19 minute read
Convention Preview: The Power Is On
By Kelly Rodenberg
“ T he Power of Opportunity” goes beyond a convention theme, and it lives beyond this year. “The Power of Opportunity” is a way of thinking and it’s a path to greater success. It is having the courage to take risks and believe in yourself. It is taking the initiative and working for something that has a broader impact. It is adapting to new realities and shifting our business into the future.
From our brand-new venue to brand-new experiences and brand-new exhibitors, there’s a lot that’s changed since our last in-person Convention in Nashville. But there’s one thing that hasn’t changed — the warmest of welcomes await you, our KFC family, to the show at the very heart and soul of this Association.
We’ve used our time to plan touch-point educational programming, sensational social engagements, and countless opportunities to connect. It is all supported by a thorough health and safety plan. This year’s AKFCF Convention is designed to create the best show experience possible — one where you can safely and effectively do business and enjoy time with each other.
The general sessions, legal update, brand Q&A, awards, and workshops are all back with a bang, joined by new events and initiatives including a GAC Luncheon, RGM Best of the Best Celebration, and the KFC Foundation’s Wine Dinner.
Since our last article in the Winter issue, here are a few new updates for your 2022 AKFCF Annual Convention:
2022 AKFCF Annual Convention March 7-10, 2022 Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center Orlando, Florida
Opening Keynote Speaker: Mike Rayburn
What if…
Every major invention, accomplishment, and victory in human history began with the simple, almost childlike curiosity of a “What if…?” question: “What if we could? I know we can’t, but what if we could?” International keynote artist, Mike Rayburn, will share three simple, powerful tools which took him from playing empty bars, to headlining Carnegie Hall (eight times!). They work for anyone. And everyone. Always.
Mike Rayburn is a two-time TED Talk Presenter, an innovative entrepreneur, and Hall of Fame speaker who uses world-class guitar and comedy to teach change and innovation to corporations world-wide. He has headlined Carnegie Hall, headlined in Las Vegas, and performed more than 5,000 presentations in 20 countries on five continents. Rayburn is a regular on Sirius/XM and morning radio nationwide. He has performed as guitarist with The Beach Boys and John Oates. Rayburn’s keynote is called “The What IF? Keynote Experience.” You will learn three simple tools for harnessing your unrealized potential, creating, and leading change, and becoming a virtuoso performer. You’ll hear amazing music, including a solo guitar version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Oh, and you laugh a LOT! No one does what Mike Rayburn does.
Closing Keynote Speaker: Justin Patton
How to Make Trust Your Biggest Competitive Advantage — Now It’s Up to Me This final, high-energy session will have you explore the four core factors to building trust with others, and you’ll learn how to take your insights from the week and turn them into tangible actions that help you build a culture of stronger trust in your restaurants. Join us for the laughs and free giveaways, but leave with a clear plan to help make you and your team better! You’re worth that choice.
Workshops
Navigating Inflationary Pressures With inflation at accelerating rapidly, this workshop will provide resources to protect your 4-Wall Economics, including tools to help analyze and protect your restaurant-level profitability.
Guest Service with A Post-Pandemic Mindset The pandemic has shifted consumer behavior and opened new opportunities for our brand. In this workshop, we’ll explore what today’s guests are looking for and how to deliver that experience. Leave feeling inspired and excited about the future, with things you and your teams can do now to help make it a reality.
AKFCF Government Affairs Luncheon
Join us for the AKFCF Convention Luncheon on Wednesday, March 9 hosted by your Government Affairs Committee! EWveryone is invited & encouraged to attend to this event! KFC franchisees, KFCC representatives, and our invaluable vendors!
Expect a fun event with great food, exciting guest presenters, and a raffle giveaway at the end! You’ll hear from Dan Gans of Polaris Consulting and the Yum! Government Affairs team. The GAC also is working on bringing you a special surprise guest! More information to come, but you’re not going to want to miss this!
Due to the ever-changing political landscape, this will be a timely update for the system. The GAC consists of business-minded franchisees, nominated by you, to work on behalf of the AKFCF to influence legislation beneficial to the franchisees and our brand. Your PAC donation is extremely important for the GAC to continue this valuable work.
