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SCALE

Become another Ayo Success Story

​Navigate Foundation x City of Chamblee

Designing a Scalable Youth Culinary Platform Within a Major Community Festival

Overview

AYO Hospitality partnered with Navigate Foundation and the City of Chamblee to design and execute a youth culinary competition embedded within the annual Taste of Chamblee festival. This transformed a community event into a strategic experiential platform that drove visibility, sponsorship acquisition, and long-term growth opportunities.

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Rather than producing a standalone event, AYO Hospitality engineered an integrated activation aligning public-sector collaboration, brand engagement, workforce development, and professional culinary storytelling.

The Opportunity

Navigate Foundation sought to:

  • Expand brand visibility and media exposure

  • Create new avenues for fundraising and sponsorship

  • Establish a repeatable signature experience tied to an existing audience

  • Elevate youth culinary talent through a professional production environment

AYO Hospitality approached this as a platform-building challenge, not simply event execution.

Strategy

Partnership Architecture

  • Brokered collaboration with City of Chamblee leadership

  • Positioned youth culinary competition as a featured activation within Taste of Chamblee

  • Designed program structure attractive to sponsors, media, and stakeholders
     

Experiential Design

  • Built competition framework simulating real industry conditions

  • Integrated storytelling, mentorship, and audience engagement

  • Structured event flow to maximize sponsor visibility and audience retention
     

Operational Leadership

  • Venue planning and layout design

  • Student participant selection and coordination

  • Practice session scheduling and program management

  • Budget oversight and staffing assignments

  • Volunteer management

  • Emcee scripting and run-of-show development
     

Revenue & Brand Activation

  • Developed three branded onsite activations with retail components

  • Established scalable sponsorship pathway resulting in title sponsorship acquisition

Results

​🏆 Awarded “Best Event Within an Event” — Southeast Festival & Events Association (Year 1)
🤝 Secured Paid Title Sponsorship — Talpa Supermercados (Year 2)
📺 Regional Media Coverage — Atlanta News First
📈 Increased funding pathways, stakeholder engagement, and long-term program visibility

Impact

By combining strategic partnerships with disciplined operational execution, AYO Hospitality transformed a community activation into a scalable experiential platform that:

  • Elevated Navigate Foundation’s regional profile

  • Created repeatable sponsorship opportunities

  • Delivered professional-grade experiential learning for youth participants

  • Positioned the program for long-term growth and replication

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Expanding Culinary Access Through Strategic Talent Integration & Operational Solutions

Overview

AYO Hospitality partnered with Atlanta Food & Wine Festival to strengthen talent integration, address pandemic-era operational challenges, and expand culinary participation through a strategic approach to staffing, partnerships, and experiential execution.


Rather than focusing solely on event logistics, AYO Hospitality reimagined the talent pipeline and production infrastructure which creating new pathways for diverse culinary professionals while ensuring seamless operational delivery across live demonstrations and tasting experiences.

The Opportunity

Atlanta Food & Wine Festival sought to:

  • Incorporate more local and diverse culinary talent into festival programming

  • Address COVID-era staffing shortages impacting execution

  • Provide professional prep space solutions for participating chefs

  • Expand chef participation without compromising operational quality

AYO Hospitality approached the engagement as a talent ecosystem and operational strategy challenge, not simply staffing support.

Strategy

Talent & Partnership Architecture

  • Activated industry network to recruit chefs beyond traditional restaurant models

  • Introduced private chefs, caterers, and emerging culinary entrepreneurs into festival programming

  • Expanded representation and participation within tasting experiences
     

Infrastructure & Operational Design

  • Brokered partnership with shared commercial kitchen space to serve as centralized prep facility

  • Supported operational scalability for 10+ chefs preparing for live festival programming

  • Structured prep workflows to maximize efficiency and consistency
     

Workforce Development Integration

  • Sourced and scheduled student volunteers across event days

  • Created mentorship opportunities between emerging chefs and students

  • Supported workforce pipeline development aligned with hospitality industry needs
     

Event Execution

  • Managed budget allocations tied to culinary operation

  • Coordinated staffing logistics and scheduling

  • Catered and prepared culinary components for all live demos onsite

  • Ensured seamless operational delivery across multiple activations

Results

👥 4,000+ Festival Attendees Engaged
🤝 Expanded Chef Participant Pool — introduced previously overlooked culinary talent, increasing brand visibility and revenue opportunities
👨‍🍳 Workforce Development Impact — fostered meaningful mentor relationships between chefs and student participants
⚙️ Operational Continuity — addressed COVID staffing challenges through scalable staffing and prep infrastructure solutions

Impact

By aligning strategic partnerships, talent sourcing, and operational execution, AYO Hospitality helped Atlanta Food & Wine Festival:

  • Broaden representation within culinary programming

  • Strengthen talent pipelines and community engagement

  • Maintain high-quality production despite staffing challenges

  • Expand revenue opportunities for emerging and independent chefs

Les Dames d’Escoffier International — Atlanta Chapter

Reimagining a Legacy Fundraiser Through Strategic Venue Placement & Experiential Design

Overview

AYO Hospitality partnered with the Atlanta Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International to reposition its annual outdoor fundraising event — transforming a traditional gathering into a modern, experiential activation designed to attract a younger, more diverse audience while maintaining the organization’s legacy and mission.


