The program for the second annual Restaurant Leaders Summit has been revealed, with the 2017 line-up set to feature more than 30 speakers from many areas of the Hospitality industry.
Leading operators, industry experts and government officials will discuss several issues including the unique challenges faced by regional operators, proven strategies for keeping costs in check, and brand expansions.
Among the new additions to the speaker list are Ramzey Choker, co-founder of The Grounds, and Dan Mylonas, The Grounds art director, as well as Jay Yip, ‎general manager tourism trade development at ‎Trippas White Group.
Choker will speak about different ways businesses can drive revenue, the value of diversification, and how you can think outside the box in order to bolster your bottomline. Â Joining Choker are fellow panellists, Lisa Hasen (OpenTable), Mark McEnery (Oracle Hospitality) and Terry Higgins (Rockpool Dining).
Mylonas is set to discuss how established venues can keep the fire lit and continue gaining coverage online and from the media. The panel, which will also feature Andrew El-Bayeh (Example PR), Catherine Slogrove (Papaya PR), and William Wong (Liven), will focus on what venues can do to make the most from social media, Google rankings, and public relations.
In the year ending December 2016, short-term visitor arrivals in Australia from China recorded the strongest growth over the 10 year period, with a percentage change of 284.1 percent.  More importantly, Chinese visitors have an appreciation and appetite for Australia’s food and wine, and are happy to spend on quality. Yip will talk about the opportunities presented by the growth in Chinese visitors and what hospitality businesses can do to capitalise.
The one-day conference will also feature a number of Q&As with, and presentations from, leading operators, including Palisa Anderson (Chat Thai), Josh Niland (Saint Peter) and Tony Panetta (ICC – Sydney).
With plenty of networking opportunities throughout the day, The Restaurant Leaders Summit promises to be an invaluable event for all stakeholders within the restaurant and foodservice industry.
Early bird tickets for restaurant trade (operators, managers, chefs, etc) are on sale until 30 June 2017 priced at $249 + GST. From 1 July 2017, tickets will be priced at $349 + GST. Suppliers may purchase tickets for the early bird rate of $499 + GST until 30 June 2017. From 1 July 2017 tickets will be priced at $599 + GST. Restaurant operators who buy eight tickets or more tickets will get a discount of 20 percent.
Image: Ramzey Choker Credit: businessinsider.com
