Left: Sylvia Weinstock, the "Cake Lady of Soho", presents a cake with NACE's new logo at the Houston 2007 Educational Conference.

NACE was born on June 3, 1958. First known as the Banquet Managers Guild, the association worked to recognize hotel banquet managers and directors of catering in New York City. The first non-New York member joined in 1960, raising membership to twelve, and the Philadelphia Chapter was formed in 1964, creating a national association.

The Guild became the National Association of Catering Executives in 1980. Recognizing that many members were Catering Managers, Directors of Catering, off-premise caterers, as well as special event planners, wedding coordinators and meeting planners, the association broadened its scope to meet the needs of the entire industry.

Today, NACE has more than 3500 members in more than 40 chapters in the United States and Canada. A significant voice in the hospitality world, NACE remains true to its 50-year old roots by continuing to promote professionalism in the industry, work to enhance the careers of its members, and help them deliver excellence and cutting edge services to their clients.

Happy 50th! A year-long NACE 50th anniversary celebration began in July 2007 at the NACE Educational Conference. This celebration culminates in summer 2008, with every NACE chapter holding a local anniversary party on June 3rd and a grand finale celebration in August during the “Experience! 2008 – the Future of Catering and Event Design” conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.