November 15 - 18, 2023
Santa Barbara, CA

Event Sponsors

Agenda

Wednesday, 11/15

6:30 PM Pacific
9:30 PM ET
Welcome Cocktails Fireside Room - 1st Floor (below Pacific Ballroom)

Thursday, 11/16

7:45 AM Pacific
10:45 AM ET
Coffee Service Available Pacific Ballroom Foyer - 2nd Floor
8:00 AM Pacific
11:00 AM ET
VIP 1:1 Meetings Fireside Room - 1st Floor (below Pacific Ballroom)
8:30 AM Pacific
11:30 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Pacific Ballroom Foyer - 2nd Floor
9:15 AM Pacific
12:15 PM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation Pacific Ballroom
9:35 AM Pacific
12:35 PM ET
Opening Remarks
MC
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
9:45 AM Pacific
12:45 PM ET
Keynote Q&A: Marketing Peter Piper’s Larger Pie
Celebrating 50 years as an experiential dining brand, Peter Piper Pizza has learned to maximize its larger, multifunctional real estate for multiple constituencies – family, work and fund-raising markets. But as a brand expands to such diverse targets, how does a marketing team allocate, synergize and organize for a larger pie of many slices?
Interviewee
Genaro Perez, Chief Marketing Officer, Peter Piper Pizza 
Interviewer
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
10:10 AM Pacific
1:10 PM ET
Sponsor Spotlight & Coffee Break
10:40 AM Pacific
1:40 PM ET
Panel: Increasing Share of Stomach: Beyond LTOs and Discounting
As costs rise and dining wallets shrink, what marketing and media tactics are growing the "share of stomach" for QSR/Fast Casual brands? LTOs and couponing/discounts only go so far in converting customers to your brand? What is moving the market share needle? Is it experience, quality, choice, convenience, variety? And once you are committed to those brand values, what channels are proving most effective in capturing new prospects?
Moderator
Teresa Buyikian, QSR Reporter, Mediapost 
PanelistS
Taylor Fischer, VP Marketing, Fast Casual Division, FAT Brands 
Alicia Mowder, VP, Growth, Panera Bread 
Greg Wold, VP of Marketing, Toppers Pizza 
11:10 AM Pacific
2:10 PM ET
Case Study: Going Off-Menu: Wendy’s Rethinks the Promotional Recipe
For a novel campaign that tied Frosty giveaways with Milwaukee Bucks wins, the local Wendy’s franchisees went off the usual media and messaging menus. Usinggiveaways rather than discounts andleveraging near-real-time Digital Out of Home placements that beat TV and radio promos. And even by using sports to reach non-fans. Gina shares the lessons learned from being willing to buck conventional wisdom in media, promotion and even targeting to drive the bottom line.
Presenter
Gina Sisk, Media Director, Manna Hospitality Group / Bridgeman 
11:30 AM Pacific
2:30 PM ET
Case Study: From Retail to Virtual and Back Again: Dog Haus' Virtual Brand Growth Strategy
The virtual brand model helped Dog Haus survive the pandemic. Now, with one of its six virtual brands breaking out as a major hit and revenue machine, the company is exploring leveraging that success in retail and outside their own footprint and core brand. Justin shares learnings from winning the cluttered virtual space.
Presenter
Justin Bartek, VP of Marketing, Dog Haus 
11:50 AM Pacific
2:50 PM ET
Roundtable: Balancing Brand & Value
How do you create value for your customers? Do you use any discounts anymore? What innovative tactics have you used in order to drive sales?
Featuring
Greg Wold, VP of Marketing, Toppers Pizza 
11:50 AM Pacific
2:50 PM ET
Roundtable: Virtual Branding
How do you build a virtual brand? Is your virtual brand an extension of your existing brand or an entirely new concept? Are the target demos for virtual brands different from in-person brands?
Featuring
Justin Bartek, VP of Marketing, Dog Haus 
12:35 PM Pacific
3:35 PM ET
Lunch
12:40 PM Pacific
3:40 PM ET
Sponsor Lunch Presentation
2:00 PM Pacific
5:00 PM ET
Urban Walking Wine Tour
Golf - Sandpiper Golf Club
Near Coastal Kayaking Tour
6:30 PM Pacific
9:30 PM ET
Cocktails Convivo Restaurant (Short Walk from Mar Monte)
7:30 PM Pacific
10:30 PM ET
Dinner Convivo Restaurant

