The last 15 months nearly decimated the bar and restaurant industry. But despite all the challenges, the uncertainty, the fear and the struggles, F&B survived. Not because of federal grants, merch sales or gift cards- but because hospitality people are resilient as hell.
And your resilience inspired us.
We weren’t sure if it was the right time to bring Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub and Bar Show) to Las Vegas. But we did it because you told us you needed it. You needed to be together again, you needed to meet with suppliers again, and perhaps most importantly, you needed to talk with industry experts to understand the new landscape for the industry.
RELATED: Nightclub & Bar Show Announces New Name & Brand
Every single day, operators, managers, suppliers, investors and industry hopefuls showed up in droves to learn at our conference program, making this one of the most electric, inspiring years the show has ever had.
Take a look at the most popular six sessions at this year’s Bar & Restaurant Expo conference, to understand what others in the industry are curious about right now.
Behind Bars: How to Prevent Employee Theft
In our business, liquor is liquid gold. Your bartenders, whether they are aware of it or not, are probably giving away more of your gold than what the guest is paying for. This session by David Scott Peters, industry expert and coach at www.davidscottpeters.com, taught attendees how to create systems that keep top bartenders honest and identify (and weed out) the dishonest ones. Peters identified the most common bartender scams, and simple solutions to counter them.
RELATED: Introducing the New Bar & Restaurant Expo Executive Council
Drafting Your Most Profitable Beverage Menu
Celebrity mixologist and co-founder of Spirits in Motion, Phil Wills, taught operators how to adjust their beverage menus to be brilliant in taste, execution, and profitability. With a vast experience in corporate training and independent bars, Wills shared what he looks for in a bartender, and how to bring out the best of your team. In addition, he shared tried-and-true methods for creating cocktails on draft, developing balanced menus, and even broke down how to appeal to the forever-changing consumer palates.
2021 Beverage Trends to Know to Drive More Sales
The beverage industry is constantly changing and evolving, and it’s hard to stay ahead of the curve. This panel presentation discussed the latest trends in beverages including RTDs (ready-to-drink), RTS (ready-to-serve), spirits, draft cocktails, and growing categories like coffee and tea. They covered how these categories are developing as well as provided information on which brands have the potential for growth in the future. The panel was hosted by Jeremiah Batucan and included Taneka Reaves, Co-Founder of Cocktail Bandits, Mia Mastroianni, hospitality expert, and Tim Angelillo, Founder & CEO of Sourced Craft Cocktails.
World Class Bars are Built with World Class Teams and Training
Renowned hospitality coach, Sean Finter, lead this inspiring discussion between Nectaly Mendoza and Raj Nagra on training staffs to perform at their highest potential. Mendoza is a legendary operator who co-founded two of the most well-known Las Vegas destinations: Herbs & Rye, and Cleaver. Their success is the partially due to his legendary style of team training. Nagra has built global ambassador teams that continuously surpass team objectives. These three powerhouses came together to reveal some of their training and staffing secrets.
Raise the Bar: Through Training & Elevating the Cocktail Experience
Three of the industry’s most well-known faces came together for this panel session: Art Sutley, Director of Strategic Accounts at Savage & Cooke Distillery, Mia Mastroianni, hospitality expert, and Phil Wills, Co-Founder of Spirits in Motion. These three experts laid out essential components that ensure your establishment is delivering the customer experience necessary to be successful in this new dining and drinking landscape. They spoke about the importance of implementing a structured training program to motivate staff and build their confidence to achieve consistency and consumer spending, elevating guest experiences by making simple changes to your cocktail presentation, and adding a culinary element to your cocktail program that allows you to expand on flavor while keeping costs low.
RELATED: Las Vegas’ Newest Resort Offers Lessons for F&B Operators
Designing Spaces that Guests Love
Las Vegas nightlife legends— Ronn Nicolli, Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Marketing at Resorts World Las Vegas, Ryan Doherty, Founder at Corner Bar Management and Tobin Ellis, Principal at Barmagic – took to the conference stage to talk about the power of well-designed spaces. The goal of the bar experience is for the guest to feel transported. To take them away from their daily stressors, giving them the ability to unwind and be present in an otherwise chaotic world. In order to do that, you need to build a narrative structure around drinks, music, lighting design, and more. In this session, three of Vegas' most respected voices gave their advice on developing lucrative spaces, even during a pandemic.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on the latest industry news.