Summer Brand Camp: Is It Really as Cool as They Say?
I have been hearing about how cool the Summer Brand Camp experience is over the past year from Jim Knight. He kept saying that there was no other conference out there that even compared to Summer Brand Camp. Campfires, flip-flops, and singing in the ladies restrooms. What was this all about? Okay, I will have to admit you had me at flip-flop and my curiosity was off the charts. Now that the … [Read more]
Order Numbers: Big Data and Dining
When I was 15, I got my first ever job as an associate at a fast casual Italian restaurant chain. And turned out, I was really good at it. At first, I had just had the exhilaration of being adult enough to go to work, although I’m not sure why, in retrospect, I was in such a hurry to kick off my career. But once the novelty of work had worn off (didn’t take long), I still didn’t mind … [Read more]
Help Reconnect Business to Society
It’s Friday morning – the ending of another phenomenal Summer Brand Camp. Before we head out, the week is culminating with the Changers of Commerce meeting. What an amazing way to end an otherwise amazing conference. About 30 Changers showed up – ready to listen to some of our leaders – old and new. Kat Cole started us off with a quick lesson in conscious capitalism, then shared the … [Read more]
It’s All About Connections
Summer Brand Camp. I can’t even begin to describe all of the awesomeness that occurs there. There are so many components to this conference that fit together to make this the best conference I’ve ever attended. I’ve often thought of what the underlying theme of this meeting of the minds is as there are so many different functions within the restaurant industry represented and so many things … [Read more]
We Found the Love
Last week, we were surrounded by talented restaurant industry trailblazers with a vision of "Workplace, Marketplace, Oneplace". As we continued to work toward this goal we had the pleasure of watching the amazing and talented Brandon Hill and Jonathan Brewer put our vision to music. The video below is the performance by Brandon and Brew at the closing session of Summer Brand Camp 2013. Cheers to … [Read more]
S’mores, check. Tent leader, check. Merit badges, earned!
This was my first People Report Summer Brand Camp experience. Jim Knight had touted over and over the greatness of this Dallas based conference. He even posted, “Best. Conference. Ever” on Facebook. That’s high praise – which, as you know, often leads over-the-top expectations and moves directly on to disappointment when it doesn’t measure up. I walked into the Westin last Tuesday with … [Read more]
Digital Workplace Superpowers: Best HR Practices in a Social World
92 percent of all companies in America are on social media. Laurie Ruettimann and a panel of experts led an interactive workshop to discuss how HR leaders can use social media in their day-to-day job duties to recruit and manage more effectively. Laurie asked questions of the panel crowdsourced from the audience and on Twitter through the hashtag #PRScamp. If you missed it, never fear, we’ve … [Read more]
It’s Not a Conference, and It’s Not Really Summer Camp, It’s a Way of Life
It's not a conference, and it's not really summer camp, it's a way of life. The most commonly used adjective when talking about Summer Brand Camp has been inspirational, though when asked on video, it was awesome. Campers left Dallas inspired to do good. They are motivated to be the change, to make their company, culture and the world a better place. What conference have you ever been to that … [Read more]
A Mosaic of Colors and Cultures
As a child growing up in a multicultural family, it showed me how people who were “different” could come together in a beautiful mosaic of colors and cultures. This early exposure led to a yearning to learn even more, so a seed for adventure and travel was planted in my heart early. Through my global and domestic travels I have learned that people are more alike than they are different; yet, … [Read more]
Pay It Forward
Summer Brand Camp 2013 is all about transformation – personal and professional. It seems every year that we hear multiple stories about how the speakers, fellow campers, and content became the catalyst for change. Brand Campers have shared being inspired to find more ways to give back, learning new skills and taking them back to the business, getting healthy, getting active in social media, … [Read more]
Summer Camp For the Crazy Ones!
