Action —> Reaction Trends and Impressions Were Strong at 'The Show' Got technology? How about a variety of small batch spirits? If you’re a corporate operator, do you have the promotions and marketing savvy of independent operators? And if you’re an independent, can your venue squeeze profit margins like the big boys?

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Cha-Ching! CHA-CHING! Pre-Conference Workshops Paid Out Operational And Promotional Jackpots to Attendees Certainly, strategic internal operations and promotions and marketing are incredibly important in increasing traffic and dollars on-premise, but it’s not all fun and games, and profits are not as simple as drawing crowds and serving them what they want. Like it or not, it’s the more mundane and trying operational aspects of running a bar that can make or break a venue. Areas for improvement are many, and experts at “The Show” helped offer their wisdom for doing better in operations. From the Beverage & Food Forum and The Cocktail Experience to aspects of security, menu design, management tactics, merchandise branding –– and much, much more –– attendees at this year’s show received the VIP treatment of information that they could take home to wow their partners, staff, guests –– and their bottom line.

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A Toast to the Industry The Rewards Were Awards at The 20th Anniversary Special Event It was a long time in the making, and that only served to make Sunday, Feb. 27th’s 20th Anniversary Gala event — the pinnacle of profit — all the more rewarding, exciting and special. It was THE soiree to attend for those who have served to make the hospitality industry into what it is today, a progressively thriving marketplace of ideas, creations and successes.

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Do Better Than Well: Upsell! Every Time a Register Rings, A Premium Vodka Gets Its Wings I can still remember the first time I had Ketel One Vodka, because I like it a lot, but more importantly, because a bartender changed my vodka drinking forever with it. I was in Newburyport, Mass., at Grog restaurant’s upstairs bar. I ordered a Bloody Mary, easy on the hots from Lisa. She filled the shaker glass with ice, popped in a teaspoon of horseradish, a dash of Tabasco, two dashes of Worcestershire and a shake of salt and pepper. She turned and asked me, “Which vodka?” I replied, with great wit and disinterest, “Whatever.” Lisa started to draw out the well vodka, but then froze in her tracks. She placed the bottle back in the rack and reached for a bottle on the end of the top shelf, and said, “We just got this in yesterday, and I’ve been dying to try it.” My bartender was excited. “What is it?” I asked. “Ketel One. It’s from Holland. From what I understand, they only bottle the center batch, unlike other producers.” She cracked open the bottle, and it has been my bar repetoire since. Persuading or steering a customer to upgrade to a higher-end product is upselling. Lisa convinced me that all vodka is not created equal, and that I wanted to drink the finer vodka, even though it was more expensive. And since that day, I have stayed away from the well for vodka and spent the extra money for top-shelf vodkas. I’ll never drink “whatever” again.

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Cultured Tastes America’s Affinity for Imports Grows America has a taste for imported things. Whether it’s a German car or Swiss chocolate, we enjoy products from around the world. And beer? Well, beer is no different. There are certain beers that have planted themselves in this country’s psyche. Through marketing, advertising and just plain quality, they have made quit a home for themselves in bars throughout the United States.

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Light Budget Tips For Smart Lighting Effects With Limited Funds Without a doubt, developing an extensive, high-energy lighting system on-premise is no simple feat. To be sure, lighting a club once was one of the most costly endeavors an operator could attempt. But cost-effective alternatives do exist. And trends toward architectural lighting to create a club’s vibe are encouraging, because owners with limited funds can tap into club-goers’ need for new environments lit in funky ways –– without spending a ton on wall sconces and other items currently finding their way into clubs with more resources.

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A Toast to the East Coast Atlantic City 2005 Makes a Splash This Fall If you thought “The Show” in Vegas was monumental, you’ll also not want to miss Atlantic City 2005 (AC 2005), where the invaluable show heads to the East Coast. Restaurant innovator Phil Romano, whose concepts have generated a staggering $10 billion-plus in sales, already is slated as one of the keynote speakers at AC 2005.

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Clucked Up Maybe Chickens Can’t Fly, But Chicken Profits Are Soaring OK. Let’s lay a simple truth out there up front: Buffalo wings and chicken tenders anchor a bar menu. It’s cut and dried. Or cut and fried, rather. Patrons expect these two chicken standards, among other finger foods. That being said, with every corner bar offering some form of wings and tenders, the key has become for operators to set theirs apart from the pack. Every operator with soggy, tasteless tenders is giving his competitor a golden opportunity to do it right and offer a more attractive signature item.

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Assets in Atlanta The Big Peach’s eleven50 Club is Juicy Profit to the Pit It was a long flight from London, especially after the recent tour in Tokyo, and the limo arriving at the tarmac as the Citation X jet taxis in is a welcome sight to the DJ and his crew. As they pile in for the next destination, the exhaustion among them is all too evident. Bob Seger’s “Turn the Page” is heard briefly as one of the crew scans the local Atlanta radio stations, and everyone shares a knowing chuckle.

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