Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show's Page

Full Conference Schedule
Friday, September 11

10:00 – 11:30 AM
Knowledge Exchange – Invitation Only
Moderator: Larry Stuart, President, Larry Stuart Hospitality

The Knowledge Exchange is 60 minutes of idea and solution sharing with peers on the theme topic:
Time is tight and business is challenging. How do you ensure growth in this economy? To kick-off the Knowledge Exchange, Larry Stuart will deliver a quick ten minute guide on the top 3 keys to surviving in a down economy – and then the knowledge exchange begins!
Sponsored by Tyson Foodservice.

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
People, Sales & Profits
Chris Weinberg, Partner/CEO
The BarFly Group
www.thebarflygroup.com

Recognizing, Adapting and Prospering in today’s dynamically new environment. A third generation restaurateur, and leading restaurant consultant, Chris Weinberg will discuss the fundamentals of navigating and balancing the business climate in our changed environment. Focusing on the three most important aspects of our business, People, Sales and Profits, you will learn best practices and “a ha!” tips to keep each side in balance.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Marketing Recipes for Success in Challenging Times
Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing, LLC
www.marketing-cookbook.com

Restaurant marketing expert and author Linda Duke will share some of her sales driving tips, tools and tactics of successful marketing programs and creative visuals of top restaurant brands in the country. The restaurant business has become highly competitive and with consumers ever changing demands and time constraints, it is imperative that restaurant operators have marketing programs in place to get their share of sales, awareness and frequency.
www.marketing-cookbook.com

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Email Marketing-How to Skyrocket Sales & Make it Your Best Weapon
Boris Bugarski, CEO and President mUrgent
www.murgent.com

From email marketing strategies to tactics, this session will demonstrate proven methods for stinging your competition, creating business and buzz in your neighborhood, and making your email marketing work harder to combat this slowing economy. Learn how thousands of restaurant locations across the U.S. have used Boris Bugarski's top email marketing secrets and tips for growing sales month after month by building a monster email list overnight and effectively leveraging email for higher ticket sales.

Take-Aways:
What components are necessary for a solid e-club program

1. Learn the differences between email marketing service providers
2. Know the secrets for building an email list overnight – and how to keep it growing
3. Discover how to create subject lines that command higher open rates – and the best tips on how to create higher click through rates

PLUS! Boris’s top tips on growing bigger ticket sales

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Mixology Today
Mike Tolley, Founder, Liquid Promos
www.liquidpromos.com

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Disney's Approach to Quality Service
Tom Madden, Manager, Content Delivery and Quality Control
The Disney Institute
www.disneyinstitute.com

Quality Service showcases how Disney is able to understand the psychographics and demographics of Guests’ needs, using a sound service infrastructure, ongoing research, and quality service standards that exceed Guests’ expectations. Discover how attention to detail creates a consistent, world-class service environment for both employees and consumers.

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Stand Out…or Step Aside
Larry Mersereau, CTC
PromoPower LLC
www.promopower.com

What do you think goes through a person’s mind when they’re thinking about eating out? Do they ask “Where’s the cheapest place in town?” Maybe it’s “Where can I get this over with in a hurry?” Or is it “Where can I go where I feel welcomed and appreciated, and will feel like it was well worth the money when I leave?” Actually, there are a number of questions. Your marketing and advertising should answer some of them. Your sales efforts answer more. And service controls whether they get the kind of experience that will leave them satisfied and likely to come back again…and again. You must understand each step of the loyalty-nurturing-continuum, and manage them all properly if you want to grow your business. This program gives you simple, doable…effective strategies and tactics you can use immediately to make that first thing that they think be: “Let’s go to ( your name ). Why would we go anywhere else?”

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Retaining Your Customers & Brewing Profits with Delicious Coffee
Michael Love, Ultimate Barista USA, Owner, Coffee Labs Roasters Inc.
www.coffeelabs.com

Join Mike Love, in a lively informative presentation about Coffee, its origin, Market trends and how to add to your bottom line with brewing “Tips and Tricks”.
New and Current Coffee trends will be discussed, along with how to implement these into your business. Don’t let your customers be “deserters”..(Patrons who leave an establishment after a meal to find delicious coffee). Adding quality coffee to your menu will increase profits and let your customers first, last and lasting impression be an excellent one.

