Agenda

Tuesday, July 23

 

10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Registration
 

2:00 pm – 2:15 pm 

Welcome to The Table  

Speaker:

• Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO, National Restaurant Association
• Jeff Lobdell, Chairman, National Restaurant Association Board of Directors

2:15 pm – 3:00 pm 

Keynote Speaker

Prepare to be inspired by keynote speaker Chip Heath, co-author of transformative books on impactful decision-making. Known for his bestsellers like "Switch" and "The Power of Moments," Chip's expertise in behavioral psychology and decision science will provide invaluable perspectives for navigating complex challenges.

Speaker:

• Chip Heath, Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Business and co-author Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Made to Stick 

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Winning at Workforce: Managing a Multigenerational Team & Creating a Positive Workplace Culture

Part 1: Workplace culture has a profound impact on the bottom line. During this session, Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, and James Fripp, Chief Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer of Yum! Brands will explore how to foster a positive culture within your business and how that culture can enhance recruitment and retention capabilities.

Speakers:

• Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
• James Fripp, Chief Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Officer, Yum! Brands

Part 2: Lynne Lancaster, an expert on workplace and social trends, presents current workforce issues and interprets them to offer actionable advice on how to lead, manage, market, and communicate effectively in a multi-generational world. Lynne’s expertise will take you to a whole new level, whether you are struggling to recruit and retain generations in the workforce, seeking to connect with them in the marketplace, or just trying to live and work with them.

• Understand who the generations are in today’s workforce
• Identify your organization’s generational mix
• Recognize where gaps arise that impact recruiting and retention
• Learn how to increase engagement to improve hiring and reduce turnover

Speaker:

• Lynne Lancaster, Consultant

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm 

Breakout

4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

Breakout Sessions

• Joint Session
  • Cultivating Executive Influence
    • Discover how to shift your thinking and elevate your influence beyond the ordinary. John Ullmen, executive coach and professor at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, unveils the power of executive influence—a strategic approach to elevate your clout and reputation while driving results with senior-leadership. In this session, Professor Ullmen outlines his influence roadmap, how to best implement it, and highlights real-world examples from top leaders leveraging these techniques. This session will offer you essential tools to amplify your impact within your organization and achieve better outcomes
      • Speaker: John Ullmen, executive coach and professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management
• Finance
• Tax
  • Payroll Taxes
    • Speaker: Michael Chittenden, Of Counsel, Covington
• Internal Audit
   

5:30 pm

Sip & Socialize
Location: The Hilton Austin, Bistro Boulevard

Join us for happy hour at the end of day one to unwind and connect with fellow attendees. Enjoy drinks and great conversations as we celebrate a successful start to the conference.  

6:30 pm – 9:30 pm

Community Tables: A Taste of Texas Dinner
Location: Brazos Hall

Tonight's event is all about community. Connect with fellow professionals in your industry performing similar roles. 
 

Wednesday, July 24

 

7:30 am – 8:20 am

Breakfast
 

8:30 am – 8:40 am

Coffee with the Chairman
Join us for a morning coffee chat with the Association's President and CEO, Michelle Korsmo, and Association Board Chairman, Jeff Lobdell.

Speakers:

• Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO, National Restaurant Association
• Jeff Lobdell, Chairman, National Restaurant Association Board of Directors

8:40 am – 9:25 am

Navigating an Age of Disruption: What to Expect in Politics & Policy in 2024 & Beyond
Washington strategist Bruce Mehlman examines the long-term technology, geopolitical and cultural trends driving America’s media battles, political contests and policy reform movements that will shape the upcoming 2024 elections and impact every business for the next decade.

Speaker:

• Bruce Mehlman, Consultant

9:25 am – 9:45 am

How the new Human Foods Program at FDA will Function
Deputy Commissioner Jim Jones, head of the new Human Foods Program at the FDA, will outline the regulatory agency's goals and future direction.

Speaker:

• Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner, FDA

10:15 am – 11:15 am

Breakout Sessions
 

• Food Safety & Quality Assurance
  • Meet and Greet: Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner of Human Foods at FDA
  • FSMA 204 Tools and Resources: Patrick Guzzle, Vice President, Food Science, National Restaurant Association, shares updates on FSMA 204 tools and resources.
• HR - Session TBA
• Nutrition
  • Policy Updates: Maggie Gentile, Consultant, and Laura Abshire, Director, Sustainability Policy, National Restaurant Association, providing updates about federal, state, and local nutrition policies.
  • Meet and Greet: Jim Jones, Deputy Commissioner of Human Foods at FDA, on the coming 18 months regarding sodium and sugar in the foodservice industry.
• Sustainability
  • Food Waste Dumpster Dive IGNITE Presentations:
    • Each table Subject Matter Expert (SME) gives a 10 min. overview of the issue, business considerations, level of effort, roadblocks, etc. You'll have an opportunity to visit multiple presentations during this session.
      1. Food waste policy in the U.S. 
      2. Food Donation - Jim Larson, VP, Development Food Service, Food Donation Connection
      3. Food Waste Recycling (animal feed, anaerobic digestion, composting.) - Kate Worley, Vice President Sustainability and Business Solutions, Denali 
      4. Employee training and bringing it all together - Mike Learakos, CEO, Abound Food Care 
• Finance 
  • Economic State of the Industry
    • Speaker: Dr. Chad Moutray, Vice President, Research & Knowledge, National Restaurant Association
• Tax
  • Tip Reporting
    • Speaker: Michael Chittenden, Of Counsel, Covington
• Internal Audit
  • PCAOB & FASB

11:15 am – 12:15 pm

Breakout Sessions
 

• Food Safety & Quality Assurance
  • What foodservice can learn from CDC pathogen outbreaks?
    • Each year, state and local public health departments report hundreds of foodborne illness outbreaks associated with retail food establishments (e.g., restaurants or caterers) to CDC. Typically, investigations involve epidemiology, laboratory, and environmental health components. Health departments voluntarily report epidemiologic and laboratory data from their foodborne illness outbreak investigations to CDC through the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS); however, minimal environmental health data from outbreak investigations are reported to NORS. This report summarizes environmental health data collected during outbreak investigations and reported to the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS).
      •  Speaker: Adam Kramer, ScD, MPH, RS Environmental Health Officer, CDC
• HR
  • I Didn't Know: Bridging the Gap in Communicating Benefits to Front Line Employees 
    • Building an effective employee culture is crucial for all employees to feel informed, valued and empowered. And while your benefits package that adds value to employee’s lives is a large part of creating that culture, that message doesn’t always reach your frontline employees. Join us for an insightful conversation where we uncover innovative techniques to bridge this crucial communication gap. From leveraging digital platforms to interactive workshops, learn how to tailor your benefits messaging to resonate and reach frontline staff effectively to ultimately enhance employee engagement, and maximize the impact of your benefits program.
• Nutrition
  • Ultra-processed food and the future of regulations in the United States
• Sustainability
  • Food Waste Dumpster Dive Roundtables (continued):
    • Attend the discussion you want to dive deeper on. Discussions cover implementation or understanding that food waste initiative. 
      1. Food waste policy in the U.S. 
      2. Food Donation - Jim Larson, Vice President, Development Food Service, Food Donation Connection
      3. Food Waste Recycling (animal feed, anaerobic digestion, composting.) - Kate Worley, Vice President Sustainability and Business Solutions, Denali
      4. Employee training and bringing it all together - Mike Learakos, CEO, Abound Food Care

• Finance - Session TBA
• Tax - Session TBA
• Internal Audit - ESG Updates

12:15 pm – 1:15 pm

Lunch
 

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm

Breakout Sessions

• Food Safety & Quality Assurance
  • Practical Guidance: Food Donation and Food Safety 
    • Food waste generates serious negative environmental impacts of food loss and waste as well as its effect on food insecurity and poverty in local communities. Learn and identify how a focus on food safety and food system enhancements can be a solution that provides bottom-line benefits while positively impacting the health of individuals, communities, and the environment. Learn about the advantages and challenges associated with state-mandated organics reduction and food donation programs and how to overcome the unintended consequences associated with mandated food recovery programs.
      • Speakers: Dr. Al Baroudi, The Cheesecake Factory and Mike Learakos, Abound Food Care
• HR 
  • Care for the Caregiver: Sustaining Your Mental Health as an HR Professional  
    • As an HR leader, you embody versatility. Throughout the pandemic, you stood strong during layoffs, orchestrated mass hirings, and offered a compassionate ear to your workforce as they grappled with family, health, and financial hurdles. Your door is always open on ordinary days, yet it's crucial to ensure you're equipped to provide support to your colleagues while safeguarding your own well-being. Join this session to understand the spectrum of mental health and its impact on the workplace. Learn about the prevalence and stigma in the restaurant industry. Create a proactive self-care strategy and identify immediate steps for a workplace mental health strategy. 
• Nutrition
  • Menus of Change Update with Pam Smith, Culinary Institute of America’s Healthy Menus of Change (HMC) R&D Collaborative
• Sustainability
  • Antibiotics and Avian Flu in Chicken Supply Chain

• Finance - Session TBA
• Tax
  • Maximizing Tax Benefits Through Food Donation with Jim Larson, Food Donation Connection
• Internal Audit

  • How to Audit (and Do All the Other Stuff) with Integrity, Part 1

    • Why do lots of good people, including internal auditors, occasionally make poor moral choices? What tricks do our brains play on us that may lead us to mess up? This session introduces you to “Behavioral Ethics,” the science of moral decision making that explains how and why people make the moral (and immoral) decisions that they do. It will also address how we can all improve our chances of minimizing the number and magnitude of moral mistakes we make and thereby improve our chances of living a life we can be proud of.

