Marketing Executives Group: The Human Element. Marketing in the Age of AI

2026 Marketing Executives Group (MEG)

May 13-15

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

Presented by DirecTV for Business National Accounts

MEG 2026
The Human Element: Marketing in the Age of AI

For more than four decades, MEG has brought together restaurant marketing leaders to share ideas, spark innovation, and build meaningful community.

MEG 2026 explores The Human Element: Marketing in the Age of AI—how marketers can pair emerging technology with timeless creativity, empathy, and connection to elevate brands and deliver unforgettable guest experiences.

Who You'll Meet at MEG


Marketing is complex and dynamic, which also sums up our attendees. With half of our attendees from large restaurant chains and the other half from local independents, MEG represents a true cross-section of the restaurant industry. 

Build your network with professionals from the C-Suite to Directors and Managers, focusing on key areas like brand, digital, consumer, and field marketing.

Join a Year-Round Network


When you attend MEG, you’re not just attending a conference—you’re joining a community. MEG attendees become part of a powerful professional network, where collaboration and knowledge-sharing continue long after the event.
 

Agenda


This year’s conference brings together the conversations, ideas, and expertise that remind us why the human element matters most—especially in the age of AI.

Check out the details.

Photo of Will Guidara

2026 Keynote

Will Guidara

Restaurateur, Eleven Madison Park, The #1 Restaurant in the World; New York Times Bestselling Author, Unreasonable Hospitality

Will Guidara is the author of the New York Times Bestseller Unreasonable Hospitality. He is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership was named the Best Restaurant in the World. He is the host of The Welcome Conference, a Co-Producer on the Emmy Award-winning series The Bear, and is a recipient of the Wall Street Journal Innovator Award. His new book, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide, comes out in April, 2026. 

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