Friday, 11/17

7:45 AM Pacific
10:45 AM ET
Coffee Service Available Pacific Ballroom Foyer - 2nd Floor
8:00 AM Pacific
11:00 AM ET
VIP 1:1 Meetings Fireside Room - 1st Floor (below Pacific Ballroom)
8:30 AM Pacific
11:30 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Pacific Ballroom Foyer - 2nd Floor
9:15 AM Pacific
12:15 PM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation
9:35 AM Pacific
12:35 PM ET
Notes from the Emcee
MC
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
9:40 AM Pacific
12:40 PM ET
Case Study: Yes We Did: Domino's Broadens Loyalty Base With Real Value
When Domino’s retooled its loyalty program to Domino’s Rewards this year, the company followed a simple recipe. Keep it simple, make rewards more attainable and improve the value for the customer, as well as the company. The new approach took flight in a 360-degree marketing program that tied rewards into new product launches as well, connecting loyalty to the larger marketing and menu development efforts. Nicole reports early learnings and where they are already moving the needle.
Presenter
Nicole Pavlovich, Director - Loyalty & CRM, Domino's 
10:10 AM Pacific
1:10 PM ET
Sponsor Spotlight & Coffee Break
10:40 AM Pacific
1:40 PM ET
Panel: Doing "Value Exchange" Like You Mean It: Next-Gen Loyalty
Loyalty apps are table stakes, and despite marketers' best efforts, most consumers identify them with promotions and discounts. Our panel explores the ways in which they are rethinking the loyalty and app experience to create deeper relationships with consumers. What works in growing frequency, sharing zero-party data, and genuine connections between brand and loyalist?
Moderator
Kristy Schlepp, CEO, Outdoor Nation 
PanelistS
Robert Baek, COO, Veggie Grill 
Caprice Kindgren, Director of Marketing, Urbane Cafe 
Taylor Voelker, Director, Local Restaurant Marketing, Blaze Pizza 
11:10 AM Pacific
2:10 PM ET
Case Study: Jack in the Box: Partnering with Creators and Keeping up with Social Trends
From nano to macro, Jack in the Box leverages creators for authentic consumer connections that tap into trends and enhance the brand’s cultural relevance. They stay on trend by using social listening, strategic partners and a vast roster of creators -- from gaming streamers to celebrities. Sheena will talk about how they organize and select their strategic partners, build in house capabilities and roster of creators to work across campaigns and audiences. Learn how Jack in the Box keeps up with the evolving landscape and continues to be ranked among the top 3 QSRs on TikTok.
Presenter
Sheena Dougher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Jack in the Box 
11:30 AM Pacific
2:30 PM ET
Case Study: Positioning Is Everything: Sbarro Finds Its Slice
Sbarro, that familiar mainstay of food courts everywhere, has to sell pizza differently…by the slice and on impulse. As Terri Weaver explains, the brand had to find a market positioning and value proposition that was as singular as its unique history.
Presenter
Terri Weaver, Senior Brand Manager, Sbarro 
11:50 AM Pacific
2:50 PM ET
Roundtable: Loyalty Programs and Subscriptions
How long has your loyalty program been around? Have you added any subscription options to keep customers coming back? Are there ways you keep customers coming back to the app without providing discounts?
Featuring
Kristy Schlepp, CEO, Outdoor Nation 
Gina Sisk, Media Director, Manna Hospitality Group / Bridgeman 
11:50 AM Pacific
2:50 PM ET
Roundtable: Working with Creators/Influencers and keeping up with Social Trends
How do you select who to partner with? Do you have a social listening team? What platforms are your creators/influencers using?
Featuring
Sheena Dougher, Vice President, Marketing Communications, Jack in the Box 
11:50 AM Pacific
2:50 PM ET
Roundtable: Next Steps in Third-Party Partnerships?
Third-party delivery brands are an inescapable part of the dining ecosystem now. But how are brands finding new ways to leverage the relationships, the platforms, the marketing, and media possibilities?
Featuring
Harold Walters, Co-Founder / CEO, Shootz Hawaiian 
12:35 PM Pacific
3:35 PM ET
Lunch
2:00 PM Pacific
5:00 PM ET
Catamaran Cruise Santa Barbara Coastline
Funk Zone Brewery Tour
Hiking at Rattlesnake Canyon
6:30 PM Pacific
9:30 PM ET
Cocktails Living Room/Terrace at Mar Monte
7:30 PM Pacific
10:30 PM ET
Dinner Hotel Californian (Shuttle at 7:30pm SHARP)