RGM Best of the Best Celebration at 2022 AKFCF Convention
KFCC is excited to host the brand’s top 100 Restaurant General Managers, our Best of the Best winners from 2020 and 2021, to celebrate their achievement of highest Operations Scorecard! These 100 VIP guests will have a legendary experience while at Convention. Want to learn more about what it takes to become one of KFC’s Best of the Best? Check out TeamKFC .
We know you loved sampling delicious wine with your KFC family so much that we’re offering it again in 2022 — and this time, it’s in-person and we’re bringing food and live music to the table! The KFC Foundation’s Wine & Dine Event will be held on March 9, 2022. Each ticket will include a chef-prepared, three-course plated dinner, delectable wine from Del Dotto thoughtfully paired with each course, and a master sommelier guiding you through the tasting.
After dinner, we’ll keep the fun going with live entertainment by the incredible Emerald City Band and a live auction, with our very own Ron Gardner as the auctioneer! The best part of it all? The proceeds from your ticket purchase and auction item sales will go directly to your KFC Foundation. Registration for this dinner can be found at https://cbo.io/tickets/kfc/WineDine.
We’re teaming up with your AKFCF and Accuserv to host the Colonel’s Classic, the Ray Zimmerer Memorial Golf Scramble on March 7, 2022, with all proceeds going to the KFC Foundation. We’ll have a shuttle from the resort to the course starting at 6:30 am, with a shotgun start at 8 am. New this year: Build your own fabulous foursome to take the course by storm!
Your registration fee includes:
• Breakfast and lunch • Bottomless Bloody Mary bar • $200 Pro Shop credit for each member of the foursome • Drinks throughout the course • And more!
To register for the golf scramble, visit https://cbo.io/tickets/kfc/scramble
Here’s a look at our schedule for the 2022 AKFCF Annual Convention — you won’t want to miss a minute!
MONDAY, MARCH 7
6:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Golf Tournament
Noon – 5 p.m. Registration Opens
2:15 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Workshops
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. Welcome Reception
TUESDAY, MARCH 8
8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Networking Breakfast
9 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Opening Session
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Power Talks with KFCC, NCAC, and RSCS
Noon – 2:30 p.m. Lunch in the Trade Show
2:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. AKFCF Regional Meetings
6:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. Private Event at Universal Studios Florida™ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. – Noon Trade Show Open
12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. GAC Luncheon
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. KFCC General Session
Free Night Shuttles to Disney Springs
6:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. KFC Foundation Dinner
THURSDAY, MARCH 10
8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Networking Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Women’s Breakfast
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. General Session
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Brand Q&A
Noon – 1:30 p.m. AKFCF Legal Update
2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. AKFCF Board Meeting
Private Event at Universal Studios Florida™
Get ready for one of the most incredible parties AKFCF has ever thrown — dinner in the Universal CityWalk entertainment complex followed by dessert, rides, and entertainment at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park! All night long, you’ll have unlimited access to the most amazing theme park rides and attractions in Orlando because we’ve reserved The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™- Hogsmeade™, Jurassic Park and Skull Island: Reign of Kong just for you. Soar above the Hogwarts™ grounds as you join Harry Potter™ and his friends on the groundbreaking thrill ride Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™, fly deep into the Forbidden Forest on Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure™, and visit the wizarding world’s best-known establishments in Hogsmeade™. Feel the rush of the hunt as you race through the jungle alongside velociraptors on Jurassic World VelociCoaster. Brave a clash between prehistoric predators and the most colossal ape on Earth on Skull Island: Reign of Kong. It’ s an entire evening of thrills and excitement — and it’s all yours. *Wizarding World and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s21) Jurassic Park and Jurassic World TM & © 2021 Universal Studios LLC and Amblin Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Universal elements and all related indicia TM & © 2021 Universal Studios. All rights reserved.
