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Taste of the Unexpected

There is a connection we share through food and drink. As the centerpiece of human essence, it brings us together.

Steamboat Food & Wine Festival deepens that connection by helping understand each ingredient’s story, from field to fork and vine to glass. It allows chefs to fully explore the nuances that influence flavor and guests to indulge in the fruits of their creations.

Rooted in collaboration, Steamboat Food & Wine Festival pairs admired chefs not only with renowned winemakers, but with each other. Guests are fully engaged in the energy that emerges from their culinary fusion—captivated by the surprise of each great moment.

The authentic character of Steamboat, CO, creates a setting where guests are immersed in thoughtfully curated experiences. Intentionally selected for their intimacy, the venues allow guests to be expertly guided toward personal revelations in taste.

Your Event Team

Founder

Nicole Jarman

Nicole has 15 years of experience producing live events and experiences built on the platform of creating community. Curation, collaboration, community building and placemaking are the intentions encompassing Nicole’s work.

Through her company, HobNob Events, Nicole has produced over 1,200 events throughout Colorado, raising close to $5M for non-profit organizations. Nicole’s professional relationship with Steamboat started in 2012 during the five year run of the USA Pro Challenge: the seven day, professional stage racing cycling event in Colorado. With a strong emphasis on making a vision into a reality and focusing on true, authentic experiences, Nicole is thrilled to bring her passion to this new venture.

Operations Director

Adam Gray

Celebrity Chef Director

Jeff Black

Jeff Black’s life and career have been driven by two passions—outdoor sports and good food. Growing up in Southern California, he spent his summers lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons at the beach and his winters skiing in the mountains. After graduating from Northern Arizona University in 1982, he headed back to Los Angeles and began his event-planning career with the 1984 Los Angles Olympic Games. Jeff continued his involvement with the Summer Games and worked on four Olympic Torch Relays—Los Angeles, Atlanta, Salt Lake City and Athens, Greece.

After the 2004 Olympic Games, Jeff left the sporting world to focus on his other love, food and wine. For the past six years, he has led the charge for the Celebrity Chef Tour, benefiting the James Beard Foundation. This tour brings great chefs to cities around the country for an unforgettable night of food and drink. Under Jeff’s leadership, these tour dinners have raised over $850,000 to fund scholarships in culinary arts through the James Beard Foundation.

Jeff travels extensively and usually spends more time on the road than at home. In fact, North Dakota is the only state in the US that he has not visited. He is currently looking into a Celebrity Chef Tour dinner in Fargo. Jeff resides in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where he enjoys year-round outdoor adventure…and of course, good food and drink.

Hospitality Director

Tim Taylor

Tim Taylor is an industry expert with over 30 years of experience in food and beverage, event planning and venue development. Tim’s first job started his journey into the restaurant industry when his brother recruited him to start cooking right out of high school. It was his brother who taught Tim to provide a high standard of quality experience to anything he does throughout his career. All of Tim’s developed attributes has led him to start Avant-Garde Events and Productions: An organization that supports the event industry in a multitude of ways, from bar services, event implementation, operations, venue development, staffing and planning.

Most recently he was part of the senior leadership team that planned and executed the re-development of the McNichols building as a cultural arts and event venue. Additionally, he planned events at the McNichols building and surrounding Civic Center park area, successfully executing operations for over 1,500 events.

Tim values relationships and has extensive networks that extend to city agencies, non-profits and for-profit stakeholders. Tim volunteers his time by sitting on multiple event advisory boards, where he is an outspoken advocate for generating new business opportunities and striving for continual improvements.

Program Director

Radhika Mahanty

Radhika brings more than 25 years of professional experience in communications, strategic marketing and event production to the festival. A Colorado native, she has a deep love for the mountains and outdoors. Her expertise and passion converge where collaborative placemaking, connections and community relations meet. Her relationships mean everything to her and she loves Colorado for the people that make it an amazing place to live. Radhika lives in Denver with her son, Max, her two rescue mutts, and her wine fridge.

Partnerships & Marketing Director

Kelly Baird

Kelly is a brand marketing and partnership strategist with over 14 years in the industry. Kelly grew up as an Air Force brat moving every 3 years of her life until going to college at the University of Oregon, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Sports Marketing. She has worked extensively on the agency and property/event side, directing the strategic, marketing and operational development of brands and businesses.

Kelly brings to the table a tremendous strength in fostering strong relationships, effectively allocating resources and establishing cross-departmental processes to provide data-driven solutions within the integrated marketing and events space. A large part of her career has been spent within the sports marketing domain, leading strategy, sponsorship negotiations, activation and measurement work across a portfolio of brand and property clients.

In addition to this Kelly spent over three years working in Cape Town, South Africa. There, she managed and executed public-private partnerships with brands and organizations such as Nike, Barclays Spaces for Sport, John Hopkins CCP, FIFA, USAID and the South African Department of Health and Education.

Outside of supporting Steamboat Food and Wine Festival, Kelly, currently consults and executes brand, marketing and partnership strategies for various clients such as the Colorado Classic, Trak Software, Tennyson Center for Children and POV Sports Marketing. She currently resides in Denver, Colorado, but can be found traveling whenever she gets a chance.

Beverage and Spirit Director

Mark Stanford

Mark’s career began bartending in Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under influential individuals who allowed him the creative freedom to infuse both environmental and culinary elements into cocktails. Mark’s extensive experience in the craft cocktail and mixology realm has led him to Steamboat Springs, where he has developed a reputable beverage program that encompasses two local restaurants; Truffle Pig and Carl’s Tavern.

Mark has been invited to compete in several regional, national, and international cocktail competitions. 1st Place “People’s Choice”, Knob Creek Bourbon “Repeal Day” Competition 2017, 1st Place “Crafted Taste” Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cocktail Competition 2018, 3rd Place, Patron’s International Cocktail Development Program, Jalisco, Mexico, 2018 Finalist, Tuaca’s “Colorado’s Bartender’s Cup.”

Mark’s passion for the world of craft cocktails, mixology, spirits, and how to elevate the guest experience has drawn the attention of multiple publications, loyal guests and the spirits world as a whole. Mark’s captivating presentations have become a mainstay in the Steamboat Food & Wine Festival repertoire. Mark also founded BellRinger Consulting, a hospitality based consultancy, focusing primarily on special events, business governance, beverage program development and services centered around enhancing beverage program efficiency.

Fulfillment Manager

London Berthelot

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