, and hosted-buyer networks.
• Trade Show News Network (TSNN): Trade show industry media brand providing news, calendars, and rankings for exhibitions globally. Comparable as a trade-show-focused media platform supporting exhibition organizers and exhibitors—overlapping with Catersource's tradeshow-floor audience.
• Exhibitor Magazine: Trade publication and educational resource for trade show exhibitors and event marketers. Comparable as a B2B media brand targeting the same trade show and event-marketing buyer base that anchors Catersource's exhibitor hall.

Others

• Meeting Professionals International (MPI): Global association for meeting and event professionals, running the WEC (World Education Congress) and certification programs. Comparable as a community-building and education-delivery organization for the same events professional audience, though structured as a non-profit association rather than a commercial media brand.
• Convention Management Association (PCMA): Industry association for business events strategists and meeting professionals, running Convening Leaders and education programming. Comparable as a community-and-education leader serving the same MICE/catering professional audience, though operating as a non-profit membership body rather than a commercial trade media brand.

Broad incumbents

• Northstar Meetings Group: Publisher of multiple MICE trade titles (Successful Meetings, Meetings & Conventions, Incentive) serving meetings and incentive travel planners. Comparable as a broader portfolio incumbent in the same MICE media space as Cater+Event.
• Informa Markets / Informa Connect (parent division): Parent division operating hundreds of B2B exhibitions and conferences across industries. Comparable as the broader incumbent portfolio within which Catersource/Cater+Event operates, providing shared infrastructure, audience, and sponsorship capabilities.

Emerging players

• Event Industry News: Digital-first news and resource platform for the global events industry. Comparable as a content/media competitor for catering and event professional audiences, with a primarily digital delivery model overlapping with Cater+Event's content channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Catersource_llc
• Facebookfacebook.com/Catersource
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/catersource

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Catersource