Don’t fear, it’s drawing near, NRA Show 2017 is finally here! We’ve been looking forward to this one all year long and we’d like to share our top five tastiest education sessions happening at this year’s show, from our team to yours.
Dr. Deepak Sekar: Robotics in Food Service
When: Sunday, 5/21 from 3-3:30 p.m.
Description:
In the 1800s, we had the first industrial revolution, where textiles, metallurgy and transportation saw rapid adoption of machinery. This milestone saw unprecedented growth in average incomes. We are on the cusp of another industrial revolution today, with robotics reaching prices suitable for mass adoption. This talk will cover possibilities and challenges for robotics in food service.
Why we’re excited:
Hardware, software, it’s all technology, and we love technology. It’s what separates mankind from every other species on the planet. The right technology can also separate you from the competition, so it’s important to understand what is new and noteworthy in restaurant robotics.
Puneet Talwar: Opportunities and Challenges of a Digital Marketplace
When: Saturday, 5/20 from 1-1:30 p.m.
Description:
Technology offers opportunities for restaurants to generate consumer data, build online engagement and grow revenues through e-commerce. A more demanding generation of customers, however, creates new problems for restaurants. Attend this session to discover what the true costs are to manage opportunities and challenges such as websites, third-party platforms, online ordering and more.
Why we’re excited:
Another tech talk, but drastically different, Munch Ado specializes in digital media marketing for restaurants. In the age of the insta-star, social media can have a huge impact on your business and customer base. Even if you’re not considering a third party marketing firm for your restaurant, this education session will be full of tips for your social media strategy.
Wendy Harkness: Break Out Of Management And Into Leadership
When: Saturday, 5/20 from 10-10:45 a.m.
Description:
We’ve all heard that management is doing things right while leadership is doing the right things or, that managers ask ‘how’ and ‘when’ and that leaders ask ‘what’ and ‘why.’ The fact is that most leaders were managers first. Join in the discussion as we discover the path from management to leadership.
Why we’re excited:
The restaurant industry is one of the few businesses left today where you can get your education at work, and where management typically starts in the lowest position and works their way up. Emphasizing leadership skills with your managers boosts your entire team, though sometimes it’s looked over if the numbers are good. We love this education session and the awareness it brings to the difference between managing and leading.
Donna Herbel: Trends In Training: The Substance Behind The Buzzwords
When: Saturday, 5/20 from 11-11:30 a.m.
Description:
Microlearning. Gamification. Augmented reality. Social learning. What does it all mean? In this session at the NRA Show 2017, the President of CHART (Council of Hotel & Restaurant Trainers) will define these training buzzwords and explore how you can incorporate them into your strategic learning plan.
Why we’re excited:
Restaurant training can be pretty typical across the board. Training techniques for menu and recipe memorization, safety regulations, and company protocol can always be improved. In a field with high turnover rates, efficiency in training can make a huge difference in turning new hires into savvy servers.
Paul Ruben: Cloud-Based Point Of Sale-Crossing The Chasm
When: Monday, 5/22 from 3-3:30 p.m.
Description:
Point of Sale (POS) technology has undergone numerous disruptions starting with the shift from electronic cash registers, to DOS based computer POS terminals, to Windows and now the Cloud. Cloud POS is crossing the chasm and those late to adopt, do so at their own risk. In this session, we will discuss how Cloud solutions have revolutionized restaurant technology with its open architecture design to enable powerful tools such as loyalty and digital ordering along with its ease of deployment and access to real-time business intelligence.
Why we’re excited:
Upgrades mean training, and training means time and money spent. Don’t overlook the time and money saved once you’re set up though. Don’t be afraid to shoot for the clouds, or, cloud based POS technology. This education session will address common fears and pain points of making the switch, and hopefully encourage restaurant owners to do just that.
This year’s show has over 90 education sessions, and while you can’t hit all of them, it’s worth your time to check out a few. Find a full list of NRA Show 2017 exhibits and speakers here.
