New Sessions Super-Charge
'The Show' in Atlantic City

Intensified learning is the focus when the Nightclub & Bar Beverage and Food Convention & Trade Show returns to Atlantic City October 9-11.
    As part of the 25-30 educational seminars and workshops, this year’s Atlantic City show replaces traditional keynote addresses with two stunning Super Sessions designed to give operators a more comprehensive think tank, bringing ideas to the table from which attendees can draw inspiration and how-to knowledge.
    “Our goal is to provide the operator take-home information that can be implemented immediately into their venue,” says Jennifer Robinson, C.O.O. of Oxford Publishing Inc., producer of “The Show.”
    “The Super Sessions, added this year, will provide an intimate Q&A with up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the business, as well as some of the most well known and successful veterans.”

Super Session I
    From how to produce Manhattan flair on a smaller budget to tips on marketing to dealing with celebrity appearances, this panel of all-star New York club owners will enlighten attendees to all aspects of the Big Apple’s industry appeal.
    David Sarner (Pink Elephant and Crobar), David Rabin (Lotus), Dirk van Stockum (B.E.D.) and Ken Smith (Crobar) discuss what they have learned from years of large club ownership, multi-location venues and ground-breaking design innovations..
    During this hour-and-a-half-long session led by Barry Gutin, some of the topics will include optimizing the owner/manager relationship, getting a national profile for your business, utilizing independent promoters and more. The panelists also will address issues specific to the New York market in the context of the industry.
    “For me,” Dirk van Stockum says, “the following issues are important: current legislation, cross branding, sponsorship and marketing in the Spitzer world, good operators versus bad operators, keeping the competitive edge in a flooded market space, what’s next for us after Manhattan becomes a giant Richard Wright condo building, how to stop over-saturation in neighborhoods, what the next trend’s going to be and the role of promoters.”

Super Session II
    A team of the industry’s top names, assembled specifically to cover essential areas of the business: promotions, operations, marketing, and management. Listen as these experts, each with more than 20 years of experience, share what has worked for them. They will discuss everything from the latest trends to tried-and-true techniques that guarantee success.
    Jonathan Ressler, president of Big Fat Inc., and founder/president of Ressler Marketing Group, specializes in on-premise brand marketing and created and implemented tens of thousands of on-premise events for clients. Thom Greco, president of Greco Holdings, has owned and operated numerous nightclubs and restaurant/bar properties in Pennsylvania. He is one of the hospitality industry’s most respected operators. Mike Grosser, vice president of entertainment for Jillian’s, is well versed in virtually all aspects of guest entertainment and has worked with venues small and large. NCB