Campus organizations will soon have a versatile new tool for organizing special events.

The Festival and Special Event Food Vendor Directory, compiled by the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce and the University of Illinois Extension Office in Coles County, will present event planners with a wide variety of catering options, said Corinne Russell, tourism director for the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce.

The directory will include contact information from vendors across the Midwest, whose specialties range from cotton candy to various ethnic cuisines.

“It’s designed for groups who organize or operate special events,” Russell said. “These people hire food vendors to complement their events.”

The directory will feature vendors who responded to advertisements for the directory in numerous local and regional Midwestern publications, Sharon Kunz of the Coles County University of Illinois Extension Office said Monday.

The directory will be available to attendees of the Ninth Annual Central Illinois Festival and Special Events Workshop, scheduled for March 16, at the Lincoln Log Cabin Historical Site. The workshop will feature keynote speaker Marjorie Beenders, a marketing executive with the Beenders Marketing Group. As the director of the Missouri Division of Tourism, Beenders was instrumental in developing the “Wake up to Missouri” advertising campaign.

“It’s a very informative workshop for any volunteer or professional who helps organize special events,” Russell said.

The workshop will discuss promotion ideas for events ranging from sports to agritourism, and will present strategies for recruitment, sponsorship, and attracting families.

Tickets for the Ninth Annual Central Illinois Festival and Special Events Workshop are $30 before March 1. Tickets purchased after March 1 will be $35. For purchasing information, contact the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce at 345-7041.