Please see below for the conference agenda.
7:30 A.M. – 8:30 A.M.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
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8:30 A.M. – 8:45 A.M.
Welcome and Program Overview
Ing Phansavath, Director, Department of Business, Management & Legal Programs, UCLA Extension
Anna M. Graves, Partner and Co-Leader of the Restaurant, Food & Beverage Industry Group, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
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8:45 A.M. – 9:40 A.M.
Economic Outlook: A Return to Normalcy or a New Normal?
Speaker: Professor Jerry Nickelsburg, Senior Economist of the UCLA Anderson Forecast and Professor at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Business
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9:40 A.M. – 10:40 A.M.
Innovation Award Presentation
Recipient: Joth Ricci, Dutch Bros Coffee, Stumptown Coffee Roasters, Adelsheim Vineyard, and Jones Soda Co.
Interviewer: Lauren Bailey, CEO & Co-Founder, Upward Projects
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10:40 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
Networking Break
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11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.
Supply Chain Management, Support for Fiscal Sustainability
This panel will discuss how supply chain management and specialty suppliers can create value and efficiency below the sales line, within cost of goods sold, and without damaging the Guest experience or brand standards.
Moderator: Rocky Meron, Director of Sales, GreenLeaf a ChefsWarehouse Company
Panelists: David Kraus, Chief Strategy Officer, Produce Alliance; Scott Sanders, recently retired CEO of Food Buy Speaker and a former National Vice President with Sysco
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12:00 P.M. – 12:30 P.M.
Break & Luncheon
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12:30 P.M. – 1:25 P.M.
Foodmanitarian™ Award Presentation
Recipient: Lynsi Snyder, President, In-N-Out and passionate philanthropist through Save 2 Nothing Foundation and the In-N-Out Foundation
Interviewer: Robert Wallan, Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
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1:25 P.M. – 1:45 P.M.
Break
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1:45 P.M. – 2:30 P.M.
Using AI to Build Stronger Customer Connections
As companies learn to use generative AI to create value, there’s a risk that they take the wrong approach when applying the technology to the customer experience. In fact, research shows AI can help boost customer satisfaction when it’s used to offer customers more personalized solutions or to help human employees provide better service than they would without the technological assist. Learn how to use this new technology to delight customers in new and different ways.
Speaker: Maureen Burns, Bain & Company
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2:30 P.M. – 3:15 P.M.
Dynamic Pricing Demystified: A Peek at the Future
A panel of restaurant executives from fine dining to quick service take the mystery out of what dynamic pricing really is – and isn’t. The use cases of dynamic – or simply – variable pricing range from charging a premium for a specific table in fine dining to issuing a discount via personalization at a kiosk in quick service.
Moderator: Tammy Billings, SignalFlare.ai, New Business Development Advisor
Speakers: Alex Eagle, CEO, Freebirds World Burrito; John DiLazarro, CFO, Innovative Dining Group; Daniel Lee, CTO & CMO, Flame Broiler
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3:15 P.M. – 3:35 P.M.
Break
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3:35 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
The Takeaways On Takeaway
Moderator: Chris Webb, CEO, ChowNow
Panelists: Briana Valdez, Founder and CEO, HomeState; Sean Reiter, Director, Brand revenue, The Melt; Sam Bernstein, Founder & CEO, Table22
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4:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M.
Control What You Can Control: Founders’ Perspectives
Moderator: Rahul Aggarwal, Managing Director, Brentwood Associates
Panelists: Jason McGowan, Founder and CEO of Crumbl Cookies; Chris Simms, CEO and Founder, Lazy Dog; Steve Salm, CEO, PLANTA
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5:30 P.M. – 7:30 P.M.
Evening Reception
