CREATE: The Future of Foodservice, a year-long event and content platform from Nation’s Restaurant News, marks an exciting return to live events this fall with a three-day gathering for restaurant operators in Denver.
The inaugural in-person event kicks off Oct. 4 with keynote sessions featuring four leading executives from top restaurant companies, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and Bloomin’ Brands Inc.
CREATE, which will be held at the newly renovated Sheraton Denver Downtown, is a unique festival-style event where restaurant leaders from the largest chains to innovative independents come to learn, discover and advance their careers and businesses. The in-person event follows months of CREATE digital experiences featuring business and leadership insights from top industry executives.
Photo: Black Box Intelligence president and CEO Kelli Valade.
The in-person event begins with a data-driven state of the industry report from Black Box Intelligence president and CEO Kelli Valade. Following her popular digital CREATE session this summer, Valade returns with more in-depth industry data on where the industry stands and what to expect in the future. Using Black Box Intelligence’s industry-leading data, Valade will outline sales, traffic and workforce trends and share the performance benchmarking formula that will be pivotal to success in 2022 and beyond.
“After undergoing a period of unprecedented change, restaurant operators are craving deep, nuanced information about how the business environment, the employee and the consumer have evolved,” said Nation’s Restaurant News editorial director Sam Oches. “We are thrilled to have Black Box Intelligence’s Kelli Valade join us at CREATE to share not only this valuable data, but also the context and expertise to help attendees apply it to their businesses.”
Photo: Tanika Cabral, senior vice president and chief of staff, chief customer office, for The Coca-Cola Company.
Also on Oct. 4, a second keynote conversation will focus on the importance of building strong, diverse teams and how widening the talent pipeline is essential for positioning brands for the future. That panel, sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company, will feature Marissa Andrada, chief diversity, inclusion and people officer for Chipotle Mexican Grill; Sheilina Henry, group vice president, diversity and inclusion for Bloomin’ Brands; and Tanika Cabral, senior vice president and chief of staff, chief customer office, for The Coca-Cola Company.
“Nation’s Restaurant News is committed to building a more inclusive industry and we are proud that CREATE can be a forum for this important conversation,” Oches said. “We are excited to bring together these three leading executives to discuss how restaurant brands can build stronger, more engaged teams and effect positive change within their own organizations.”
CREATE attendees will have access to interactive discussions with industry leaders, lightning keynotes, tech demo kiosks, pop-up food stations, and plenty of opportunities for meaningful connections with industry peers.
New speakers and events are being added all the time. Visit the CREATE event site to learn more and register to attend.
Want even more CREATE? Catch up on CREATE digital sessions on demand, or register for future virtual sessions here.
