Never been so excited for a Monday.....

I get to do a lot of cool things for my job but I don’t think it’s any secret to those that know me that about a year and a half ago I really found my passion when we started planning FSMU.  Since FohBoh started we’ve seen trends come and go, different marketing strategies win and fail and our industry struggle with challenging economic times. Whether good or bad it’s been an insightful privilege to see industry stakeholders talk about strategy, best practices, new idea etc… in the FohBoh community.

When social media caught on I knew immediately our industry was lucky and had to take advantage. What better way to extend the guest experience before during and after the meal? What better way to connect with our next generation of leaders? Social media is a gift to the restaurant and hospitality industries and we’ve been lucky to see it grow, morph and benefit businesses and companies.

After attending several conferences with social media being a topic of a breakout or panel FohBoh and Networld Media Group saw a unique opportunity to harness the benefits and the power of social media by bringing an industry specific program to foodservice. Thus, FSMU was born.

Last year’s inaugural event had over 200 attendees, 15 breakouts, 5 keynotes and 45 speakers; ALL on topics relevant and pertinent to the use of social media for the restaurant and hospitality industries.  Some of the rockstar speakers included: Jereimah Owyang, Kathleen Wood, Nate DaPore, Mike Schneider, Asif Khan, Jill McFarland, Avery Block, Michael Atkinson and Paul Barron. We had an invigorating two days of sessions, networking and fun that left attendees with tangible and actionable plans to implement back at their places of businesses; and left us challenged to create an even bigger and better event for 2012.

Well, fast-forward six months to now and I am so excited to announce that as of today, 2012’s event is here and taking registrations! FSMU 2012 is an event sure to “knock your socks off”.  I’ve got a kick-butt steering committee and some phenomenal speakers booked with many more to follow. Once again, this year’s agenda is jam-packed with talented speakers and informative breakouts that will no doubt inspire and invigorate you. Agenda highlights include:

• Social Media Analytics: A guide to metrics and tools
• Understanding the Mobile User & the Future of Mobile Tools
• Brand Loyalty & Customer Service in a Social Media World
• B2B Social Media Tips, Trends & Best Practices
• Keynotes by social media & restaurant industry experts: Jason Falls, Jay Baer, Clara Shih, Dan Kim, John Pepper, Jim Knight and more
• The 1^st ever FSMU Social Media Awards
• Social Media Day at Wrigley Field
• A pre-conference tweet up benefiting Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out
• And much more!

You can now take advantage of the early registration price of $595 ($200 off the regular admission price). You can find more information by checking out the FSMU Profile. There you’ll find the link there to the FSMU website.

Hope to see you in the windy city this September for FSMU!