Talent Management

Our role as talent managers to  a select group of top culinary personalities, is to ensure each chef client is able to leverage his or her unique celebrity to grow their brands and visibility both in and out of the kitchen. We focus on creating brand partnerships and media relationships that align with each client’s professional and/or personal brand goals.  

Talent Marketing & Procurement

As marketers ourselves, we understand not all talent works for all situations and the selection process is critical. From large-scale endorsements to private, one-of-a-kind experiences, we work closely with brands, media entities and properties to help identify, negotiate, contract and fulfill the perfect culinary personality for each specific project.

Brand Strategy & Consulting

The “foodie” revolution is no longer just a trend; it has caused a global cultural shift. Whether at the dinner table, in the kitchen, on a journey or in a vegetable garden, your audience is developing strong associations through food. The Connect Group is uniquely positioned to leverage those affinities in ways that drive brand engagement and loyalty. TCG’s brand strategy and consulting group advises its brand partners on the most impactful ways to leverage the passionate food and drink vertical to reach target audiences and achieve marketing objectives. Our services include, but are not limited to:
•    Strategic planning
•    Sponsorship and portfolio evaluation, activation, management and oversight
•    In-restaurant integrations
•    Influencer and B2B marketing
•    Talent/celebrity relations
•    Event management

Events

A carefully crafted food and beverage program tells a story and elevates the consumer experience, which is why food is much more than just what we eat. 

A study by Horizon Media shows 7 out of 10 people are more likely to attend an event solely because high quality food options are available and 54% of people are excited to attend a food tasting event with a renowned chef

TCG Events creates, plans and executes custom and one-of-a-kind engagements for consumers, executives, and VIPs.

In-Person Live Events

Our live events can be within the framework of an existing event (Super Bowl, All-Star Games, Wine & Food Festivals, etc.) or as standalone food and drink experiences. Our team manages everything from conception to completion, including curating the experience, procuring celebrity talent, producing the event, determining promotional gifting, and managing guest relations.

Virtual/Digital Events

Digital culinary and beverage experiences bring together people from around the world, inviting them into the home of a world class celebrity chef, mixologist, or sommelier for an intimate virtual cooking/bartending/wine lesson. Use the experience as a way to connect with existing clients, prospective clients or just to offer a fun experience to your customers or employees. While a virtual event may not bring people together physically, it is highly interactive, surprisingly intimate, and guests will walk away with an incredible memory and a new dish or cocktail in their arsenal.

TCG will work with you each step of the way to select the perfect talent, manage registration and invitations with ingredient lists, set up the preferred streaming/communication platform, oversee the event and tech rehearsals, and ensure it’s a customized, memorable and delicious experience for everyone.

Media

Our media division focuses on the creation and production of original content for TV, digital, mobile, and all other applicable platforms. We primarily develop content around our chef and brand clients as a creative outlet and to deepen their engagement within the marketplace.  We also work with brands to ideate and bring to life branded programming either as an extension to existing initiatives or as stand-alone projects. 

Licensing

Through a strategic alliance with The Gaunaurd Group, a leading licensing agency run by former IMUSA president Manny Gaunaurd, TCG works with brands and clients to leverage their IP within the home, food, drink and epicurean verticals.  The knowledge, resources and experience of our executive team, staff and chef partners lends itself to provide superior product development, sales, distribution and R&D for our clients.