Through strategic venue selection, industry partnerships, and curated programming, AYO Hospitality redesigned the event into a vibrant culinary and wine-focused experience that elevated engagement, increased visibility, and supported scholarship fundraising goals.

Strategy

Partnership & Venue Architecture

  • Secured a strategically positioned venue in Midtown Atlanta to attract new audiences

  • Leveraged industry relationships to obtain donated or reduced-cost space

  • Repositioned event setting to align with contemporary experiential trends
     

Experiential Design

  • Conceptualized and launched Sips of the Summer — a wine tasting and dine-around format

  • Designed guest flow to encourage exploration, interaction, and culinary storytelling

  • Integrated silent auction experiences to enhance fundraising engagement
     

Industry Collaboration & Resource Strategy

  • Secured donated wine through distributor and industry partnership

  • Curated high-value silent auction packages, including an exclusive eight-course dining experience

  • Leveraged culinary and hospitality network to enhance perceived value while managing budget efficiency
     

Event Execution

  • Oversaw full event planning and production management

  • Coordinated vendor partnerships and operational logistics

  • Managed event design to align with brand identity and fundraising goals

Results

​🍷 60+ Attendees Engaged Through Curated Experiential Format
💰 Scholarship Funds Raised Supporting Future Culinary Leaders
🤝 High-Value Industry Partnerships — donated venue and wine sponsorships
📺 Media Coverage — Featured on 11Alive News
📈 Expanded audience reach through refreshed brand positioning and modern event concept

Impact

By combining strategic partnerships, experiential design, and operational leadership, AYO Hospitality helped Les Dames d’Escoffier Atlanta:

  • Reintroduce their signature fundraiser to a new generation of attendees

  • Increase brand visibility within Atlanta’s culinary community

  • Strengthen industry relationships through collaborative programming

  • Create a scalable framework for future fundraising activations

Navigate Foundation x Shef Food + Wine Festival (North Texas)

Expanding Industry Access Through Strategic Travel Programming & Culinary Partnerships

Overview

AYO Hospitality partnered with Navigate Foundation to expand experiential learning opportunities for student interns through participation in the inaugural Shef Food + Wine Festival in North Texas, a premier culinary event created by Top Chef finalist Chef Tiffany Derry.


The initiative was designed to provide emerging culinary talent with hands-on industry exposure, direct mentorship from leading chefs, and expanded visibility for Navigate Foundation within national culinary networks.


Rather than approaching the project as a simple travel coordination effort, AYO Hospitality developed a comprehensive experiential strategy integrating workforce development, industry partnerships, and brand positioning.

The Opportunity

Navigate Foundation sought to:

  • Provide student interns with exposure to high-level culinary events

  • Facilitate mentorship opportunities with James Beard and Michelin-recognized chefs

  • Expand organizational visibility beyond local markets

  • Build relationships within national culinary ecosystems

  • Position Navigate students within professional environments that accelerate career development

AYO Hospitality approached this as a strategic exposure and industry integration initiative, not simply event participation.

Strategy

Partnership & Industry Integration

  • Secured Navigate Foundation’s participation in the inaugural Shef Food + Wine Festival

  • Leveraged industry relationships to integrate students into professional culinary environments

  • Positioned Navigate as a workforce development partner aligned with festival mission
     

Experiential Workforce Development

  • Structured student participation to maximize mentorship and learning opportunities

  • Facilitated collaboration between interns and seasoned chefs

  • Supported real-world skill development through hands-on culinary engagement
     

Travel & Operational Logistics

  • Managed end-to-end travel coordination from Atlanta to North Texas

  • Oversaw booking logistics, scheduling, and operational planning

  • Ensured seamless execution allowing students and leadership to focus on industry engagement
     

Brand Visibility Strategy

  • Supported Navigate leadership presence within festival programming

  • Positioned organization for long-term partnership opportunities and future activations

Results

✈️ Multi-State Program Execution — Atlanta and Charlotte -based interns integrated into North Texas culinary festival
👨‍🍳 Hands-On Experience with Michelin-Awarded and Nationally Recognized Chefs
🤝 Year 2 Invitation — Navigate Foundation returned as brand activation partner
🎤 Leadership Visibility — Navigate CEO invited to speak on keynote panel
📱 Digital Reach — Media personalities with 100K+ Instagram followers included Navigate in festival recaps
📈 Expanded Industry Credibility and Strategic Relationships with Festival Organizers

Impact

Through strategic planning, operational execution, and industry relationship development, AYO Hospitality helped Navigate Foundation:

  • Expand student access to national culinary platforms

  • Strengthen industry credibility through high-level partnerships

  • Increase brand exposure across digital and live audiences

  • Establish a repeatable model for travel-based experiential learning programs

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