What To Expect

SASA’s Annual Conference delivers hours of industry-specific professional development and networking opportunities. Attendees from 35+ campuses and dozens of sponsors and exhibitors look forward to engaging keynote speakers, conference sessions, participation on committees such as Marketing, Dining and Human Resources, partner showcases, social events and more!

• Industry Leader Presentations: Each year the SASA Annual Conference invites industry experts to share their knowledge and experience to members, on topics ranging from generational communication, inclusivity & accessibility, sustainability, leadership, and more. Speakers often share suggestions and tips that can be immediately incorporated into practice.
• Informational & Educational Sessions: Dozens of sessions are available for members to attend. Any and all are welcome to each session, regardless of expertise or position. The purpose of these sessions is to educate members, highlight cutting edge tools & success stories, and share resources.
• Working Sessions: Members meet with others in their expertise to discuss hot topics, strategies, success stories, and more. Members often leave these working sessions inspired and with tools and strategies to bring back to their own campus.
• Networking: All of our sessions and down time offer space to meet new people, share ideas, and collaborate with other professionals in our fields. Our Corporate partners showcase their products and services while offering unique solutions to obstacles and challenges auxiliaries face.
• Fun: The Conference Venue is typically in the center of (or near to) activities and attractions! For the last few years, our Conference was held at award-winning Turning Stone Resort Casino.

Keynote Speakers

Menu Matters – Tuesday, January 5, 2027 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Maeve Webster is the founder and president of Menu Matters, the food and beverage consultancy she launched in 2015 to answer the question most often lost in the industry’s flood of data: why. She had spent 15 years in the business watching the volume of available data explode while genuine interpretation of it lagged behind, and she built Menu Matters to be the source she felt was missing, one willing to step back and ask what all that information was really saying about consumers, culture and the future of food. Across a career spanning more than two decades, she has helped manufacturers, operators, commodity boards and agencies move past what’s trending to understand what’s actually driving consumer behavior.

What sets Maeve apart is a career spent on every side of the table. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu, earned an MBA from the University of Illinois, and for four years owned and operated an award-winning café and bakery that was named “best café” every year it was open, giving her a fluency in both the kitchen and the P&L that few in her field share. A double degree in political science and history taught her to interrogate the obvious and tease out the small details that explain the bigger picture. An early career in theater, a college minor she carried into work in New York and Colorado, gave her the storyteller’s instinct she brings to every stage and every data set. The result is analysis that is rigorous, human and genuinely useful.

Menu Matters’ work spans the full range of food industry relationships, from chefs and operators to manufacturers and the consumers they all serve, which lets Maeve track where professional and consumer behavior align or diverge before others see it coming. She oversees the firm’s proprietary research, including its annual Consumer Needs work, and co-hosts the company’s podcast, The Mess Hall.

Maeve is a sought-after speaker, most often invited not to recap the latest trends but to widen the lens and help audiences understand what’s coming and, more importantly, what it means for them specifically. She has presented at industry events including the RCA Conference, the New Products Conference, MISE, VIBE and Flavor Experience, and has been quoted as a food-industry expert by The Wall Street Journal, CNN, The New York Times, NPR and BBC Radio. She is a recipient of the Ogilvy Award for Research & Communication Innovation and serves on both the Bayer Culinary Council and the HZPC Culinary Council.

Away from work, Maeve is an avid cook, baker and gardener who tends a deliberately diverse vegetable plot and is forever experimenting with new plants. She is drawn to the same thing in nature that she chases in her work: the way complex, delicately balanced systems can still be strong and beautiful, and how much is revealed by paying close attention to what lies beneath the surface.

The Future of Meal Plans: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities – Wednesday, January 5, 2027 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Meal plans continue to evolve as campuses balance affordability, flexibility, student satisfaction, and financial sustainability. In this interactive keynote, Mindy Segal of Envision Strategies will explore key trends shaping the future of meal plans while engaging SASA members in a facilitated conversation about what is – and isn’t – working on their campuses. Attendees will leave with practical insights, peer perspectives, and ideas to consider as they evaluate meal plan strategies at their own institutions.

Mindy Segal is Vice President at Envision Strategies and a nationally recognized consultant specializing in dining, hospitality, and auxiliary services in higher education. With more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, financial analysis, operational transformation, and contract negotiations, she helps institutions develop practical solutions that enhance student experience while supporting financial sustainability. Known for her engaging and collaborative facilitation style, Mindy works with campus leaders nationwide to navigate the evolving challenges and opportunities facing higher education and auxiliary services today.