The School Nutrition Association’s 2015 Annual National Conference starts in Salt Lake City this weekend.

School nutrition professionals and other industry members will head to Utah’s state capital in the upcoming days to broaden their knowledge and learn practical information that they can immediately implement when they get back to the office.

Association: School Nutrition Association

Conference: 69th Annual National Conference

Venue: Salt Palace Convention Center

Location: Salt Lake City

SNA’s Annual National Conference will kick off on Sunday afternoon with Opening General Session speaker Howie Long, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and current analyst on FOX NFL Sunday. He’ll speak about the impact he’s made off the field through his support of organizations like the Boys and Girls Club, United Way, and the Mental Health Association. Three other conference happenings worth chewing on:

Taste test. Attendees will learn new ways to prepare tasty school meals during culinary demonstrations by exhibitors on the show floor. On the menu: how to include turkey and tuna in school meals, reduce sodium levels, and add culinary flair to dishes.

Quadruple take. The conference’s education program is built around the four key areas of the association’s certificate and credentialing programs and the USDA’s Professional Standards: nutrition, operation, administration, and communications and marketing. Sessions include how to connect school gardens to school meals and the best way to optimize school kitchen layout and design.

Best practices. Attendees can stop by the School Nutrition Showcase to learn about success stories and research in the field. They’ll have the chance to network with peers, learn about innovative and interesting ideas being applied in school nutrition, and talk one-on-one with the authors of the posters on display.

Digest more of the meeting via Facebook and Twitter (#ANC15).