Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025: Full Schedule

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1:00pm PDT

Building an Enduring Brand: Expanding, Protecting, and Growing Your Hospitality Presence

Tuesday March 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT

Learn key strategies to create a strong hospitality brand that grows beyond its initial concept and stands the test of time. This session covers how to expand, legally protect, and leverage your brand's assets for long-term growth.

Conduct trademark searches and navigate registration to legally protect your brand from the start.
Expand your brand into new revenue streams like TV, CPGs, and cookbooks.
Transition from a single concept to a multi-concept hospitality group.
Secure your brand’s assets through intellectual property (IP) strategies.
Use cease-and-desist letters and litigation to prevent brand infringement and ensure ongoing success.

Hamutal Lieberman

Partner & Chair of Trademark Group, Helbraun & Levey LLP

Hamutal is a Partner & the Chair of the Trademark Group at Helbraun & Levey LLP, a full-service hospitality law firm in New York City. She regularly counsels clients on trademark matters including trademark searches, applications, and prosecutions. Hamutal also assists clients with... Read More →

Tuesday March 25, 2025 1:00pm - 1:45pm PDT
Room #224/225

Conference Session

Registration Pass Conference Pass, Deluxe Pass
Audience Owner/Operator, Start-Up
Experience Level Fundamentals
Track Operations

3:00pm PDT

Culture as Currency: Building a Business Model for Success

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Room #221

Speakers

Steve Palmer

Founder and Chief Vision Officer, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group

Best-selling author, TedX speaker, James Beard semifinalist, industry leader, mental health advocate, restaurateur, and more, Steve Palmer is founder, managing partner and most significantly, chief vision officer, of the nationally recognized Indigo Road Hospitality Group (IRHG... Read More →

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Room #221

Conference Session

Registration Pass Conference Pass, Deluxe Pass
Audience Owner/Operator, Start-Up, GM
Experience Level Fundamentals
Track People & Staffing

3:00pm PDT

Digital Dining: The Social-First Blueprint for Modern Hospitality Marketing

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Room #226/227

The digital marketing landscape is complex, and it's time to simplify. Join Alexa Pence—serial entrepreneur, CEO of Saltshine Creative, and former hospitality global director—for a dynamic crash course on building a holistic digital strategy that propels your brand into a league of its own. Explore the key tools and common pitfalls that differentiate brands that make noise from those that generate hype.
In this session you will:

Uncover how digital marketing in hospitality has evolved and where it's headed.
Engage in exercises to re-position your unique selling proposition and define what makes your brand shine.
Explore The Saltshine Framework—a holistic, social-first strategy to propel your commercial initiatives.
Learn the psychology behind effective influencer campaigns and how to optimize ROI.
Identify the key elements of partnerships that amplify impact and drive growth.

Speakers

Alexa Pence

CEO & Co-Founder, Saltshine Creative

With a career that began in traditional print magazine and evolved into cutting-edge digital marketing in Honolulu, Alexa Pence embodies the spirit of innovation and adaptability. As a young serial entrepreneur, she has built a long and diverse career, blending her passion for storytelling... Read More →

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Room #226/227

Conference Session

Registration Pass Conference Pass, Deluxe Pass
Audience GM, Owner/Operator, Start-Up
Experience Level Fundamentals
Track Marketing

3:00pm PDT

In Conversation – Successful F&B Partnerships

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT

Room #231/232

Speakers

Benson Wang

CEO, Palm House Hospitality

Benson was born into a family of third generation restaurateurs and distillers. In his home, the typical salutation is “are you hungry?” Hospitality is in his blood and what he loves. As a child, Benson would sneak into the dining room and be mesmerized by the sights, sounds and... Read More →

Scot Turner

Founder & Managing Director, Auden Hospitality

Scot Turner has lived and breathed hospitality his entire career. From luxury hotels to independent restaurants, his drive to challenge convention has powered projects in 14 countries, working with iconic brands and chefs such as Dorchester Collection, Alain Ducasse, and China Grill... Read More →

Tuesday March 25, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm PDT
Room #231/232

Conference Session

Registration Pass Conference Pass, Deluxe Pass
Audience Owner/Operator
Experience Level Fundamentals
Track Hotel F&B

4:00pm PDT

Visual Bites: How Great Photos Drive Revenue for Bars and Restaurants

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm PDT

Room #226/227

Great photography isn't just eye-catching—it’s a powerful tool to attract customers and boost revenue. This session explores how bars and restaurants can use professional-quality images to highlight their offerings, create an emotional connection with guests, and maximize marketing efforts. Learn actionable tips to ensure your photos resonate across platforms and drive tangible results.

Discover how to choose a photographer who aligns with your brand vision.
Plan for impactful photos that showcase your menu, atmosphere, and unique offerings.
Learn techniques to enhance the appeal of your dishes and venue through lighting and angles.
Get tips on incorporating movement, props, and human elements for dynamic visuals.
Strategize how to use your photos effectively on social media, websites, and promotional materials.

Speakers

Melanie Blair

Marketing + PR Strategist, Beacon & Brand

Melanie Blair has spent the past 20 years perfecting brand strategy, creative vision and a critical eye. She knows the genius behind how chefs think, understand the nuances of how hotels and restaurants function and uses that to create a compelling synergy leading to meaningful campaigns... Read More →

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm PDT
Room #226/227

Conference Session

Registration Pass Deluxe Pass, Conference Pass
Audience Owner/Operator, GM
Experience Level Fundamentals
Track Marketing