WINE & DINE EVENT
March 9 | 2022
AKFCF Convention
Three-course plated dinner Paired with delectable wine from Del Dotto Guided by a master sommelier Entertainment by Emerald City Band Live auction
Secure your spot today for the KFC Foundation’s Wine & Dine event
Kfc.cbo.io
©2021 Kentucky Fried Chicken Foundation, Inc. The Kentucky Fried Chicken Foundation is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Employees must meet eligibility criteria for each program.
The Gaylord Palms Resort will provide additional shuttles for AKFCF attendees wishing to visit Disney Springs for an evening on their own. Disney Springs is an utterly amazing place featuring an eclectic mix of unique boutiques, one-of-a-kind eateries and jaw-dropping entertainment that will have you feeling the magic in no time.
Planning on visiting Disney while at Convention?
To purchase specially priced Disney Meeting/Convention Theme Park tickets, please call 407.566.5600. Tickets are valid 7 days pre, during, and 7 days post meeting dates. Please note the cut-off date for advance purchase savings is 03/06/2022.
Disney currently provides exclusive After 1PM and After 5PM Twilight Tickets and special discounted multiday tickets to meeting & convention groups that are not available at our Ticket Windows. The multi-day tickets include a complimentary bonus visit to an additional Disney experience. (Due to COVID-19 these options have been modified to include the mini-golf and Disney Oak Trail golf options. More will be added as they become available.)
Please note: With the new Disney Theme Park Reservation System and park capacity limitations, it’s important to lock in your visit as soon as possible. A park reservation is required for entry along with the ticket.
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! The 2022 AKFCF Annual Convention opens soon, bringing with it a wide range of business opportunities, educational sessions, and the opportunity for the KFC family to — finally — reconnect. While the Convention remains the hub of business and learning, there are also many opportunities to connect outside of the show floor.
• Three-hour welcome reception with live band • Networking Breakfasts and Lunches • Private Event at Universal’s Islands of
Adventure • Ray Zimmerer Golf Tournament
We can’t wait to see you at our 2022 Convention in Orlando — whether it’s for an early-morning tee time at the Ray Zimmerer Golf Tournament, catching up over cocktails at the Welcome Reception, or strolling the aisles in the trade show.
Don’t let another year go by and miss out on the opportunity to see your KFC family in person. They can’t wait to see you!
Go to www.akfcf.com for more information and how to register. The hotel deadline is February 11. Rooms are booking quickly.
Hotel Information
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
6000 West Osceola Pkwy Kissimmee, FL 34746 844.207.0462 www.gaylordpalms.com
Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
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Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
CONVENTION MEMORIES:
AKFCF Past President, Jim McKenzie (2019-2020)
Planning for the 2020 Convention was the highlight of my term as the AKFCF president. The Convention is the “crown jewel” of all the services and benefits the Association offers its members. The Convention is where and when all KFC teams gather to celebrate, learn, explore, share, discuss and plan for our great brand. Helping deliver a Convention experience that meets all of those needs (and more) is such a rewarding experience. Who knew that our 2020 Convention theme of “Banding Together and Leading the Way” would be so appropriate for the immediate days and months following?
As I look back over the Conventions I have attended, the experiences I remember the most, and the experiences I have had that influenced me the most, are the opening sessions. Regardless of where we have been as a brand, the energy and opening remarks have always been delivered to put us on, or keep us on, a positive path for growth. The opening day has always served to unite us franchisees, as a brand, and as a team working toward common goals. All of us are there: franchisees, KFCC, RSCS, and our vendors and partners. You can’t help but leave that first day energized and excited to keep our brand and businesses moving in the right direction.
I have attended around 15 Conventions over the past 20 years. I’ve been to Las Vegas and Orlando many times, and always have a great time. I have to say, though, that Nashville has been my favorite destination. To me, it offers a little bit of everything — great venues to conduct our Convention business, great entertainment, dining and exploration options in abundance, and a location that most of our franchisees and partners can easily get to. At the end of the day, our experiences with each other and the interactions we have are the most important part of any Convention. These can happen anywhere!