1:30 – 2:30 PM
A Year in Social Media – Case Study
Paul Barron, SVP, Publisher & Chairman
Fast Casual Magazine
www.fastcasual.com/magazine.php

Building your brand and restaurant business is a challenge now more than ever. Why? It's simple you have lost control of the consumer. But wait that's a good thing in today's always on everything anywhere, anytime consumer social sphere. New media branded as social media, social web, and few terms yet to be named is really just about connecting to your audience. Problem is in requires high-tech tools and an understanding that we as restaurant owners and operators are not familiar or comfortable using. Fear not, as we take you into a real how to process of creating your own digital footprint and develop your Social Media Makeover!

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Culinary Cocktails
Mike Tolley, Founder, Liquid Promos
www.liquidpromos.com
Francine Cohen, Editor in Chief
Food & Beverage Magazine
www.fb101.com

2:00 – 3:00 PM
How to Keep Fine Dining Alive and Profitable
Larry Stuart, President, Larry Stuart Hospitality
Social media, communal tables, and tasting menus are just some of the ways restaurants have reacted to the change in consumer dining. When and how should your restaurant respond? Learn what some of the most successful restaurateurs and chefs are doing, to continue to bring in crowds without sacrificing their brand.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Imaginative Resort & Restaurant Branding
Scott Ward, Vice President, Sales/Marketing, Scrub Island Resort, BVI, www.mainsailhotels.com
Tom DiGiorgio, CEO, DK-Group, www.dk-group.com
Andre' Capi, Director of Architecture, DK-Group, www.dk-group.com
In today's economic and competitive environment, there is a temptation to resort to short-term tactical pricing strategies to the detriment of your brand. Consumers have to be motivated and captivated so it is important to develop a brand with charisma and drive it home throughout the customer experience.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Expanding Your Company Today Through Franchising
Tom DuFore, Executive Vice President
Francorp
www.francorp.com

This session will highlight multiple ways companies look at to grow and how the present market conditions are affecting each. Growth strategies include: venture capital, licensing, franchising, debt, internally generated capital, and business opportunities. If you are serious about growing your company, this session is a must.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Customer Service – When You Care, They Know
Richard Flint CSP, Chairman & CEO
Flint, Incorporated
www.RichardFlint.com

When the customer enters your establishment and doesn’t feel their business is valued, you lose! You talk about “service” and the customer talks about “satisfaction”: when the two aren’t connected through the feeling of “being appreciated”, business is lost. Join Richard Flint as he shares his insights into how to build the bridge between the concept of Customer Service and the experience of Customer Satisfaction through being able to define “Customer Appreciation.” The program – When You Care, They Know!

The Philosophy: Your product gets you noticed, your service gets you remember and when the two are tied together through quality, the customer feels appreciated: that creates Customer Loyalty.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Common Sense Marketing For Independent Restaurants: How To Compete Against The Big Chains & Win!
Joel Cohen, Chief Experience Officer/Wizard of WOW, RestaurantMarketing.com

Designed for independent restaurants, this fast-paced workshop shows you how to do the little things inside and outside of your restaurant that win the hearts and wallets of your guests. Common sense marketing is simply about being the "mayor" and winning the campaign in your neighborhood.This workshop gives every attendee a direction and over 25 easy, inexpensive tactics to use that will make their guests say, "Wow!" For the restaurateur that needs simple ideas that are rewarding and easy to achieve, this workshop is it.
Saturday, September 12

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Common Sense Marketing For Independent Restaurants: How To Compete Against The Big Chains & Win!
Joel Cohen, Chief Experience Officer/Wizard of WOW, RestaurantMarketing.com

Designed for independent restaurants, this fast-paced workshop shows you how to do the little things inside and outside of your restaurant that win the hearts and wallets of your guests. Common sense marketing is simply about being the "mayor" and winning the campaign in your neighborhood. This workshop gives every attendee a direction and over 25 easy, inexpensive tactics to use that will make their guests say, "Wow!" For the restaurateur that needs simple ideas that are rewarding and easy to achieve, this workshop is it.

10:30 – 11:30
Tactical Marketing Workshop
Rob Crews, President
C Results Marketing

Hear from a former restaurant CMO who will give you 30 ideas in 30 minutes to drive your business and then spend 30 minutes answering your toughest marketing issues. Bring your questions and expect a lively, fast-paced discussion.

