The Cheese Impresario, based in Los Angeles, brings upscale cheese and conversation to events. Barrie Lynn, former advertising executive and current cheese columnist for The Beverly Hills Times, introduces attendees to the art of cheese, teaching them how to get the most out of tasting cheese, how to pair cheese and wine, and how to use condiments to expand the “profile” of cheeses. Her focus is on artisanal cheeses, which, like fine wines, are made by small, usually family-run companies dedicated to quality.

Always on the lookout for new cheeses, she recently discovered Wisconsin-based Carr Valley Cheese Co.'s take on the French cheese Morbier — it includes layers of goat's milk cheese, grapevine ash, and sheep's milk cheese. If you're really into cheese, Lynn also publishes her own cheese blog.

Lynn can customize events to suit different group sizes and price ranges. www.thecheeseimpresario.com.

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