Monday, 06/03
6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Welcome Cocktails
King Terrace
8:00 PM Central
9:00 PM ET
Private VIP Dinner (invite only)
Tuesday, 06/04
9:15 AM Central
10:15 AM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation
Canray Ballroom BC
9:35 AM Central
10:35 AM ET
Opening Remarks
- MC
- Erin Everhart, Senior Director of Event Programming, MediaPost
9:45 AM Central
10:45 AM ET
Keynote: White Castle’s 103 Year Journey Into Craveability
Few QSRs can say they’ve outlived the century. White Castle is one of them, and we have them to thank for pioneering the fast-food hamburger industry. How has this iconic brand still maintained crave-worthy after all this time? CMO Lynn Blashford will share their history of crave advertising and how they’re modernizing their marketing strategy with each new generation – just in time for the 20th anniversary of the cult-classic movie, “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.”
- Keynote
- Lynn Blashford, Chief Marketing Officer, White Castle
10:15 AM Central
11:15 AM ET
Panel: Balancing Brand Marketing and Value Messaging in Your Media
Menu variety and affordability are the top two things customers look for when researching new restaurants, and there are more options than ever for them to choose from. How do we balance our strategy between brand awareness to find new customers and a strong value incentive to convince them to purchase? Our panel shares their learnings on how this comes to life across their menu offerings, creative strategy and media buying.
- PanelistS
- Beth Hardy, VP of Marketing, Modern Market Eatery
- Jami Horowitz Kimbrough, VP of Marketing, Surcheros Tex Mex
- Justin Whitehead, Director of Media, Cicis Pizza
10:40 AM Central
11:40 AM ET
Sponsor Presentation & Coffee Break
11:10 AM Central
12:10 PM ET
Case Study: Small is Big: How Smalls Sliders is Disrupting QSR…One Can at a Time
You can’t go far without hearing something about Smalls Sliders.Backed by Drew Brees, they have over 230 Cans open or under development across 18 states. What’s the secret to their success? Simplicity and disruption. From an intentionally limited menu and streamlined operations to their distinct approach to branding and marketing, Smalls is shaking up the big burger industry and taking the QSR space by storm in the process. Smalls Sliders SVP & head of marketing, Michael Alberici, breaks down how they’ve broken through the marketing muck to become one of the fastest-growing brands in QSR.
- Presenter
- Michael Alberici, SVP - Head of Marketing, Smalls Sliders
11:35 AM Central
12:35 PM ET
Panel: Keeping Up with the Evolving Omnichannel Customer Experience
It seems like every day there’s a new way for customers to interact with your brand. The media landscape is constantly changing, the industry is saturated with celebrity endorsements, and good content is more important than ever. How do we adapt our media strategy to reach people at the right time and right place? What opportunities exist for creative efficiencies? What’s going to happen when the third-party cookie finally goes away?
- Panelist
- Joshua Sims, Sr. Manger, Media & Advertising, Bojangles
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Balancing Brand Marketing and Value Messaging
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Menu and Marketing Innovation Trends Across Dayparts
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Managing the Relationship with Third-Party Delivery Partners
12:45 PM Central
1:45 PM ET
Sponsor Lunch Presentation
2:00 PM Central
3:00 PM ET
New Orleans Brewery Tour
French Quarter Walking Tour & Café du Monde
Golf at English Turn Country Club
6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Cocktail Party
Desi Vegas Steakhouse (Shuttle leaves @ 6:15 SHARP)
7:30 PM Central
8:30 PM ET
Dinner
Desi Vegas Steakhouse
Wednesday, 06/05
9:15 AM Central
10:15 AM ET
Sponsor Breakfast Presentation
Canray Ballroom BC
9:35 AM Central
10:35 AM ET
Notes from Emcee
- MC
- Erin Everhart, Senior Director of Event Programming, MediaPost
9:45 AM Central
10:45 AM ET
Keynote: Quality Over Quantity | Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s Loyalty Evolution
Loyalty can be a tricky concept when you’re not a value brand. For Tropical Smoothie Cafe, it meant progressing from batch-and-blast offers on every national event to a disciplined approach on discounting. Melissa Cummings, VP of Digital Marketing, will share how they achieved a 50% increase in Tropic Rewards members through stair-stepped, pulsed moments, how they’re sustaining that growth, and how they’re building trust with their franchisee base.
