RESTAURANT INSIGHTS SUMMIT

The most effective operators are those with the knowledge and resources to thrive.

Restaurant Insights Summit—RIS—is a series of half-day workshops on December 3rd and 4th covering hot topics in restaurant marketing and trends in workplace culture. The workshops are held in two vibrant locations: Miller Park in Milwaukee and Becket’s in Oshkosh, with each workshop including unique education sessions, food and beverages for attendees. 

$25 per person
$20 for WRA members (save $5!)

Register Today!

Registration is open to foodservice professionals that work for a restaurant, beverage or hospitality outlet. Industry product and service providers are welcome to attend as a sponsor.

RIS 2018 SPONSORS

RIS AGENDA

Venues

Sessions & Speakers

Restaurant Marketing Strategies: The Science Behind Effective Marketing ToolsDecember 3 at 1:30 pm – Milwaukee
December 4 at 11:00 am – Oshkosh

Presented by: Irina Norris, Product Marketing Manager at Upserve

Successful restaurants don’t happen by accident. Take a deep dive with Upserve into understanding the importance of marketing strategies for restaurants. Learn marketing strategies successful restaurateurs use to cultivate signature menu items, garner an impeccable reputation and consistently promote their business.

• Restaurant Marketing 101
• Making the Most of Restaurant Industry Trends
• Common Marketing Mistakes
• How to Handle Digital

About the Presenter:
Irina Norris is a Product Marketing Manager at Upserve's headquarters in Providence, RI. Her favorite part of the job is speaking with restaurateurs to learn more about the challenges they face and how Upserve can help them overcome those pain points, save time, and ultimately thrive in this competitive industry. Irina lives in Providence with her husband and enjoys the city’s bustling and eclectic restaurant scene. 

Winning Ways to Recruit and Retain the Best Employees
December 3 at 3:30 pm – Milwaukee

Presented by: Andrew “Drew” Nussbaum, Regional Specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Tourism

To your customer, the most important person in your company isn’t the owner or GM, it’s the employee standing in front of them at that moment. Nussbaum’s experiences in hospitality and with the Department of Tourism mean that he understands the impact that recruiting and retaining good employees has on the customer experience.  

Hiring is not an easy part of business, especially as restaurants face growing workforce challenges. Everyone wants to hire the best employees and have them stay on board for years—but it doesn't usually work like that.

Marketing to your guests and to potential staff members can be one in the same in public relations and social media. But when you place "Weekly Specials" & "Help Wanted" in the same messaging it tells your guests you have no staff to serve them, and potential applicants that no one wants to work there.

You'll leave this lively session with:

• Ideas for being an employer of choice
• Best practices to avoid the controllable pitfall of being understaffed and unproductive
• Tips on hiring campaigns that work

About the Presenter:

Drew joined the Wisconsin Department of Tourism in 2012, after having spent his entire professional career in hospitality, marketing, and tourism. His focus with companies and organizations has always been to grow their customer service effectiveness, a passion that began with his first restaurant job in 1984. Drew refers to this as “Northern Hospitality.” 

He loves traveling the state meeting with folks and helping them get the word out about all the great things there are to see and do in Wisconsin. Having worked with various regional and statewide collaboration efforts, Drew enjoys bringing organizations together to share ideas and resources. Tourism in Wisconsin is a $20 billion industry and is a key part of economic development in the state .

Creating a Food Family at Food Fight:  Learn How Employee Engagement Helps this Madison Restaurant Group Succeed
December 4 at 9:00 am – Oshkosh

Presented by: Elizabeth Garcia-Hall, Director of Hospitality with Food Fight

With 19 different concepts in the Madison area, Food Fight Restaurant Group has a longtime reputation of being an excellent employer.  The fact that they are able to find, retain and promote top talent in today’s challenging labor market means they must be doing something right.  The company has created an environment where creativity, kindness and camaraderie are embraced and employees are empowered to provide meaningful and memorable guest experiences.

Elizabeth Garcia-Hall, Director of Hospitality with Food Fight, shares insights, best practices and tangible takeaways on topics including:

• Creating a training process that resonates with employees
• Developing employee engagement strategies
• Offering benefits that employees value – including an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and access to hospitality courses at local technical college
• Providing feedback and kudos – recognition from management as well as peer-to-peer
• Building loyalty and empowering employees through gratitude

About the Presenter:

Elizabeth Garcia Hall joined Food Fight in 2008 as the Co-General Manager of the Riverview Terrace Café (a seasonal restaurant in the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center in Spring Green) and moved into her position as Director of Hospitality in early 2014. During her time with Food Fight, she has seen the organization "celebrate its successes, recognize its disappointments, and develop a new generation of leaders. Food Fight cultivates the strengths of its employees and the most notable changes have resulted from that growth from within."

Elizabeth attended the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin. Throughout her studies and after earning her degrees, she was continually drawn to positions that on an elemental level could be considered part of hospitality.  Her professional career is one of providing for others.  While she did not have an eventual vision of managing the hospitality efforts of a restaurant group, Elizabeth's passion lies in "taking care of people and making them happy," and her current position affords her the ability to do that every day. "I love having the daily opportunity to bring joy to our employees and our guests. I love taking 'meh' and making it 'magnificent.'"

Quick Bite: Social Media

December 3 at 2:45 pm - Milwaukee
December 4 at 10:40 am - Oshkosh

Presented by: Amy Steger, WRA Business Development Strategist

Being on the right social channels for your demographic with content that tells your story is critical to growing your business. In this fast-paced 20 minute session, you’ll get a better understanding of how to use social media to build your business and engage with your customers as we walk through quick tips and techniques for restaurant marketing on social media .

Quick Bite: Avoiding DOL Trouble & Audits

December 3 at 3:10 pm - Milwaukee
December 4 at 10:15 am - Oshkosh

Presented by: Katie Reiser, WRA Member Services Director and Carrie Douglas, Member & Business Development Administrator

The Department of Labor is currently targeting restaurants in Milwaukee and the Fox Cities by conducting random investigations. Members of WRA’s Hotline Team will share key information about the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and the most common violations that come up in audits of restaurants. Avoiding those potential pitfalls can help you stay on the right side of the law.