Worlds of Flavor Conference
Frequently Asked Questions

The early-bird registration deadline is July 31. Advanced registration ends September 30. If you want to guarantee your spot and get the best registration rate, we encourage you to register as early as possible. Register and find pricing.

Registration for workshops and breakout sessions open a few months before the conference.

The conference begins on Wednesday, November 4 and concludes on Friday, November 6. Check back for the full schedule. To help with planning your travel and get a sense of the festival activities, please find a snapshot of the 2025 schedule.

We prefer that you pay for your full conference registration with a credit card. If you need to pay by check or purchase order, please reach out to us at foodleadership@culinary.edu.  If in need of a detailed receipt for reimbursement, please reach out to let us know and we would be happy to send you a copy.  

2026 Cancellation Policy:

• Cancellations on or before August 31, 2026: Receive your registration fee refund minus a $150 cancellation fee.

• Cancellations made between September 1 and October 4, 2026: Receive a 50% refund on your registration fee.

• Cancellations made on or after October 5, 2026: No refunds or substitutions available.

Unfortunately, there are no refunds or substitutions possible within 30 or fewer days (on or after October 5, 2026) before the start date of the conference. This is due to the complex nature and planning for your participation in the festival, workshops, marketplace meals, and activities that must take place in advance. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding in this matter. Cancellation policies are "for any and all reasons”.

Transfer Policy:

Your registration may be transferred to a colleague within the same registration category for a $150 administrative transfer fee.

Suggested dress code for the conference is business casual attire. Conference activities involve sitting for general sessions and workshops in classrooms as well as walking around to explore the world marketplace tastings and receptions.

Some workshops, marketplace tastings, cultural entertainment and more will take place outdoors so, please come prepared with layers to immerse yourself in all that Worlds of Flavor has to offer!

Northern California experiences rain in November at times, so you may want to bring an umbrella to protect yourself from the elements. Our building is often quirky about temperatures in classroom and lecture spaces both large and small. Please bear with us, and come prepared with layers for warmer and cooler environments so that you can adjust your own temperature accordingly.

Please help us in our efforts to be sustainable by bringing a reusable water bottle. Water stations will be available throughout the conference.

Unfortunately, additional guests cannot be accommodated for meals or any conference sessions; a full conference pass for the conference is required to enjoy the conference meal functions.

Breakout session and workshop registration will open approximately one month before the conference. An email will be sent to registered attendees a week prior to breakouts with more information and instructions, including the date and time when breakout registration will begin.

You can check the online registration to see if any spots have recently opened for that session. Waitlists are not available, but, you are welcome to try to attend the workshop on standby in case someone doesn’t show up for the session. Simply proceed to the session room at the workshop time, and wait until all registered attendees have been admitted. Once all registered attendees have been seated, and the session time is underway, our team can check to see if there are open seated and admit you into the session if so. You may end up a few minutes late for your original session or your desired sold-out session in this case, so please be patient, we’ll do our best to get you seated as quickly as possible.

Culinary workshops in the kitchens around campus will consist of culinary demonstrations and presentations by the featured conference chefs, who will guide you through the subject at hand with tastings and demonstrated cooking techniques. Because there will be no hands-on cooking, you are not required to wear a chef’s coat or bring any tools, but we do request that you wear closed- toed shoes.

Our campus has a free wireless network available for attendees. To access our network, select the “Worlds_of_Flavor” network. Your device will then connect automatically. If you experience trouble, please visit the hospitality desk. 

There are a wide variety of hotels, resorts, and bed & breakfasts available in the Napa Valley. Conference attendees should book their hotel accommodations as early as possible. Explore accommodation options in the Napa Valley.

Many recipes are attached to the session when they were demonstrated in the app, and, all recipes, including marketplace and receptions will be available electronically for download after the conference. As soon as all recipes are compiled, approximately one month after the conference, we will email all of the attendees the information to access all conference recipes along with videos from this year’s Worlds of Flavor program. Those that register and attend the virtual edition, will be given access to the resource webpage. This area is password protected. If in need of the password, please reach out to foodleadership@culinary.edu to confirm your attendance/registration.

The Culinary Institute of America typically offers 1.1 continuing education units for registered conference attendees who attend all sessions at the Worlds of Flavor Conference. Review continuing education information.

As an IACET Accredited Provider, The Culinary Institute of America offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.

The Culinary Institute of America is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.  IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.

If you find something, please bring it directly to the conference help desk and we will ensure it is received by security.  If you’ve lost something, please contact our security department by mobile phone at 707-299-0347.

Save the date for our next Worlds of Flavor - November 4-6, 2026.