CONVENTION MEMORIES:
AKFCF Past President, Larry Starkey (2013-2014)
Idon’t have a lot of “fond” memories of planning the Convention, but I do have great memories of what all we accomplished that year. We had a lot of changes that year with a new production company, a new executive director of the AKFCF, new legal counsel, and it was the final year for the person whose company was charged with the logistics of our Convention. I wanted to take the Convention in a new direction to illustrate the possibilities we had in working cooperatively with our franchisor partner. That definitely was not the chosen path of least resistance.
The fondest memory was the outcome of the event we planned, “KFC’s Got Taste and Talent.” We had no budget to do this talent contest, but with the help of Northeast franchisees (Keith Cole, Ray Aley, Rob Rianna), and a whole host of volunteers as judges and contestants, we were able to put together a most memorable evening. KFCC provided the food for free, catered by six neighboring KFC restaurants in the Orlando area. The final cost for the event was close to $10.00 for each person in attendance (mostly for the hotel to do the clean-up).
Attending Conventions each year has provided me the opportunity to see lots of people that I have gotten to know and appreciate over several decades. I look forward to our times of gathering to laugh hysterically over shared experiences.
I think I have attended every national Convention since 1982. The locations that surface to the top of my list include Austin, Texas; Orlando, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; and New Orleans.
AKFCF Past President, Dale Black (2011-2012)
My fondest recollection came when the Greater Midwest had a long conference call with our representatives. The discussion was led by Ron Gardner, who shared how an agreement between the brand, franchisees, and the new RSCS now permitted full visibility to the supply chain. I flashed back to the challenge of my time in leadership of over 200+ operating POS systems, the travel to all the regions sharing a vision of a supply chain that we now have today, and how Inman Hodges and I shared that vision as we drafted the first technology agreement with Tom Romano, not getting all we hoped from our fellow franchisees but enough that the shared value to the system became evident to all.
AKFCF Past President, Terry Rogers (2010-2011)
In 2010, we had a great planning meeting in San Diego at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel with the full planning committee, along with the KFCC members and Larry Light and Joan Kiddon. It was at this meeting that a national business publication quoted a KFC franchisee saying something very unflattering about KFCC leadership. No one allowed this to interrupt the reason why we were there, and we went on to have a nice dinner and end our meeting as pleasantly as possible. It just goes to show that when we align on business essentials, we can all move the brand forward even in difficult times. I have so many fond memories … having my family present at so many Conventions is certainly special. Janet and I count so many franchisees as our best friends, and we look forward to the next Convention the same as we would a family reunion. Giving David Sparks the President’s Award in 2011 was a special memory because he had to work so very hard under very difficult circumstances to earn it.
AKFCF Past President, Kevin Schlutz (1997-1998)
Having been involved in planning many of our AKFCF Conventions, my best memories are of site visits to new venues we hadn’t ever been to before and exploring the hotels and surrounding areas, and visualizing how it would all work. Most people don’t realize all that it takes to plan a meeting that large with all the different activities and entities involved.
A favorite memory for me was checking out the Dallas Cowboys Golf Club with Kris Stage. Also, having a Convention planning meeting before my Convention is still a favorite. Some of my favorite trips were the site visit to Hawaii for David Neal’s Convention and Opryland before my Convention. Those were the “good old days,” where the Convention Committee actually made most of the decisions. Deborah Callahan was our guide back then and it always turned out great.
It’s all about the people, and what I mean is it’s not just seeing our fellow franchisees, but long-term vendor partners and corporate partners, and also the travel staff. Working with so many of them over the years, it is always a great feeling to see them again. Also, the excitement of that opening day and the proud moment of each successive president giving their opening speech. Also seeing the award winners and congratulating them afterwards, sometimes knowing who it was and excited that they didn’t know until it was announced. Greeting people at registration as they got there was always a great memory, especially back when they came to their own region to check in.
I have to say Opryland [is my favorite Convention location] because it was where my Convention was. Some of my other favorites are the Gaylord Texan and Rosen Shingle Creek. The Venetian was wonderful as well.
ORLANDO 2019 MEMORIES
