What to Expect at MURTEC Executive Summit 2019
MURTEC Executive Summit is a not-to-be-missed educational program for senior-level restaurant executives.
It will take place Oct. 28-30 at Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North in Arizona. With the theme, “The ROI of Experience,” this year’s conference format and content is designed to draw in technology thought leaders and influencers via a program that prioritizes group discussions, two-way dialogue, and collaboration amongst both peers and sponsors.
The event kicks off the afternoon of Monday, Oct. 28 with a fun round of golf or a Desert Jeep Adventure Tour. (Space is limited for both activities and advance registration is required.) The educational sessions kick off Monday afternoon with an interactive workshop on “Bridging the IT & Business Divide,” led by Little Caesars and Jersey Mike’s, who will share how their organizations have transformed their digital footprints. Through facilitated discussion, attendees will workshop how to benchmark competition, identify areas of opportunity, and how to create cohesive omni-channel strategies in order to yield positive business results.
Attendees will also have the chance to network with their peers at the evening’s welcome reception.
Tuesday, Oct. 29 includes a networking breakfast and a networking lunch featuring idea exchange topic tables where operators can discuss and share ideas on common challenges. (Advance signup is required.)
Shawn G. DuBravac, a New York Times best-selling author, futurist and trendcaster, will deliver the keynote address. In what is sure to be a must-see session, DuBravac will share his insights during his presentation, “What's Real & What's Next in the Service Experience.” DuBravac, who worked for 12 years as the chief economist for the Consumer Technology Association / CES, will highlight how other industries are re-thinking the customer journey, using virtual reality, artificial intelligence, analytics, drones, digital payment, geolocation and more to create new customer experiences. Restaurants have only just begun to scratch the surface of how technology can change foodservice experiences. Following a provocative look at what restaurants can do today, DuBravac will also predict how digitization will continue to reshape everyday experiences in the years ahead.
Attendees will also get the inside scoop on how White Castle is building its next generation customer journey. White Castle’s VP of Technology Susan Carroll-Boser will reveal how the QSR is rethinking the way customers are allowed in the restaurant space – while providing more choices than ever before. In a fast-paced presentation, covering AI, voice technology, automation, geolocation and more, Carroll will show how to approach the IT roadmap with the customer journey as a foundation, showing benefits, needs and the expected ROI. She will then lead attendees through several exercises to identify problems and the appropriate solutions to solve for business problems. Later the same day, attendees will have the ability to tour a nearby location and see these technologies first hand.
Kathleen Chugh, North America CTO, Nando's, will take attendees through an exercise of plotting out technology initiatives for their own restaurant of the future. This process is instructive for both IT managers and senior executives to visualize the level of effort, investment and expected returns.
The session, Mastering the Evolving Ordering Experience, will include insights from executives from Red Lobster, MOD Pizza and Sonic. This panel will delve into how their brands are addressing customers’ shifting preferences to order ahead or bypass human servers. Topics will include: how to blend online and in-store demands, how to leverage ordering data and lessons learned.
Other highlights include the presentation of the 2019 MURTEC Breakthrough Awards. Hospitality Technology will recognize three restaurant companies for outstanding innovation in enterprise- and customer-facing technologies: Little Caesars, Panera Bread and Firehouse Subs. Honorees will be in attendance to share highlights of their award-winning initiatives.
Brandon Coleman III, President, Del Frisco’s Grille, will deliver the keynote on Wednesday, October 30. His presentation, “Getting a Return on Experience,” will lead restaurant executives on a journey of brand passion and technology awareness that takes the road less traveled and arrives at just the right destination.
Restaurant executives and industry leaders will also discuss what top technologies are driving customer experience today and in the future. A panel discussion will also lead a provocative discussion about the findings of HT’s 2019 Customer Engagement Technology Study.
The detailed agenda is available here.
MURTEC Executive Summit is a sister event to MURTEC (Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference). MURTEC 2020 will take place March 9-11 at the Paris Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.