Saturday, 11/18

8:00 AM Pacific
11:00 AM ET
Breakfast Buffet Opens Pacific Ballroom Foyer - 2nd Floor
9:00 AM Pacific
12:00 PM ET
Case Study: Punching Above Your Weight: The Challenges of a Challenger Brand
When you bring a farm-to-table ethic to the QSR market, be ready to think outside the box. Farmer Boys's Senior Director of Marketing reflects on lessons learned from its unconventional approach to unconventional fast food. From challenging customers to post chicken dance videos to branded GIPHYs, from making drive-thru a differentiator to mapping the different needs of a younger demo against a more optimized menu. And what are the best channels now through which a challenger message can resonate?
Presenter
Daisy Alvarez, Senior Director of Marketing, Farmer Boys 
9:30 AM Pacific
12:30 PM ET
Panel: Inspiration for Dessert: Delicious Creative
QSR and Fast Casual marketers have had to push the boundaries of creative inspiration in recent years to break through. We end the summit by asking several of our marketers to share some of their ad creative that has broken through - whether on TV, Twitter, Out-of-Home, TikTok, Twitch or media we hadn't considered before. Time for some show, tell, and learn.
Moderator
Steve Smith, VP, Editorial Director, Events, MediaPost 
PanelistS
Kevin Cruz, NRO Marketing Manager, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers 
Kate Fisher, Director of Digital Marketing, Toppers Pizza 
Mark Hardison, Chief Marketing Officer, California Fish Grill 
10:00 AM Pacific
1:00 PM ET
Conference concludes

Venue

Mar Monte Hotel
1111 East Cabrillo Boulevard
Santa Barbara, California, 93103

Steps from the beach, tucked between the Santa Ynez Mountain Range and the Pacific Ocean, the Hyatt Mar Monte Hotel embodies the gracious spirit and style of Santa Barbara, California.  Long a vital part of this vibrant community, this historic and legendary property has been recently revitalized and reimagined – impeccably crafted for the modern traveler.  Your home away from home welcomes you.
 

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Sponsorships

For questions regarding sponsorship of this event please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

Press

For press inquiries, please contact Ken Fadner at ken@mediapost.com.

General

For general summit inquiries please contact Seth Oilman, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer at seth@mediapost.com.

VIP Program

For questions about or to apply to the VIP Program please contact Kevin Massa, Manager of Brand & Agency Relations at massa@mediapost.com.

Quality Pledge

MediaPost strives for excellence in its coverage of media, marketing and advertising. Our mission is to critically engage key questions for brand marketers, media buyers, sellers and emerging platforms. We choose speakers exclusively for their ability to bring perspective and insight to our stage. All conferences are programmed by proven, expert, unbiased journalists. MediaPost has never and will never engage in "pay to play" conferencing.