Nation’s Restaurant News, the premier independent media brand serving the foodservice industry, has established a new advisory board to guide the evolution and growth of its flagship event platform, CREATE: The Future of Foodservice.
The formation of the board comes as NRN plans the third annual CREATE, Oct. 2-4 in Palm Springs, Calif., and prepares to kick off a series of CREATE Roadshow events across the country this year.
The new CREATE Roadshow will hold networking events in six U.S. cities — Atlanta, Austin, Denver, Los Angeles, New York and Orlando — beginning next month.
“CREATE is committed to being the go-to place for restaurant leaders to connect, share ideas and learn from one another, whether at our flagship event in Palm Springs or our new regional events in your own backyard,” said Sam Oches, NRN’s editor-in-chief. “But to make these opportunities as meaningful as possible, we knew we needed to get input straight from the source. That’s why we’ve gathered 11 of the most experienced leaders and exciting restaurant entrepreneurs to help us craft an event that reflects the information and opportunities the industry wants now.”
Members of the CREATE advisory board are:
- Jeff Chandler, CEO, Hopdoddy Burger Bar
- Scott Taylor, CEO and president, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux
- Otto Othman, co-founder and CEO, PINCHO
- Robin Robison, COO, Modern Restaurant Concepts
- Andrew Smith, co-founder and managing director, Savory Restaurant Fund
- Steph So, head of digital experience, Shake Shack
- Jessica Tomlinson, director of culinary, Ford’s Garage USA
- Michael Schatzberg, founder and co-managing partner, Branded Restaurant Concepts
- Tiffany Derry, founder and CEO, TD Concepts
- Briana Valdez, founder and CEO, HomeState
- Andre Vener, co-founder, Dog Haus
The advisory board will meet periodically to offer input on CREATE experiences and give feedback on speakers and session topics to help make the events as beneficial as possible for growth-minded restaurant operators.
Top row, left to right: Jeff Chandler, CEO, Hopdoddy Burger Bar; Scott Taylor, CEO and president, Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux; Otto Othman, co-founder and CEO, PINCHO; Robin Robison, COO, Modern Restaurant Concepts; Andrew Smith, co-founder and managing director, Savory Restaurant Fund. Bottom row, left to right: Steph So, head of digital experience, Shake Shack; Jessica Tomlinson, director of culinary, Ford’s Garage USA; Michael Schatzberg, founder and co-managing partner, Branded Restaurant Concepts; Tiffany Derry, founder and CEO, TD Concepts; Briana Valdez, founder and CEO, HomeState; Andre Vener, co-founder, Dog Haus
Scheduled to be held at the Margaritaville Resort in Palm Springs, CREATE is a unique festival-style event designed to ditch the old trade show model and put attendees up close and personal with the best minds in the industry. Attendees from the largest chains to the most innovative emerging growth brands will come together to provide insightful presentations, drive meaningful conversations, build new relationships, and showcase foodservice innovations.
Highlights of the Palm Springs event will include:
- Dozens of inspiring and impactful speakers
- CREATORS and Hot Concepts awards celebrations
- Pop-Up Food Festivals featuring the latest culinary trends
- Engaging panel sessions on tech, labor, menu trends and more
- Off-site tours of the local restaurant scene
- Hands-on food and beverage tasting sessions
In addition, Nation’s Restaurant News will host CREATE Roadshow gatherings in the following cities over the next six months:
- February: Orlando, Fla.
- March: Los Angeles
- April: Austin, Texas
- May: New York City
- June: Denver
- July: Atlanta
CREATE’s founding sponsor is Johnsonville Foodservice. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for 2023 CREATE events. For more information, contact Susan Szymanski at [email protected].
Visit CREATE.NRN.COM for more information.
ABOUT NATION’S RESTAURANT NEWS
Nation's Restaurant News (NRN) is the No. 1 source of business information for the foodservice industry. For more than 50 years, NRN has served the information and engagement needs of foodservice professionals, offering award-winning content across all mediums with the goal of driving businesses forward. NRN was named Best Media Brand by the Jesse H. Neal Awards in 2019. NRN is part of the Restaurant & Food Group by Informa Connect, the leading B2B integrated media group connecting products, solutions and thought leadership with the largest, most engaged and highly qualified audience in foodservice and food retail. The group connects the entire food and foodservice ecosystem of operators, chefs, retailers, manufacturers, vendors and solutions providers through traditional, digital, social and custom media as well as digital and live events. To learn more about NRN, visit www.nrn.com.
ABOUT CREATE
CREATE: The Future of Foodservice is the only digital and in-person experience of its kind, where restaurant leaders from the largest chains to the most innovative independents come together to learn from leading thinkers and change makers, discover products and services that will transform foodservice, and connect with like-minded peers forging new paths to advance the restaurant industry. Powered by NRN, CREATE provides on-demand content from restaurant thought leaders and industry experts; live sessions for Q&A and community interaction; small, curated virtual gatherings to tackle the most relevant topics; and a festival-style, live event. Learn more at create.nrn.com.