CBC: Miami; The 2008 Cheers Beverage Conference turns up the heat in Miami with dynamic presenters, actionable information and innovative ideas

Cheers, April, 2008 by Donna Hood Crecca

Nearly 680 hospitality industry beverage professionals converged on the Hyatt Regency Downtown Miami January 22 and 23 for two jam-packed days of dynamic speakers, informative breakout sessions and networking. The presentations and conversations focused on one common goal: growing on-premise beverage sales and profits.

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Opening speaker Bob Brown kicked off the conference with a lively presentation entitled "Seven Gates to Beverage Sales Success: Avoiding Pitfalls and Embracing Best Practices." Peppering his talk with anecdotes from his days as a server--in 1987, Brown was the top sales performer among a group of 80,000 servers, selling more than $300,000 worth of food and beverage in a single year--he took his listeners from setting the stage for beverage sales through best practices for selling cocktails, wine, beer, cordials, Cognac, sparkling wines, bottled water and non-alcohol beverages at the dining table. Demonstrating effective and ineffective presentations for each category, Brown got the audience to "Say yes!" to better beverage sales practices.

Presentation of the 2008 Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence followed, during which 14 chain beverage programs and professionals were recognized for their innovation and results. (Operator honorees were featured in our January/February issue; see page 42 for individual winner profiles.)

Bruce Tulgan, author and expert on workforce management issues, returned to the Cheers Beverage Conference center stage to follow up on his 2007 conference address. In "It's Okay to be the Boss," a presentation based on his latest book, Tulgan addressed the under-management epidemic in the workplace, characterized by "hands-off managers who empower their employees by leaving them alone unless they really need you." The result, he said, is frustrated workers and overwhelmed managers. Tulgan outlined steps for adopting a strong, consistent management style that addresses current workforce diversity trends but also sets up the employee for success, including managing every day, speaking like a performance coach, telling employees what to do and how to do it, as well as tracking performance.

"From Fern Bars to Luxury Lounges" was the topic covered by industry keynote Craig S. Miller, chairman, president and CEO of Ruth's Chris Steak House. Drawing on his four decades in restaurant management, Miller took the audience on a journey from the early days of chain restaurant beverage programs to the premium-focused, sophisticated, highly profitable initiatives in place today at multi-unit operations such as Ruth's Chris. Among the trends outlined were the shift from quantity to quality in beverages, guests' growing affinity for a diverse portfolio of wines and the emergence of the Baby Boomers as key beverage consumers.

Other events included the presentation of the Supplier of the Year Awards (coverage begins on page 44) and a cocktail event honoring the Cheers Awards for Beverage Excellence winners. Celebrity bartenders Tony Abou-Ganim, Julie Reiner, Francesco Lafranconi and Ryan Magarian shook things up with innovative drinks showcasing hot spirits brands and trend-setting ingredients to celebrate the winners.

The inaugural class of Cheers Rising Stars also was introduced at the conference. These five up-and-coming bartenders are shaping beverage trends and taking spirits, wine and beer in exciting new directions (profiles of the Rising Stars begin on page 38). The Rising Stars mixed specialty cocktails during the Cheers Beverage Extravaganza event that closed the conference.

Attendees also benefited from 16 breakout sessions (coverage begins on page 36) and experienced the hot beverage scene in South Beach and other Miami neighborhoods.

Photos by Harvey Bilt Photography