The 2012 Conference Sessions were Hotter than ever and definitely hit the Mark! The feedback on the show this year had been incredible and we thank everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you again at next year’s show!

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Conference Highlights Include:

Keynote Presentations:

Dr. Peter Cressy, President /CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. provided insightful information into the current economic trends. He stated that we need to accelerate the recovery by overcoming the obstacles that are in front of us because it’s “Worth Fighting For”.  By being proactive, the industry will continue to grow as on premise profitability is improving and the return of premiumization is one among many factors driving the industry.

Actor, comedian and nightclub owner Pauly Shore provided the light hearted and funny keynote speech on Tuesday.  He discussed the legacy of his mother’s vision that has become the world famous Comedy Store in Hollywood, CA.  Joined by his father Sammy Shore the two reminded the audience that we all work in this industry for a reason and to enjoy every aspect of it.

Jon Taffer posed the question "Who wants to make more money?!" to the audience of hundreds of nightlife and restaurant industry professionals during his keynote speech.  The answer to this question – Reaction Management. "Fixing a business is easy," Taffer said. “Fixing people is tough." Taffer believes in teaching bartenders, servers and other staff, rather than training. "Training is behavior modification,” he said. “All we can do is teach the people we hire about our business."

He also discussed the epidemic of excuses that contribute to hundreds of hospitality venues failure. All owners and operators can make excuses about why their venues are failing, e.i., the weather, other businesses. In fact, owners and operators can blame just about anything but their commitment to escape mediocrity. Taffer, quite bluntly told the room: "The common denominator of failure is excuses."

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Workshops:

Bob Brown’s, President, Bob Brown Service Solutions, workshop provided results-oriented and inspiring ideas that are easy to implement. Browns high-energy interactive session discussed focusing on arming your staff with the right tools, knowledge and strategies that attract and retain customers for life.  The key to success is being able to build repeat business in order to add dollars to the bottom line.  

In Shane Young’s session that focused on bridging the Marketing vs. Operations Gap he described in detail how to gain deeper insight into successful marketing systems.   Young presented tactics to lower promotional costs, improve marketing position and how to effectively monitor your guest counts and ROI to gain the competitive advantage.This

Boris Bugarski, CEO of mUrgent connected all of the iDots for attendees during his social media strategies workshop.  With the main goal of boosting sales every month, Bugarski, strategically laid out an all-encompassing integration plan that included web development, social media, business listings and public relations outreach.    

Tim Kirkland, a top industry consultant, brought to the table a slew of real, useable tools and tactics that attendees can immediately implement in order to grow their business.  He provided real life examples on how to improve your sales and service margins without compromising the most important aspect, the guest experience.  

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SPIKE TV’s “Bar Rescue” Recommended Sessions:

This year the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show partnered with Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” to provide attendees with high level, interactive and exciting presentation that focused on a number of aspects of topic areas that help to make a successful bar.  The following sessions received rave reviews from attendees looking to improve their life and their business!

• The Art of the Classic Cocktail
  Presented by: Elayne Duke, Expert, Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” and Mixologist/Ambassador, Diageo
• Systems, Procedures and Controls = Maximum Profits!
  Presented by: Ron Newman and Greg Newman, Co-Founders, Baja Sharkeez
• The Science of Design
  Presented by: Nancy Hadley, Expert, Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” and President, Nancy Hadley Fine Art & Consulting, Inc.
• No Excuses: Taffer’s Simple Science of Success
  Presented by: Jon Taffer, Star and Co-Executive Producer, Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” and President, Nightclub & Bar Media Group
• Running a Profitable Bar Food Program
  Presented by: Chef Brian Duffy, Expert, Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” and Consultant