The 2019 Nightclub & Bar conference is just around the corner and we’re thrilled to highlight our exciting show schedule.
With 70 educational sessions, a live demo bar on the Expo Floor, 9 workshops and certifications, 100-plus speakers, and half-a-dozen back-of-house tours and bootcamps in Vegas’ busiest and most iconic venues, we want to break down the conference grid for you.
You are not going to want miss out on this year's incredible speaker lineup and invaluable opportunities!
Building Teams and Culture
Monday is all about education and we're kicking off with NCB's workshops in the morning. Hear from the best of the best, from marketing gurus to recipe cost-costing subject-matter experts. Want a true barometer of how much your employees are buying into your brand's culture? How about a team that gets their bar's logo tattooed on them? Such is the case for Employees Only, and Dushan Zaric's will educate attendees about the psychology behind sustaining a high volume of profitability and growth.
Jim Meehan, the co-founder of PDT and the winner of multiple accolades for both his bar program and industry writing kicks off our keynotes. He will talk about how his leadership approach has evolved from leading by example—as one of America’s best bartenders—to motivating his colleagues to realize their full potential during their tenure at his James Beard Award-winning bar. You can watch one of our favorite presentations of his below.
We also have Sweet Liberty's Bar Manager, Fraser Hamilton, and Happy Cooking Hospitality's Managing Partner, Brian Bartels sharing how they retain top-level talent and develop a culture that keeps top earners behind the bar.
Experts Sharing Their Knowledge
In addition to fellow operators at the top of their game, we have some of the top brand educators leading educational sessions this year. Jessica Stafford, Charlotte Voisey, and Megan Breier all present on Monday and will help give you gain perspective from their years of experience working with countless operators and bar teams. Megan isn't stopping with her conference session and will host an off-site event on March 25 called "Bourbon is My Boyfriend" that will help you look at whiskey tasting and profiling in an entirely new way. On March 26, check in with portfolio brand ambassador and educator Nathan Greene who's hosting an event to learn more about unlocking Hennessy's potential.
Certifications are a great return on investment as they can follow you no matter where you go. Robert Smith and Manny Marquez are hosting their annual National HOST Security Program. Master Cicerone Pat Fahey is leading BeerSavvy Training that's essential as the number of craft beers and brewers continue to grow. Speaking of Master Cicerones, of which there are only 16 in the world, Master Cicerone Jason Pratt of MillerCoors will be hosting his own educational seminar focused how to best to curate and rotate your beer list.
Growth, Expansion, and Valuations
Wednesday's keynote features two dynamic entrepreneurs who have raised over $100 million in crowdfunding in their quest for rapid expansion. Take the tools, tips, and knowledge you will have gathered over the first two days of our conference and learn how to unlock capital and build an empire. We're talking 10X growth instead of just 10% increases.
David Kaplan of Death & Co., fresh off a $2.7 million crowd-sourced funding, will moderate a chat with Tanisha Robinson, CEO of BrewDog USA about where they're setting their sights next. BrewDog isn't just about craft beer—the brand has evolved into multi-national breweries, a brewpub, a brew hotel, and even the launch of their own video content platform under the BrewDog banner. Operators should be thinking about more than just their four walls, and this fireside chat will motivate you to do so. In addition, even if you don't plan on selling your bar, restaurant or nightclub anytime soon, an operator should always know what their business is worth and how to maximize its valuation. Mel Jones, CEO & President of SellingRestaurants.com, will discuss the top 10 ways to achieve this.
Operational growth is no easy task, whether it's location number two or number twelve. That's why we have speakers like Sheryl Best, who will explain how she leveraged a hotel partnership to triple Echo & Rig's restaurant locations, and Super Bowl-winning linebacker Gary Brackett, who took his silent partnership in two restaurants and expanded it into nine locations in just a matter of years.
Sustainability and Health
Care about the environment? Claire Sprouse and Chad Arnholt from Tin Roof Drink Community are breaking down how sustainability can be profitable and, most importantly, why it matters. This will go beyond just recycling ingredients or switching to paper straws. Not only is our planet's health important, so is yours and that of your team! Hear from Nectaly Mendoza (#88 on the latest list of World's Best Bars) and Giuseppe González (2018 NCB Bartender of the Year) of Herbs & Rye/The Cleaver about supporting yourself and your staff for their mental health. Both have gone through big transitions and have an amazing story to share.
Consultants Worth Their Weight in Gold
Attendee-favorite consultants Invictus Hospitality return to the Nightclub & Bar Show this year, eager to help attendees solve problems, improve operations, and achieve long-term success. Co-founders Michael Tipps and Homan Taghdiri will share tips on hitting your guests' psychological triggers, understanding (and getting ahead of) the leasing game, and more. Their third session shares the story of how far two first-time bar owners who attended the 2018 Nightclub & Bar Show and reached out to Invictus have come in a year. Donald Burns, consultant, author of Your Restaurant Sucks!, and former chef and U.S. Air Force Pararescueman, brings his no-nonsense, no-B.S. but immediately relatable style to his session, "Competition is for Suckers: How to Become a Blue Ocean Operator."
We've stepped our game for 2019—this is all just a taste of what's to come. Be sure to check out the rest of our incredible educational program at NCBShow.com.
We're dedicated to learning about your purpose, how you plan to reach it, and helping you get there. Share your goals and resolutions here with us so we can help make them a reality in 2019.