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
How to Sell More Franchises
Sponsored by The Franchise Edge & The Franchise Sales Solution
www.thefranchiseedge.com

Join Paul Samson, President of The Franchise Edge (The National Franchise Development Partner for Sysco foods) in an interactive session that will provide you with critical information on how to sell more franchises and grow your business. Key focal points will include: generating, managing and tracking leads, how to build a measurable and consistent sales process, creating a 10 Point-of-Contact Campaign, establishing a goal-setting dialogue with prospects and moving prospects through the sales process.

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Turning Your Vendors Into Partners
Moderator: Linda Duke, CEO, Duke Marketing, LLC
www.dukemarketing.com

Restaurant operators have numerous vendors to purchase goods and services from. Across the entire food and beverage industry there are thousands of product partners and opportunities that often go unnoticed or under utilized. This panel of restaurant Supplier/Vendors will discuss what type of support, promotional dollars and innovative programs are available to restaurant operators. Panelists will share several case studies and success stories, as well as discussing current opportunities for operators to take advantage and turn their vendors into partners.

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Pouring and Inventory Control
David McCollough
Free Pour Control Systems
www.freepour.com

12:00 – 1:00 PM
Restaurant Operations for a Profitable Bottom Line
Darren s. Denington, CFBE
Service With Style
www.servicewithstyle.com

Systems, Systems, Systems. Implement tested and proven systems on Service, Hiring, Training, Cost Controls, Inventory and Daily Functions that will have your restaurant operating smoothly for a strong future.

12:30 – 1:30 PM
Retaining Your Customers & Brewing Profits with Delicious Coffee
Michael Love, Ultimate Barista USA, Owner, Coffee Labs Roasters Inc.
www.coffeelabs.com

Join Mike Love, in a lively informative presentation about Coffee, its origin, Market trends and how to add to your bottom line with brewing “Tips and Tricks”.
New and Current Coffee trends will be discussed, along with how to implement these into your business. Don’t let your customers be “deserters”. (Patrons who leave an establishment after a meal to find delicious coffee). Adding quality coffee to your menu will increase profits and let your customers first, last and lasting impression be an excellent one.

1:30 – 2:30 PM
Senior Hospitality: Gearing Up for a Graying America
Jeff Catrett
As life expectancy rises and baby boomers enter their retirement years, accommodating seniors is increasingly a fact of life for the hospitality industry. However, to date, not enough thought has been devoted to the needs of older guests. Mr. Catrett will provide an overview of the expectations of this important and growing market segment, while highlighting mistakes made by the healthcare industry to draw parallels on how the hospitality industry can avoid the same pitfalls. He will offer insight and advice on what the hospitality industry can do to prepare for and better service the growing number of aging baby boomers.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Environmentally Sustainable Restaurant
Colleen Oteri, Communications Manager
Green Restaurant Association
www.dinegreen.com

Yes, it’s possible. The Green Restaurant Association, the leading organization for restaurants achieving restaurant sustainability will provide you with an overview of how your restaurant can become more environmentally sustainable in a way that makes sense for your business.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Email Marketing – How to Skyrocket Sales & Make it your Best Weapon
Boris Bugarski, CEO and President
mUrgent
www.mUrgent.com

From email marketing strategies to tactics, this session will demonstrate proven methods for stinging your competition, creating business and buzz in your neighborhood, and making your email marketing work harder to combat this slowing economy. Learn how thousands of restaurant locations across the U.S. have used Boris Bugarski's top email marketing secrets and tips for growing sales month after month by building a monster email list overnight and effectively leveraging email for higher ticket sales.

Take-Aways:
What components are necessary for a solid e-club program

1. Learn the differences between email marketing service providers
2. Know the secrets for building an email list overnight – and how to keep it growing
3. Discover how to create subject lines that command higher open rates – and the best tips on how to create higher click through rates

PLUS! Boris’s top tips on growing bigger ticket sales

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Employee Retention – Creating the Perfect Work Environment
Paul Bernier, A-1 Contract Staffing
www.a-1contractstaffing.com

3:00 – 4:00 PM
Marketing Optimization
Rob Crews, President
C Results Marketing

Being good enough is no longer the benchmark. Come hear how the best marketers are now optimizing their ideas and not leaving money on the table. This is your chance to come see the future of marketing.

3:30 – 4:30 PM
Want To Own A Business? Need a Job? Franchise is Your Solution
Francorp
Tom DuFore, Executive Vice President
www.francorp.com

In this session you will learn how buying a franchise is an excellent option to consider in today’s job market. It also will discuss the advantages to buying into a franchise instead of going into business on your own. If you are a job seeker or future entrepreneur this session is for you.