(Chicago, Ill.) Helping to address key industry needs, the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) will host three educational sessions during the 2007 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, held May 19-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago. The sessions will cover responsible alcohol service, addressing workforce challenges, and the correlation between employee and customer satisfaction and will include input from a variety of panelists representing various segments of the restaurant and foodservice industry.
“We are proud to host these valuable educational workshops during the Show,” stated Mary M. Adolf, president and chief operating officer, NRAEF. “These workshops provide a valuable opportunity for attendees to enhance their Show experience. Addressing relevant and vital issues facing the restaurant and foodservice industry today, these sessions will showcase the work the NRAEF does to attract, develop and retain a qualified, educated and protected workforce.”
The NRAEF will present the following educational workshops at the 2007 Show:
Alcohol Profit Primer: Responsible Service without Sacrificing Profits
Saturday, May 19, 2007
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
McCormick Place, Room S402
Must a restaurant sacrifice profits to serve responsibly? The best operators know the answer is a resounding “No!” but every operator struggles with this challenge. This lively, fast-paced workshop will demonstrate proven strategies and new opportunities for increasing profits from beverage alcohol sales while serving alcohol responsibly. Expert panelists from the chain, hotel and operations sectors will discuss how they make responsible alcohol service a part of their culture and how responsible service does not hinder the ability to improve beverage profits. Additional highlights will include discussing exciting trends in spirits, wine and beer sales in restaurants based on information presented by Cheers Magazine and Adams Beverage Research. We’ll also look at the upward sales trend, the growth of non-alcoholic drinks, consumer interest and behavior and the emergence of celebrity bar chefs.Panelists will include: Matthew Durbin, director of beverage, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide/TGI Fridays; Adam Seger, general manager, Nacional 27; Tim Kirkland, manager, FOH training manager, bar & beverage development, Rock Bottom Brewery; Jeremy Dodge, consultant, Harrah’s; and Robert Plotkin, BarMedia. This valuable workshop will be moderated by Donna Hood Crecca, editor, Cheers Magazine.
SPIRIT Awards Workshop – Employees: The Spirit of the Industry
Monday, May 21, 2007
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
McCormick Place, Room S404
What is the one thing that your organization cannot live without? The one thing that keeps your guests returning again and again? The one thing that means the difference between a successful organization and a lost opportunity? If your answer is “employees,” you are already on the right track! The key to any successful organization lies within its workforce. During this valuable workshop, the winners of the 2006 SPIRIT Awards will showcase their recruitment, training, education and retention policies, which have earned them national recognition as restaurant and foodservice companies who truly understand that their employees are their most valuable asset.
Panelists include 2006 SPIRIT Awards Winners: Julie Jones, director, nutrition services, Ohio State University Medical Center; Frank Kawecki, general manager, Bambara Restaurant (Kimpton); Michael Serchia, director of human resources, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf; and Anne Varano, senior vice president human resource and communication, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. Jim Sullivan, chief executive officer, Sullivision, Inc. will moderate this beneficial workshop Foodservice Workforce Solutions Workshop –
Turning the Tables on Turnover Tuesday, May 22, 2007 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. – McCormick Place, Room S405
Does turnover keep you up at night? Wondering how to hire the best candidate for the job? Trying to implement human resources practices without a human resources department? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need the help of the Foodservice Workforce Solutions Web site – a free, on-line resource center providing expert advice from industry professionals to help restaurant operators address all of their workforce needs. Workforce issues continue to serve as one of the biggest concerns of restaurant and foodservice operators across the country. By attending this session, you’ll learn from industry leading workforce consultants and service providers how to most effectively engage your workforce, beginning with the recruitment and hiring of qualified individuals and continuing to their training and retention through motivation and recognition. With the cost of turnover reaching into the thousands, you can’t afford to miss this!
Panelists for this workshop will be comprised of the Web site sponsors: Morreen Bayles, president, Creative Restaurant Solutions; Brian Cawley, Ph.D., senior consultant, CorVirtus; Jeffrey Curtis, senior vice president, sales & marketing, Helius; and Jennifer Sanford, director of corporate partnerships and marketing, Employment Guide. Industry workforce columnist, Peter Romeo, executive editor, Nation’s Restaurant News Online, will serve as moderator for this panel.
Now in its 88th year, the annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals the Western Hemisphere. The 2007 Show will be held May 19-22, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Ill. The Show attracts 2,100+ exhibiting companies and 73,000 attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 110 countries. Free, online media registration and more information can be found on the Show Web site at www.restaurant.org/show/media.
