On Monday, March 8 at 1 p.m., a Nightclub & Bar Show SuperSession involving members of the influential Millennium Advisory Board will present a cutting-edge panel, “Effective Beverage Promotions & Marketing Strategies.” Join moderator John Lingo and me as this stellar group shares expertise and experiences. The panel will provide insightful information and examples of how to increase beverage sales through training, innovative promotions and incentive programs. Learn what it takes to have a successful beverage program from some of the top executives in the industry. Lingo, who is owner of A New World Productions, co-founder of the Millennium Advisory Board and a member of the Nightclub & Bar Advisory Board, will guide the discussion and share his own expertise along the way.
Andy Scoggins, vice president of culinary and beverage, Ruby Tuesday, will share his company’s approach to marketing, which includes Quality First (all natural juices, real fruit puree, premium well, handcrafted beers), Computer-Based Training (must earn right to make and serve guests at all levels), Laser Focus (be very good at a few things versus average at a lot, with focus on signature drinks - Strawberry Lemonade, Ultimate Margarita, Ruby Relaxer), True Value (8-ounce pours of high-quality wine, true pints of draft beer, 1.5-ounce liquor pours on all drinks) and Serve Responsibly (attract more people to buy one drink versus fewer people consuming more drinks). He also will share marketing insights about limited-time offerings, effective point-of-sale materials, incentives and branding.
Edgar Carlson, co-owner of Hospitality USA, which operates Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub & Grill and 221B. Baker St. Pub & Grill locations, will share what goes on during marketing meetings that include corporate representatives as well as a pool of wait staff and bartenders. He will discuss the importance of knowing each market, its customers and its top-selling drinks, and how this knowledge shapes decisions regarding promotions. He will provide insight into Hospitality USA’s internal and external marketing tools, training, glassware, product selection and execution guidelines, as well as examples of successful programs.
For my part, I’ll share how making employees the number one asset has led to our firm being ranked continuously as one of the best companies to work for in Texas. I’ll also provide examples of our award-winning promotions and marketing materials.
Pete Bell, vice president of marketing for Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, will share how during the course of his career, he has led award-winning brand repositions; developed several cutting-edge social media and customer loyalty strategies to build trial, frequency and loyalty; and led product development and menu engineering efforts. Bell also will discuss several interactive, viral and mobile marketing campaigns, including groundbreaking social media strategies for Smokey Bones, like a new interactive corporate web site that won the prestigious Webby award, the leading national award for innovative Internet sites. NCB