Global Table Toronto: A World of Culture & Food Conference

Conference Overview

Global Table Toronto: A World of Culture & Food Conference is an international conference celebrating culinary arts and cultural heritage and the connections between historic and contemporary culinary traditions. Located in the heart of downtown at the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel, the conference brings together museum and heritage professionals, culinary practitioners, artists and entrepreneurs to delve into how food — its creation, preparation, representation and presentation — links local experiences to global stories. Join in to share ideas, build relationships and showcase innovative approaches to storytelling, audience engagement and collaboration which connect food stories of the past to how we create, eat, gather and celebrate today.

Call for Proposals Themes

• Art, Material Culture and Food: Delving into food through art and material culture, from artistic representation to the objects used to prepare, serve and share it.
• Culinary Arts: Highlighting food as a creative practice, featuring chefs, bakers and food makers as cultural contributors.
• Foodways in Museum and Heritage Spaces: Interpreting history and community through food, with a focus on Indigenous knowledge, diaspora and food sovereignty.

Session Types

• Big Idea Conversations: 45 minutes discussion plus 15 minutes for audience Q&A. Moderated conversations or panels.
• Lightening Talks: 5 minutes, 20 slides on auto-advance. One idea, one object, one recipe, one community, one success or one failure.
• Food, Fine Art and Material Culture: 15 minutes. Honest reflections on a project, initiative, exhibition, program, or partnership with focus on lessons learned.
• Interactive Workshops: 60 minutes (15 minute framing presentation, 45 minute facilitated break outgroups, problem-solving or hands-on activity).
• Food Demos and Tastings: 30 minutes. Culinary demonstrations paired with stories of culture, heritage and place.

Review Criteria

• Relevance to the conference’s vision and program themes.
• Strength and clarity of the proposed idea.