Restaurant Marketer & Innovator European Summit is returning for its seventh edition, and tickets are now on sale for the two-day conference as the centrepiece of the January event series. Taking place on 21 and 22 January at One Moorgate Place in London.
Prices are: a one-day ticket for operators is £320 plus VAT while a two-day ticket is £575 plus VAT. Supplier tickets are £420 plus VAT for one day and £725 plus VAT for two. Propel Premium Club members receive a 20% discount.
To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com
DAY 1 – 21st January
9.00am-10:00am: Networking and registration
10:00am-10:15am: Official welcome – Think Hospitality managing partner and RM&I co-founder, James Hacon, welcomes the audience with a whistle stop tour of significant events and trends of the past year in the restaurant industry.
10:15am-10:35am: State of the Nation – Mark Bentley, business development director at Hospitality Data Insights, presents a detailed analysis of key market trends in the UK hospitality sector. Gain insights into spending dynamics, customer profiles, and successful operators, plus strategies for data-driven decision-making.
10:35am-11:00am: Strategy 2025: leaders on innovation and growth – industry leaders take to the stage to discuss their market outlook, focuses for 2025, where they’ll be looking to innovate and evolve their brand. Mark Wingett, group editor at Propel in conversation with Satnam Leihal, chief executive at Boparan Restaurant Group, Graham Hall, chief development officer at Drake & Morgan, Lisa Buckley, chief retail officer at BrewDog, and Tas Gaitanos, co-founder of Brother Marcus.
11:00am-11:35am: Turning fans into superfans – Katy Moses, managing director at KAM, shares new research on how hospitality brands can go beyond customer loyalty and create brand obsession, followed by a panel of senior marketers discussing their sources of inspiration and sharing their strategies for building brands that create loyal, passionate fans. Panel: Shona Campbell, chief marketing and growth officer at Ottolenghi, Andreia Harwood, marketing director – EMEA at Wingstop, Emma King, chief marketing officer at Hawksmoor, and Louise Philip, global group marketing director at The Wolseley Hospitality Group.
11:35am-12:00pm: Power to the marketer – Now is the time for marketeers. Data has never been more available (and valuable); finally Hospitality can match how ecommerce and retail do CRM marketing. We know who, what, where and how much guests are spending, their frequency of visit and their loyalty to brands. We know what channels are delivering and we can leverage significant returns. Dan Brookman, lifelong hospitality marketer and chief executive of Airship and Toggle, will talk through industry benchmarks, case studies and share actionable data for the sector marketers to drive additional budget and gain business focus.
12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch
1:00pm-1.25pm: It starts with food: driving commercial success through product innovation – Laura Mimoun, chief marketing officer at Fulham Shore, delves into the organisational dynamics that enable food teams to drive effective menu innovation. With case studies from Franco Manca and The Real Greek, Laura will explore the role of data in making informed decisions, when innovation should be embraced and when to avoid the temptation.
1:25pm-1:50pm: Beyond local: transforming marketing strategies for national impact – Andrew Gallagher, brand and marketing director at Greene King, discusses the shift from their changing strategy from local to national marketing strategies. Uncover essential tactics to enhance your brand’s visibility and effectiveness on a larger scale.
1:50pm-2:15pm: Building community and deeper connection – Industry leaders explore the vital role of community engagement in hospitality. They’ll reveal effective strategies for leveraging physical spaces to create meaningful connections with customers and foster loyalty to ultimately drive increased repeat visitation. Rosie Prior, managing director at Me:Mo, in conversation with Lucy Harwood, brand and marketing director at Boston Tea Party Cafes, Russell Danks, managing director at Laine Pub Co, and Lesley Mcilroy, sales and marketing director at Ole & Steen.
2:15pm-2:40pm: Campaigns that cut through – Hospitality marketing consultant James Mobbs reviews campaigns from more than 100 hospitality groups and highlights the power of missed opportunities across websites, data capture and email marketing. Discover effective tactics for database growth and learn how to elevate your marketing strategy.
2:40pm-3:10pm: Coffee and networking
3:10pm-3:45pm: Marketing in 2025: trends, tactics and transformation – Leaders will share their vision for marketing in 2025, outlining the key trends and strategies shaping the future. They will discuss what successful brands will start doing, what they will stop doing, and what they will focus on more in the coming years. Mark McCulloch, founder and chief executive at Supersonic Inc, in conversation with Nicole Goodwin, group marketing director at Comptoir Group, Ali Earl-Gray, head of marketing and events at Kricket, Michelle Farrell, group sales and marketing director at Nightcap, and Gabby Tomlinson, marketing director at Lane7.
3:45pm-4:15pm: Growing sales and enhancing customer experience through technology – Omnichannel has reshaped the restaurant industry, especially amid rising labour costs. Our panel will discuss how restaurants can leverage digital tools, from online ordering and delivery to in-store experiences, while maintaining key human touch points to enhance guest satisfaction; optimising customer interactions, boosting efficiency and fostering loyalty. Mark Galvin, vice-president of strategic program development at Bloomreach, in conversation with Guy Scott-South, director of IT at Heart with Smart Group, Matt Griffin, digital operations manager (EMEA) at Subway, and David Carey, chief technology oficer at Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.
4:15pm-4:50pm: Restaurant of the future – By harnessing the exceptional expertise of the industry’s top leaders right here in the audience, we will crowdsource the latest trends and groundbreaking innovations, embracing artificial intelligence technologies to shape the future of our industry.
4:50pm-5:00pm: Key takeaways from day one – James Hacon shares the top takeaways from day one.
6:00pm-8.30pm: Evening drinks reception at Albert’s Schloss.