      
      Speaker: Robert Prentice, Professor, Business Law and Business Ethics, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin 

2:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Breakout Sessions

• Food Safety & Quality Assurance
  • What is happening with CFP Roundtables and what do we think about them?
    • Speakers:
      • Shelly Wallingford, Director of Food Safety, First Watch
      • Patrick Guzzle, Vice President, Food Science, National Restaurant Association
• HR 
  • Regulatory Roadmap: What’s Ahead for Workforce and Labor Policy Issues

     

    • Hear from policy experts on the latest rules and upcoming regulations impacting our labor and workforce. Learn how these changes could influence operators, equipping you with the knowledge to prepare for future challenges and adapt pathways for success.
• Nutrition
  • Ozempic Craze and Future of Foodservice: Should You Be Worried?
• Sustainability
  • Regenerative Agriculture: What Lessons Were Learned
• Finance & Tax Joint Session 
  • Legislative Updates with Aaron Frazier, Vice President, Public Policy, National Restaurant Association
• Internal Audit

  • How to Audit (and Do All the Other Stuff) with Integrity, Part 2 

    • The discussion continues as Dr. Prentice will continue the exploration of Business Ethics.

    • Speaker: Robert Prentice, Professor, Business Law and Business Ethics, McCombs School of Business, The University of Texas at Austin 

3:45 pm – 5:30 pm

Operator Roundtables

For operator only – Sponsors join the Industry Partnerships Group at The Reverbery for an appreciation toast and a chance to network with industry peers.

5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Gathering at The Table
Location: The Hilton Austin, Bistro Boulevard

Any Austin guidebook will tell you there are three things you should experience in Austin – good food, a little boot scootin’, and some genuine country music. We’ve got all three for you at our Wednesday evening dinner reception, where you can sip on your favorite drinks and enjoy the spectacular Austin buffet we have planned.

We’ll be offering the best line dancing lessons Austin has to offer, and bring your best cowboy boots for a sizzling Best Boots judging competition and prizes from our friends from Ecolab. We’ll bring the line dancers, you bring the kickers, westerns and ropers!

Sponsored by Ecolab

Thursday, July 25

 

7:30 am – 8:30 am

Breakfast
 

8:30 am – 9:30 am

Welcome
 

9:45 am – 10:45 am

Breakout Sessions

• FSQA, Nutrition, and Sustainability Joint Session Programming
  • Consumer preferences and behavior in foodservice
• HR
  • AI-Powered HR: Transforming Talent Management in the Digital Age 
    • Have you ever relied on AI tools to generate a template for a leave of absence policy, using it as a reference while crafting your own? Have you experimented with ChatGPT? Discover how AI can enhance organizational efficiency and cost-effectiveness across various functions such as recruitment, appointment scheduling, administrative tasks, job postings, and policy formulation. Explore how these advancements will influence your workforce dynamics and operations today and in the future. 
• Finance - Session TBA
• Tax 
  • Restaurant Revenue: Tackling Food & Beverage Taxes
    • Speaker: Tim Howe, CPA, CEO, Synexus Tax Solutions
• Internal Audit
  • Internal Audit's Guide to Securing the Future of Restaurants: AI & Cybersecurity
    • The restaurant industry is embracing technology, but this opens the door to cyber threats. Internal Auditors have a critical role in ensuring proper controls are in place to mitigate these risks. This session dives deep into the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity, exploring their impact on the internal audit landscape.
      • Speaker: Manmohan Singh, Managing Director, Cybersecurity & Privacy, Grant Thornton 

11:00 am – 12:15 pm

Breakout Sessions

• Joint Session Programming
  • Recap & Wrap-up: Share key takeaways from The Table 2024 and topics for 2025.

• Finance & Tax Joint Session
  • Delivery Challenges
    • Speaker: Stephen Kranz, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP
• Internal Audit
  • Third-Party Risk Management
    • Speaker: Brent Warner, Signing Director, Business Risk Services, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP)

12:15 pm

Send Off 
Location: The Reverbery

Join us at The Reverbery for drinks and snacks before you head out to catch your flight!