AGENDA

Who's hungry?!!? Join us and a number of your peers as we explore Indianapolis ... through our stomachs!

You'll get a chance to try a couple of unique local restaurants while networking with your peers on a food crawl hosted by Rev Ciancio.

Schedule:

• 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm | Futuro, 19 Cruse St, Indianapolis, IN 46202
• 1:15 pm - 2:15 pm | ClusterTruck, 729 N Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, IN 46219

Participants are responsible for their own transportation, however, both locations are within walking distance of the hotel.

Everyone thinks good marketing looks like going viral when the truth is it’s actually about having consistent, always-on communications in a number of the right channels and sharing actionable content of what your guests want.

Join this session for a tactical look at how to operationalize and execute an omni-channel strategic marketing plan that is guaranteed to increase the number of new guests to your brand, the number of return visits and evangelists falling in love with your restaurant.

You'll discover:

• Principles and strategies that work
• What to stop doing / What to start doing
• The North star metrics you need to have in place to execute a 5-star marketing program

Third-Party marketplaces are a crucial part of off premise revenue but only if they're profitable! The competition is stiff, the margins are small and the systems are complicated and that's why you need a playbook.

Join this session and discover:

• Third to First Party conversion tactics
• Pricing and profitability strategies
• How and when to use promotions
• Menu optimization
• Reconciliation methods

Ever wonder what makes a restaurant go viral while one with a similar menu fails?

Two words: Amazing marketing.

These winning restaurants aren't just serving delicious food; they're serving experiences. And more importantly, they are telling the world. Behind every sizzling social media post, craveable campaign and packed house is a talented restaurant marketer. These are the culinary creatives, the data-driven dynamos, the storytellers who make mouths water and brands thrive.

Let's raise a glass in congratulations to our inaugural class of Top 35 Marketers as they strut their marketing prowess during our "Parade of Top Marketers."

Attendees will hear best practices from social media experts and then break up into small groups to dive even deeper into what works and doesn’t.

Everyone talks about segmentation and personalization, but no one shares which segments matter the most and how to market to them. In this discussion you'll discover the top segments you should be creating, how to create them and what kind of marketing moves the needle.

Attendees will learn from journalists and PR specialists what editors really want. Learn how to make the media pick up your story.

Discover:

• What to pitch
• When to pitch
• How to avoid frustrating a journalist
• What goes into a perfect pitch
• Topics that work
• Topics to avoid

Attendees will receive strategies and tools to create more effective and engaging loyalty programs for their restaurants. They’ll learn how to increase loyalty sign ups, drive redemptions and how to measure the impact of a well-built reward system.

They’ll also address common challenges to implementing successful loyalty programs and will learn about customer segmentation, discuss customer preferences and tailor loyalty programs and create customer journey maps to visualize the customer experience and identify opportunities for improvement.

The workshop will also reveal components of a compelling loyalty program, such as a tiered loyalty program, reward structures, gamification, personalized rewards, limited-time offers and offering exclusive perks to loyal customers.

Lastly, attendees will discuss how to measure the success of their programs.

Drowning in data but not sure what to do with it? Restaurant franchise marketers it’s time to turn your brand’s data into your biggest growth asset. Don’t miss this exciting, actionable conversation with Imaginuity and Newton Hoang, VP Marketing at Kura Sushi USA.

Learn how to move from scattered data insights to scalable marketing success by:

• Aggregating data across locations, platforms, and partners
• Building actionable customer segments and personas
• Aligning metrics with brand and franchisee goals
• Visualizing insights to fuel smarter, faster local marketing decisions
• Activating campaigns that drive loyalty, traffic, and sales at scale

Your data is calling—it wants to do more. Don’t miss this session that shows you how.

Marketers from leading brands will walk us through how they use data to plan, run and measure the success of marketing and menu launches. We’ll get tactical on a range of topics, including:

• Proving the success of a new LTO or menu overhaul with guest data.
• How even crazy loyalty promotions can drive short-term conversions and long-term, repeat guests.
• How to meticulously map out the number of visits needed to create frequent guests, then optimize your engagement strategy to achieve it.
• How tight segmentation can drive a 2-3x increase in conversion rates over typical SMS and loyalty marketing campaigns.

This will be a masterclass in how marketers can achieve exceptional outcomes in their roles through guest data.

Local. Local. Local. It’s the heart of every thriving business, yet many brands struggle to truly connect with their communities.

Local Store Marketing is the secret to not just getting noticed, but to creating lasting relationships with customers right in your neighborhood.

In this session, you'll hear from industry experts who know that successful customer acquisition starts with local engagement. You’ll discuss which techniques move the needle and how to develop them effectively through tailored marketing strategies.