This month on #peoplechat we have been focusing on the retail space. The good, the bad, and the ugly. This week for #peoplechat I decided to focus on why it is important for industry professionals to attend conferences that you will ACTUALLY learn from. We all love going to conferences where we know a lot of people, and we can have fun in a cool city, but let’s be honest. Who actually leaves … [Read more]
5 Reasons Why I’m Looking Forward to Summer Brand Camp
6th grade camp was a long time ago for me, and I cannot stop talking about it. The memories that were created, the funny things people did and the things I learned really do last a lifetime. Summer Brand Camp will be no exception. This will be my first year attending, but I know a lot of awesome rock stars that have attended in the past. From speaking with them and listening to (and being … [Read more]
The New Activism
Guest Post: Michael VanDervort, #PRSCamp expert & speaker on labor relations & the new activism A quick update on the Fast Food Strikes (via The Human Race Horses) Fast Food Strikes Spreading Fast Food (Photo credit: SteFou!) This post is especially important for members of management in the restaurant industry. I would be astounded if you work in any part of management in the … [Read more]
This One Time, At Brand Camp…
Posted May 14th 2012 I am so excited. In June, I get the honor to attend my third Summer Brand Camp in Dallas; affectionately known as #PRSCamp on the Twitters. There’s a lot of reasons that People Report’s “Summer Camp” holds a special place in my conference calendar: there’s a buzz of creativity, I like seeing HR/Operations/Marketing working together towards a common goal of … [Read more]
The Best Conference You’ve Never Heard Of
It is less than one month away until the 2013 Summer Brand Camp in Dallas, TX. This is a conference that I must attend each year and here's why: 1. Genuine support for attendees The pay-it-forward passion that you feel the moment you arrive at Brand Summer Camp is inspirational. The conference hosts and alumni proactively make each attendee feel welcome. 2. Gain insight into real-world … [Read more]
Struggling With Big Data? 3 Reasons Why “Modest Data” Makes Sense
Savvy professionals are always on the lookout for new trends. If you’re like most, you often run across articles and comments about what to watch for in the coming months and years. Every industry has gurus whose opinions focus on a particular market. It’s unusual for a finance trend, for example, to also show up as an HR trend. But in reading various “what to look for” lists, I … [Read more]
A Look Back at Summer Camp 2012
From Nations Restaurant News, June 16, 2012 Restaurants share keys to social media success at Summer Brand Camp conference. Brands revealed best practices surrounding their use of social media during the recent People Report Summer Brand Camp conference. How restaurants are successfully tapping into and using social media remained one of the main themes during the recent People Report Summer … [Read more]
Purpose Driven Marketing: Taco Bell CEO Greg Creed from the #RLC2013 Stage
According to Todd Jones of G.E Capital, the restaurant industry currently spends 80% of it’s marketing dollars on television advertising, and less than 3% on social marketing and engagement. Closing keynote Greg Creed shared how Taco Bell is using social technology to get ahead of the pack. Using their proprietary social analytics platform, Taco Bell … [Read more]
If Camp Counselor John Ruled the World…
Someone asked me the other day what I would do if I ruled the world? Other than having every Monday be a national holiday so that I'd never have to work on one again, I hadn't really put much thought into it. That is, until I attended People Report's Summer Brand Camp last summer. There were so many talented people who are driven to change not only the way we do business, but change the way we … [Read more]
Sell Out Crowd anticipated in Dallas for 4th Annual Restaurant Industry “Summer Brand Camp”
March 26, 2013 – (Dallas, Texas) – Restaurant industry professionals plan to gather in Dallas, Texas June 4th – 6th for the 4th annual Summer Brand Camp conference produced by People Report, Black Box Intelligence and Be the Change Revolutions. Industry professionals who attend the event include operators, human resource and recruitment practitioners, marketers, social media and community … [Read more]
Branding Sessions by Margie Woods Brown Photography
My colleague and dear friend Steph Grant and I had the chance to shoot an amazing conference last year (psssst, I'm talking about this conference!). Summer Brand Camp is unlike any corporate conference I have ever shot. It is fun, casual and highly inspiring. It is a perfect place to meet all of the stars of the food service industry as they network and inspire each other to grow and learn. It was … [Read more]
The Making of a Star
Did you know that Miss Piggy wasn't always a Star? Did you know that she came from humble beginnings in city formerly known as Porkopolis? In her younger days, while wallowing in the mud, she knew she had it in her to do and be more but she wasn't sure what it was. She knew she had strengths and talents and desire to be out in the world in a much bigger way. Wisely she recognized that with the … [Read more]
The Most Interesting Man at Summer Brand Camp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD_PCtQEbvo He can start a campfire with the snap of his fingers. Check out all of the other things the most interesting man at Summer Brand Camp can do! … [Read more]
Not Just a Conference, a Community!
Last year I was introduced to the People Report & Black Box Intelligence community. I had heard of it before, but had not had the opportunity to attend any of their conferences, until November 2012. I attended the Best Practices Conference and let’s just get this out there, I was blown away. I kept hearing from countless people that: “this conference is unlike any other!” … [Read more]
Registration is Open!
