I hope you had a great summer! I hit so many amusement parks and baseball games I lost count (fine—I know exactly how many). Had a blast with my kid and friends… and now I’m charging into the fall trade show season ready for growth and momentum.
Trade shows and conferences are the best way for operators to:
Learn what’s working for other successful brands
Network with leaders and peers
Discover solutions and playbooks to grow
Get fresh ideas to take home and implement
Go on a fun food crawl with Rev and other awesome colleagues 😎
If you’re growth-minded and in the C-suite, these events are essential. If you’re in the trenches, they’ll push you forward. If you’re a solutions provider, there’s no better way to hear what restaurants are struggling with, build relationships, and show how you can help.
I’m here to guide you—answer your questions, help you choose where to go, and make sure you walk in ready to get the most value possible.
QSR EVOLUTION / NEXTGEN RESTAURANT / PIZZA POWER FORUM
September 2–4, 2025 | Atlanta, GA
https://www.qsrrevolutionconference.com (QSR Revolution)
https://www.nextgenrestaurantsummit.com (NextGen)
https://www.pizzapowerforum.com (Pizza Power Forum)
Rev’s thoughts: This one is the kickoff to fall, and it’s three shows in one—QSR Evolution, NextGen Restaurant, and Pizza Power Forum. All under the same roof, all focused on growth. The content is strong, and the speakers are proactive problem solvers who are in the trenches building what works.
DON’T MISS MY PANEL!
Loyalty Metrics That Matter: Round 2
WEDNESDAY | SEPTEMBER 3, 2025
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM
One of last year’s most boisterous and informative panels returns for a status check on where loyalty programs are going and what you need to track to understand the real health of your customer base.
➡️ David ‘Rev’ Ciancio (Moderator), Handcraft Burgers and Brew
➡️ Zachary Goldstein , Thanx
➡️ Preston Nix , Burger King
FSTEC
October 6–8, 2025 | Orlando, FL
Rev’s thoughts: Every trade show has its “thing.” FSTEC’s thing is tech—and it’s powerful. Yes, it attracts CTOs and CIOs, but don’t think it’s just for tech geeks. The restaurant business is tech now, and the solutions get better every year. Whether you want to leverage your current stack, see what’s next, or connect with forward-thinking providers, this is your show.
Bonus: it’s in Orlando. Who’s coming with me to a Tampa Bay Rays game and maybe an amusement park stop?
DON'T MISS MY PANEL!
The Operator’s Success Playbook: Labor, Margins & Guest Retention
MONDAY | SEPTEMBER 15. 2025
12:00pm - 12:45 pm
This session will break down the simple formula for restaurant success: efficient labor, stronger margins, and loyal guests. Learn how top restaurants use data and technology to improve operations and grow revenue, without adding complexity.
Key takeaways include:
How to schedule smarter and reduce labor costs
Easy ways to increase profit per order
Tools to keep guests coming back more often You’ll hear real examples and practical ideas you can apply right away, whether you're running one location or multiple.
The panel will also reveal the most common mistakes to avoid and how to use small changes to drive big results across your business. Perfect for operators looking to grow with better systems, not just more effort.
Featuring Hamed Mazrouei & Jim Bitticks, CFE
FAST CASUAL EXECUTIVE SUMMIT
October 5–7 2025| Austin, TX
Rev’s thoughts: The name says it all. If you’re a leader in fast casual, this is the event. The on-stage content is tightly curated and packed with insight. Networking is off the charts—pre-show food tours, unique parties, and group activities designed so nobody gets left out. It’s one of my favorites.
DON'T MISS MY PANEL!
MONDAY | OCTOBER 6, 2025
10:00 - 10:30 am
Join our panel of fast-casual marketing and operations leaders as they pull back the curtain on the most effective local-store marketing strategies that are driving brand loyalty and sales growth.
You'll:
Explore what LSM efforts have delivered the greatest impact and the lessons learned from initiatives that didn't work as expected.
Learn how to motivate franchisees to adopt and run local marketing programs, and discover which tools and resources are making the biggest difference.
Discuss how LSM strategies are evolving to connect with the next generation of customers and the role emerging technologies, like AI, will play in the future of local marketing.
Featuring Jane McPherson , Jennifer Dodd and Mike Magerl
RESTAURANT CATERING WORKSHOP (connected to Fast Casual)
October 7–8, 2025 | Austin, TX
Rev’s thoughts: If growth in your catering business is a focus, you’re gonna want to send your catering, marketing, and off-premise teams to the show. I had a chance to attend and speak at the inaugural event last year. I have never learned so much about how to grow catering in one sitting in my life. And I’m looking forward to doing it again this year.
Kelly Grogan and I have been working all year on some pretty incredible playbooks, and I am excited for her curation of the show and what the two of us are able to share on our panel.
DON'T MISS MY PANEL!
The New Age of Catering Marketing: Driving Awareness & Conversions
WEDNESDAY | OCTOBER 8, 2025
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Marketing for catering is NOT the same as marketing for restaurant traffic.
In this session, we’ll break down:
How to market directly to businesses, event planners & corporate decision-makers
Email & social media strategies that drive catering orders
Leveraging first-party channels to reduce reliance on third-party platforms
Local store marketing ideas to build community partnerships
Featuring Donna Magen, Andi Ott , Max Richey and Brittany Mercer !
FLORIDA RESTAURANT SHOW / PIZZA TOMORROW SUMMIT
November 11–13, 2025 | Orlando, FL
Rev’s thoughts: This is one of the best shows for independent operators and small groups looking to grow. The stages are loaded with practical, actionable education—you can literally take notes and implement new ideas the next day. I’ll be back hosting my Restaurant Marketing Q&A panel and looking for a few strong voices to join me.
DON'T MISS MY PANEL!
Your Restaurant Marketing Questions Answered
TUESDAY | NOVEMBER 11, 2025
12:00 - 12:45 pm
Restaurant marketing is a whole lot easier when you have the right tips, tricks and tools.
How do you get more people to find your restaurant when they search Google for what they crave?
How frequently should you post to social media?
What's the best way to stop 1-star reviews?
What kind of content on social media gets people to not just follow you but more importantly, to place an order?
Get the answers to these questions, and any others you have, about restaurant marketing!
Join restaurant owner and marketing consultant David “Rev” Ciancio along with some successful restaurant operators and get all of your restaurant marketing questions answered!
Which of these shows are you heading to?
What do you need to know to make them worth your time?
How can I help you get the most out of trade show season?
Need help with restaurant marketing, growth strategy, or lead gen? 📧 Email me at [email protected]
— Rev Ciancio
What Rev does:
I help restaurants build guest marketing programs.
I help hospitality tech companies with lead generation and content marketing.
