Chefs from the American Culinary Federation’s (ACF) Northeast and Southeast Region’s will gather for hands-on workshops, culinary demonstrations, and professional development opportunities during ChefConnect: Baltimore.

The event will take place Feb. 15-17 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.

The conference is part of ACF’s Signature Series, which provides professional development for chefs and culinary students through educational programs, conferences and competitions. ChefConnect: Baltimore will feature cooking demonstrations and career development seminars and provide networking opportunities for chefs, students, and foodservice professionals.

Conference topics will highlight culinary trends for 2015 and include discussions on food pairings, vegetable-based and meat-alternative entrees, gourmet ice cream desserts, and how to build relationships with local farmers.

In addition, seminars will take place on the topic of sustainable seafood, from the science of oyster aquaculture and wild-caught versus farmed fish to the growing process of mussels.

Eleven student teams from the Northeast and Southeast will compete in the Baron H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl, sponsored by American Technical Publishers. The knowledge bowl is a jeopardy-style culinary competition that includes questions on culinary skills, baking, nutrition, sanitation, and math. The winning team from each region will travel to the Cook, Craft, Create ACF National Convention and Show to compete for the national title.

Regional awards will be announced at ChefConnect: Baltimore, including ACF Chef Educator of the Year, Achievement of Excellence Awards, and ACF President’s Medallions.

ChefConnect: Baltimore is open to the public and registration is required.