DAY 2 – 22nd January
9:00am-10:00am: Networking and registration
10:00am-10.05am: Welcome back
10:05am-10:15am: AI restaurant challenge briefing – two teams of industry professionals will work under time pressure to design an entirely new restaurant concept in just four hours. They’ll receive a live brief and create everything from mood boards to menus and video flythroughs, exclusively using AI tools. The last session of the day will see the two teams pitch their concepts, followed by an audience vote to crown the winner featuring Anthony Knight, marketing and brand strategy consultant, Claire Scullion, managing director of The Menu Scientist, and Laura Vana, associate partner at Think Hospitality.
10:15am-10:50am: Winning strategies: pricing, product and promotions power plays – Maria Vanifatova, chief executive and founder of Meaningful Vision, examines the key drivers shaping the sector in 2025. She will delve into price trends, menu strategies, and the latest developments in digital and targeted promotions, providing valuable insights for businesses navigating the evolving landscape. Panel: Joanna Richardson, marketing director at Heartwood Collection, Siobhan Lloyd, head of marketing at 200 Degrees Coffee, and Mariam French, marketing director at Leon.
10:50am-11:15pm: The power of brand extensions – Morena Oliveira, marketing director at Lina Stores, shares how the brand has extended beyond its deli roots into restaurants, catering, branded product lines and bars. Discover the strategies behind creating profitable brand extensions that retain authenticity while capturing new markets.
11:15am-11:50pm: Growing sales through menu insights – Steven Pike, managing director at HGEM, will share data-driven insights into menu optimisation. He’ll explore how to decide which dishes to add or remove, the ideal menu length, and how reliable sales volume is as a success indicator. He will also discuss the influence of individual dishes on overall net promoter score. Following the presentation, a panel will delve into these topics, offering practical strategies for improving menu performance and guest satisfaction. Panel: Lizzie Isles, head of food and drink at Côte Brasserie, Claire Scullion, managing director of The Menu Scientist, and Chris Stagg, brand director of Peach Pubs.
11:50am-12:15pm: Building trust and converting eyeballs to footfall – With 90% of consumers trusting user generated content over traditional ads, creators are an important element of the modern marketing mix. During this panel, four marketers with share their insights on what resonates with followers, drives engagement and activates their audiences, discussing strategies that create real-life conversion. Michael Radley, co-founder at Joli, in conversation with Hannah Brennan, head of marketing at Bone Daddies Group, Amy Honeyford, head of marketing at NQ64, Kate De Salis, social media and digital marketing manager at Little Door & Co, and Dylan Yelavich, head of marketing at Market Halls.
12:15pm-1:15pm: Lunch
1:15pm-1:35pm: Innovation blueprint: driving maximum impact – Claire Small, marketing director, and Polly Lamy, head of commercial and brand at Elior UK, share a blueprint for innovation to drive maximum impact. They’ll explore key business outcomes and identify five value creation drivers. With real-life examples of success and “epic learns” driving brand awareness, cost reduction, sales increase, efficiency and more, they will guide you through a failsafe innovation process, from defining objectives to trial, rollout and continuous optimisation.
1:35pm-2:00pm: Bringing customer voice into the boardroom – Leading executives discuss how the customer voice drives strategy, innovation, and business improvements, focusing on how support teams stay connected to guest experiences and integrate feedback into boardroom decisions to drive meaningful change. Olivia Fitzgerald, managing director at Feed It Back, in conversation with Tom James, managing director at Bill’s Restaurants, Jonathan Arana-Morton, chief executive of The Breakfast Club, and Nicola Blackford, chief commercial officer at State of Play Hospitality.
2:00pm-2:25pm: Creating joyful experiences – Peter Critchley, chief executive at Trison UK, speaks with Mary Coriano, head of products and corporate portfolio at Merlin Entertainments, about how technology is enhancing operations across its parks. They’ll explore how innovation is addressing guest pain points, improving commerciality and streamlining processes, all while supporting Merlin’s mission to spread happiness and create lasting memories.
2:25pm-2:50pm: The power of six: data driven ideation – Michael Sims, chief marketing officer at Six Company, reveals how Six by Nico continuously evolves its proposition every six weeks. He will share the creative process behind their latest venue, Somewhere by Nico, and discuss how data informs decision-making and shapes their business strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
2:50pm-3:20pm: Coffee and networking
3:20pm-3:45pm: Leveraging loyalty to drive incremental spend and additional visits – Jessica Cooke, director of media and loyalty at Stonegate Group, shares insights from her grocery sector experience and how she applied them to hospitality. She will discuss leveraging consumer insights to drive visits, boost spending, and encourage product trials, as well as the success of the MiXR app, which revolutionised the guest experience and achieved one million downloads with support from top drinks brands.
3:45pm-4:05pm: What brings guests back: insights into guest loyalty – Zoe Knowles, commercial specialist at Access Hospitality, shares the highlights of consumer research into what drives guests to return, recommend, and spend more at your venue. From loyalty programmes to personalised experiences and exceptional service, we’ll share key insights from our latest consumer research to help you build stronger guest relationships and boost retention.
4:05pm-4:30pm: Fireside chat: unlocking revenue potential – Laura Irving, chief marketing officer at JKS Restaurants, our 2024 Innovators of the Year, is interviewed about effective revenue optimisation techniques and how to collaborate with founders to cultivate fresh, innovative ideas that drive business growth, carefully balancing commercially and brand to navigating today’s competitive landscape.
4:30pm-4:55pm: AI restaurant challenge: pitch time – Our teams return to the stage to pitch their concepts, going head-to-head for the chance to be crowned the winner through an audience vote.
4:55pm-5:00pm: Key takeaways from day two – James Hacon shares the top takeaways from day two.
Headline Partner:
Premium Partner:
Partners:
