Smooth Operators
On-Premise Success Stories and More in Keynote Addresses At “The Show” in 2008

    Operators who attend the Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show (“The Show”) are accustomed to fascinating insights from players at different tiers of the industry.
    Many times, the keynote speakers at “The Show” are high-ranking executives with major beverage suppliers, discussing their unique big-picture views of the industry from their desks right down to the consumer level.
    This year’s keynote addresses at “The Show” (February 24-27, 2008 in Las Vegas) will deliver another key official from an on-fire spirits supplier as well as bring top executives from some of the most successful on-premise venues and chains themselves, providing a street-level view, where the rubber meets the road in the operation of nightclubs, bars and hotel food and beverage properties. Also returning this year is the leader of the industry’s biggest advocate organization.
    Without a doubt, they distill their hard-earned wisdom into keynote addresses at “The Show,” and their words are a show component not to be missed, even after a night of revelry at “The Show.”

Dr. Peter H. Cressy
    Peter Cressy, a return keynote speaker, joined the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States Inc. as president and CEO in September 1999.
    He has an impressive history of leadership positions, including distinguished educator and retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral. In addition to serving as president/CEO for DISCUS, Cressy also serves as a member of the board of directors for the distilled spirits industry’s educational foundation, The Century Council.

G. J. Hart
    President and CEO of Louisville, Ky.-based Texas Roadhouse restaurants, G. J. Hart heads a chain that has grown, since 1993, to include 275 full-service restaurants in 44 states. In the seven years since Hart joined the company, revenues have increased from approximately $63 million in 1999 to $597 million in 2006, with system-wide revenues of over $900 million.
    In 2006, readers of Consumer Reports voted Texas Roadhouse the top concept in the Pub/Grill category, and Forbes ranked the company as one of the 200 Best Small Companies.
    Prior to joining Texas Roadhouse, Hart was president of Al Copeland Investments (ACI), a multi-faceted organization including three food processing plants and featuring four restaurant concepts, hotels, gaming, entertainment, and comedy clubs.
As president of ACI, Hart increased the restaurant division from nine stores to 60, spearheaded the acquisition of the Improv Comedy Club and increased the annual earnings sevenfold and revenue by 100 percent.

John McDonnell
    The Patron Spirits Co.’s COO and executive VP, McDonnell is responsible for management of day-to-day activities of the corporation and monitoring the daily operations of the company.
    He has been instrumental in increasing the company’s revenue to $300,000,000 from $75,000,000 and is responsible for the expansion of
the company’s international and duty-free business.
    Past positions included being president and CEO of The Action Group, an international sales and marketing beverage consulting company; serving as vice president and general manager of Joseph E. Seagram & Sons and other positions within that company and others.

Hamish Dodds
    Hamish Dodds, president and CEO of Hard Rock, oversees all aspects
of Hard Rock’s worldwide businesses, which include both company-owned and franchise cafés, bars, hotels, casinos and live music venues showcasing the world’s greatest collection of authentic music memorabilia.
    He is responsible for the strategic development and operational results of
all Hard Rock’s activities across 45 countries, ensuring that all guests
enjoy the highest quality food, merchandise, service and entertainment
experiences whenever they visit Hard Rock locations.
    Prior to joining the Hard Rock team, Dodds worked as CEO for Cabcorp, a multi-market  beverage operation selling PepsiCo soft drinks, Ambev beer, water and other locally and  globally branded beverages. He also held senior positions with PepsiCo Beverages International, where he worked for 13 years gaining extensive international experience in  finance, franchising, joint ventures and brand management from a number of senior roles in  Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.     
    In his final position with PepsiCo, Dodds was president and general manager for South America, Central America and the Caribbean business unit and was responsible for the major re-franchising, brand recovery and financial turnaround in those markets.   
    His favorite bands are The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Thin Lizzy, Rolling Stones, U2, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie and Rod Stewart.

Sunday Power Lunch
    In the last few years, the Sunday Power Lunch has proven to be a perfect reason to get to Las Vegas early. Sunday, February 24, from 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. at the Las Vegas Hilton, three very successful on-premise vets will discuss industry issues as attendees enjoy a great meal. The speakers include Billy Dec, Matthew Johnson and Paul Daly.
    Billy Dec is an attorney at law, a student in the Owner/President Management Program at The Harvard School of Business, and the celebrity and nightlife reporter for Metromix, Chicago’s premier entertainment TV show. Dec spends most of his time, however, focusing on his role as president/partner of Rockit Ranch Productions, a Chicago-based entertainment development company that specializes in the creation, development and management of top restaurant, bar and nightclub venues.
    The latest of the company’s successful venues include Rockit Bar & Grill,
a nationally recognized hot spot recently opened in Chicago. Rockit Bar & Grill has unleashed a new edge to casual dining, featuring bar and grill favorites with a culinary twist, served in an energetic, industrial warehouse atmosphere that blends simple, natural elements with sleek, modern design. Within a couple months of opening Rockit, Dec and partners followed their Chicago success with unprecedented openings of a couple of South Florida’s most exciting new venues at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino called The Park Sports Club and Tequila Ranch.
    Matthew Johnson is managing partner of SUSHISAMBA restaurants and the Sugarcane Lounge. Johnson and his two partners introduced the SUSHISAMBA concept in 1999. With Johnson raising capital and managing investor relations, the vibrant concept has grown to a total of six locations: two in New York with sister locations in Miami Beach, Chicago, Tel Aviv and Dallas.
    SUSHISAMBA’s celebration of the culture and cuisine of Japan, Brazil and Peru continues to receive critical acclaim and fill the house with a lively crowd.  SUGARCANE lounge at SUSHISAMBA opened in January of 2005.
Paul Daly, is assistant VP of food and beverage with Hyatt Hotels.