10:15 AM Central
11:15 AM ET
Panel: Crave-Worthy Personalization Tactics for Your Marketing Campaigns
If 2014 was the year of mobile, 2024 is the year or personalization. Customers today want a two-way relationship with brands they do business with, and that starts with relevant, engaging content. Learn hands-on tactics marketers are using to better personalize across channels, including data gathering tips to enhance a customer’s profile, audience segmentation strategies, automated customer journeys, triggered campaigns and more.
- Panelist
- Blake Johnson, Sr Director of Brand Marketing, CEC Entertainment
10:45 AM Central
11:45 AM ET
Sponsor Presentation & Coffee Break
11:15 AM Central
12:15 PM ET
Case Study: 50 Years Young | Mellow Mushroom's Rebrand & Digital Transformation
Mellow Mushroom had an awareness problem. Their stone-baked pizzas were a fan favorite, but their logo wasn’t recognizable, their digital presence was fractured, and there was little brand consistency across their 163-locations. Enter the brand’s first rebrand. Anne Mejia, Mellow Mushroom's VP of Brand Development, shares how the beloved pizza brand updated its look, digital presence and in-store environment to kick off the brand’s 50th anniversary – and gives us a taste of what’s coming next.
- Presenter
- Anne Mejia, VP of Brand Development, Mellow Mushroom
11:35 AM Central
12:35 PM ET
What Comes First: The Restaurant Choice or The Fulfillment Method?
Do customers choose where they want to eat first? Or do they choose how they want to get it? While the price markup may deter some customers, there’s a reason why third-party delivery platforms have amassed a large, loyal fan base: Some people only want what can be delivered; they’ll figure out the restaurant later. We’ll dive into how to adjust your marketing strategy based on each customer journey, including balancing your owned channel ordering against third-party delivery optimization.
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Building The Best Franchisee/Corporate Relationship
- Featuring
- Jerrod Mitchell, Vice President of Marketing, Flynn Group (Panera Bread + Arby's)
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Building Fandoms in the Fast Casual Industry
12:00 PM Central
1:00 PM ET
Roundtable: Loyalty Technique That Drive Customer Frequency
12:45 PM Central
1:45 PM ET
Sponsor Lunch Presentation
2:00 PM Central
3:00 PM ET
Axe Throwing
Manchac Kayak Swamp Tour
Swamp Airboat Tour
6:30 PM Central
7:30 PM ET
Cocktail Party
Commander's Palace (Shuttle leaves @ 6:15 SHARP)
7:30 PM Central
8:30 PM ET
Dinner
Commander's Palace
Thursday, 06/06
8:45 AM Central
9:45 AM ET
Q&A: Building Fandoms in the Fast Casual Industry
There is nothing more gratifying than converting the drive-by, one-time purchaser to a loyal, committed customer: a fan. And Nicole Portwood, CMO of Salad and Go, knows a thing or two about building fans. With more than 25 years of experience in CPG, liquor and entertainment marketing – including launching Jennifer Lopez’s cocktail brand Delola — she’s now spearheading the brand that plans to open one new restaurant a week in 2024. Join us for a fireside chat with Nicole to learn how she’s evangelizing her customer base, bringing delicious, affordable and convenient food to all.
- Interviewee
- Nicole Portwood, CMO, Salad and Go
- Interviewer
- Erin Everhart, Senior Director of Event Programming, MediaPost
9:15 AM Central
10:15 AM ET
Case Study Presentation
9:40 AM Central
10:40 AM ET
Panel: Loyalty Strategies for the Price-Sensitive Customer
While the average inflation rate has steadied since its peak in 2022, we’re still grappling with higher prices across the board due to the rising cost of goods. QSR and fast casual marketers turn to loyalty programs to drive acquisition and retention, but how do you craft a sustainable discount strategy, so we’re not in a race to the bottom? And while value is a key decision factor, it’s not the only thing that makes a customer loyal. Join us for an in-depth discussion with loyalty experts from top brands on how they’re rethinking their 2024 programs.
- PanelistS
- Jon Asher, CMO, Nekter Juice Bar
- Joanna Bonder, Sr. Director Loyalty and Digital Channel Marketing, Zaxby’s
- Samantha Bryan, Sr. Director of Marketing, Willy’s Mexicana Grill
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