BREAKOUT SESSION / MONDAY / OCTOBER 14, 2019 / 4:00 PM
No (Marketing) Money, No Problem!
It’s true that small or emerging brands can’t afford to compete on the same level with the big brands when it comes to advertising, but the good news is that they don’t need to try. In today’s social media landscape, nearly any brand can create a lot of buzz with very little money.
This session will show you how far a little creativity and ingenuity can take you.
PANELISTS
Jeff Fenster | Founder & CEO | Everbowl
Since earning his J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, Jeff Fenster has proven himself as an entrepreneurial innovator. As a serial entrepreneur, Jeff’s been recognized nationally for his business creations ranging from a Payroll & HR company, Digital Marketing Agency, Construction company among others. In addition, Jeff was named a top 100 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 by Empact. Combining his two biggest passions – entrepreneurship and healthy living – Jeff created the foundation everbowl has been built on and his personal philosophy of making friends and having fun have not only translated into a fun, vibrant culture at everbowl but also became the company’s true heartbeat.
Pedro Mora | Founder & CEO | Fajita Pete’s
Pedro “Pete” Mora is always ahead of the trend. After opening and running a successful full-service restaurant for six years, Mora realized that consumers craved convenience, long before delivery was the hot topic in the industry. In 2008, Mora launched Fajita Pete’s, a fast-casual concept with a streamlined menu featuring fresh fajitas catered and delivered. The rapidly growing Houston-based brand celebrated 10 years and has grown to 14 locations with several more in development. Mora is an alumni of the University of Houston.
Angela Petro | CEO | Sweet Carrot & Two Caterers
Angela Petro is CEO and founder of Together & Company, Columbus, Ohio’s most creative and service-focused hospitality business, and Sweet Carrot, a fast-casual restaurant that inventively serves flavorful made-from-scratch comfort foods in three Columbus neighborhoods. Together & Company, in addition to catering over 3,000 events yearly, has recently added an additional venue in partnership with White Castle’s new $65 million headquarters project, while Sweet Carrot was recently featured in an episode of the popular Food Network Guy Fieri show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Angela is passionate about giving back to the community, especially in the areas of food access and gender-equity.
Liz Vanzura | CMO | Rangoon Ruby Burmese Cuisine
Liz Vanzura is an award-winning leader in hospitality and lifestyle marketing. Currently Liz is helping develop a Burmese restaurant chain and catering operation to grow its presence within and beyond the California Bay area. Her specialties include advertising, content marketing, public relations & new product development. From Super Bowl spots to social media, Liz has worked on iconic brands including Wahlburgers, Truly Spiked & Sparkling, KEEL Vodka, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, among others. As the former CMO at VW, HUMMER & Cadillac, Liz earned a Cannes Grand Prix, Ad Age’s Marketer of the Year and was inducted into the AAF’s Hall of Achievement.
MODERATOR
Stephen Polanski | Senior Vice President | Buxton
In his role as senior vice president, Stephen Polanski leads Buxton’s retail and restaurant consulting teams. For more than a decade Stephen has worked to build relationships with his clients to help them to get the maximum benefit from Buxton’s customer analytics solutions. He works with executives to define and execute site selection, franchise expansion and market entry strategies. Stephen’s clients include Wingstop, Red Wing Shoes, Bar Louie, Which Wich and Bareburger. Before joining Buxton, Stephen was a professional golfer. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Texas Christian University.
session sponsor
