At an unprecedented time for the restaurant industry, leaders of its chain segment will gather in Scottsdale, Ariz., in three weeks for an immersion into the challenges and opportunities that are forcing c-suites to re-brainstorm their core strategies.
This year’s Restaurant Leadership Conference follows the 2021 event by just four months, a departure from the annual cycle that’s been followed for more than 20 years. Because of the compressed timeframe and extraordinary conditions confronting chains’ top officers, the focus of this year’s show was tightened to the issues of the moment. Sessions were crafted to delve deeply into such matters as supply chain disruptions, margin-eating inflation, Wall Street’s hot and cold reaction to restaurant IPOs, and how leadership has been redefined by the biblical-scale event of a global pandemic.
Hence the theme of this year’s gathering: The Path Forward.
“This year will also be our deepest plunge yet into labor issues,” says Chris Keating, emcee of the event and president of Winsight Media’s conferences division, the host of RLC. “We decided not to take the easy route of just adding a session or two on staffing, since labor considerations figure into everything today from menus to where investors put their capital. It’ll be the bass beat running through the conference.”
But the conference’s traditional focus on sharpening leadership skills hasn’t been abandoned. NFL legend Bill Belichick will drop the hood of his sweatshirt long enough to explain how he’s led the New England Patriots to nine Super Bowls, six of which they won. Rumor has it that he may even flash a rare smile.
Another leadership perspective will come from David Chang, the celebrity fine-dining chef who’s segued from fine dining to the launch of a chicken-sandwich concept called Fuku.
In addition to its educational component, RLC 2022 will provide the networking opportunities for which the event is known. Those opportunities for peer-to-peer exchanges range from golfing foursomes to target shooting at a world-famous range.
A third-party firm has been contracted to ensure safety protocols are in place to protect attendees throughout the four-day event. Participation will be limited to individuals who’ve either been vaccinated against COVID-19 or tested negative for coronavirus right before they headed to Scottsdale.
The cap on attendance has also been lowered. As in the past, admittance is by invitation only.
The Restaurant Leadership Conference is scheduled for April 10-13 in Scottsdale, Ariz. More information about the event, including the full schedule, is available here. To request an invitation, click here.
In addition to RLC, Winsight Media’s foodservice holdings include Restaurant Business and the FSTEC technology conference.
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