Small & Boutique Meetings — Fall

After earning his associate degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America, Matthew Beaudin fiercely pursued his passion for cooking by working around the globe, holding chef positions in the Caribbean, China, the West Indies and Rwanda, as well as each geographical food region within the United States. Matthew has run kitchens at jungle base camps, on private islands, and at restaurants perched 10,000 feet up the side of a volcano. He began his commitment to sustainability and culinary education during his work in the village of Musanze in Rwanda. He continues to maintain strong ties with the community through his School for the Arts (The Volcano Arts Studio).

Influenced by his travels, Matthew has honed his techniques and expertise back home in the United States at such prestigious properties as the Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, N.H.; the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Fla. His experiences have allowed him to acquire a well-rounded palate, mixing his global travels with modern American cuisine deeply rooted in farm-to-table principles and the ever-increasing importance of food with a future.

In addition to the daily demands of his position as the executive chef at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Chef Matthew finds joy and fulfillment in travelling to Mexico where he has the privilege of working with children at local orphanages, such as Casa Eunime, as well as the School for the Deaf. He is also currently working with municipal operations to improve the nutritional opportunities and quality of life for these children.

Adrian Ballinger is a big-mountain climber and skier, and a certified mountain guide. As the founder of Alpenglow Expeditions, he has been guiding groups professionally on the world's tallest mountains for 25 years.

Ballinger has led more than 150 international climbing expeditions on six continents, and made 17 successful summits of 26,000-foot peaks, reaching the summit of Mt. Everest nine times. As an athlete, he is the only American to have made three successful ski descents of 26,000-foot peaks, including the first ski descent from the summit of Nepal's 26,781-foot Manaslu, the eighth-highest mountain in the world. He also is the fourth American to have summited both Mount Everest and K2 without the use of supplemental oxygen. Ballinger aims to excel in all three of the traditional mountain-guide disciplines — mountaineering, rock climbing and skiing.