Registration for the most exciting & anticipated mid-year conference is OPEN! Summer Brand Camp is a time for our industry’s Marketing, Human Resources and Operations rock stars to gather together and learn, grow, network and break down the silos that challenge us each work day. Oh, and we also have a tent load of fun! Join us June 4th - 6th, 2013 in Dallas! … [Read more]
The 10 Coolest things Hungry Thumb Heard at SBC 2012 [Infographic]
A few weeks ago, Summer Brand Camp happened. In case you're not familiar, the conference is: Focused on the intersection of consumer and employee brands in the digital age, this event brings together service sector leaders from Marketing, Human Resources, and of course Operations. Savvy C-suite execs mixed and mingled, and this event has become known as a great place to bring the entire … [Read more]
Big Dreams, Small Steps
Summer Brand Camp kicked off, for me, with a Pre-Conference boot camp for Social Media with @blogging4jobs and @houseofbrew. Jessica and Jonathan are amazing at what they do and have such a connection with their audience. If you are interested in making meaningful engagements with your audience, they are perfect examples to follow. With that said, I went to their workshop to learn more about … [Read more]
Big Kids Like Us are Going to Camp
GUEST POST by Heather Reid AKA @MarketingMaven When was the last time you felt giddy, like a kid going to camp? For me I was about 10 years old. I have to give the people at Talent Revolution and The People Report a huge high five to creating a paradigm shift from stale old conference to "Summer Brand Camp" this is a conference that is re-packaged into a fun-filled conference! Check out … [Read more]
450,000 Summer Restaurant Jobs
Looking for a summer job or embarking on a new career path? You may want to highly consider the restaurant industry. The national Restaurant Association is predicting that 450,000 restaurant jobs will be added during the summer of 2012, up from 444,1000 jobs added last summer and marking the highest increase since 1993. Overall, restaurants are the nation's second-largest private sector … [Read more]
The Lucky One, Why I am Looking Forward to Summer Brand Camp
I have always considered myself a lucky person and I learned early that the network and people you surround yourself with guide and support your successes. I have been lucky enough to find an incredible network very early in my career. Three years into my career I attended a conference that changed my life. People Report and Black Box Intelligence Best Practices Conference changed the way I … [Read more]
Joni Doolin at Lunch with DriveThruHR
@luckypenny ....Joni Doolin at Lunch with DriveThruHR visits with Bryan Wempen and William Tincup about HR and whatever else keeps her up at night with Corporate organizations. DriveThruHR more than not talks about Human Resources with HR professionals every day at lunch time for 30 minutes. Give us a listen at (347) 996-5600 and share your thoughts on twitter using #dthr or @drivethruhr. We … [Read more]
Innovation = Summer Brand Camp #PRSCamp
Innovation = People Report Summer Camp #PRSCamp Have you been searching for breakthrough ideas? Are you looking formula for connecting Operations, Marketing and Human Resources in profound and meaningful ways? Do you really want to know what the next generation of leaders is really talking about? Are you ready to finally commit to the “I” word – yes Innovation! There is only one … [Read more]
2012 NRA Show Social Media Metrics
DigitalCoCo has spent the last few days running the social command center for the National Restaurant Association (NRA) 2012 Show. The annual NRA Show is a hub for the restaurant industry. Over the course of four days, the NRA 2012 Show will be witness to 58,000 industry pros from more than 100 countries connecting with 1,800 exhibitors. This year was groundbreaking in the world of social. Our … [Read more]
Join Our Webinar on May 10th!
img.wp-post-image {display:none;} Twitter is the second most popular social network with more than 1 billion tweets happening every single day. Tweets similar to text messages written in 140 characters or less. With so little characters, Twitter and its language its extremely simple yet complex. In this webinar, we'll discuss why Twitter is the preferred method for sharing breaking news and … [Read more]
[Updated] Social Business – Not Just for Marketing Anymore
Social business is the next frontier in how we as organizations begin to understand the impact that social media is playing. No longer for just marketing and HR, social business is the entire organization tuned into what consumers, competitors and our own teams think and act upon. The landscape has changed are you ready? Join our panel of experts including Camp Counselors Jessica Hatcher and … [Read more]
Conscious Capitalism: Changers of Commerce movement blends business, philanthropy
Corporate America often gets a bad rap for its capitalistic ways, but a group of restaurant operators is looking to change that by making sure the money their companies make also benefits the causes and communities they serve. In the spirit of what is being called “connected capitalism,” “conscious capitalism” or “creative capitalism,” both restaurant operators and suppliers are … [Read more]
A Camp Experience You Won’t Forget
I like conferences. They give me an opportunity to meet new people, give hugs and handshakes to those I’ve already met previously online, and they also expand my thoughts as I listen to the range of content topics. Every once in while, I experience a conference that I can’t shut up about. If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen me tweeting using the #PRSCamp hashtag. I may have … [Read more]
This one time, at BRAND CAMP
This one time, at BRAND CAMP… It’s no secret that People Report is one of my all-time favorite companies. In my mind, they represent the very best aspects of working in the restaurant/retail industry. Not because they are always looking for ways to improve their service offerings, even though they are. And not because they’ve embraced the digital age and encouraged their partners to do the … [Read more]
Flip Flops at a Conference? Only at the People Report Summer Brand Camp
iPad. Check. Cell phone charger. Check. Business cards. Check. Flip flops. Check. Sounds like a modern vacation check list doesn’t it? Well, in a way it is. But this “vacation” isn’t really one at all. Its work but it’s done in such a way that you really LOVE your work. You really LOVE why you are in that space at that time. Where are you? The People Report Summer Brand … [Read more]
John Gilbert, CEO Vermont Teddy Bear heads to Summer Brand Camp
We are delighted to add John Gilbert to the list of rock star speakers, writers & business brand champions who will be leading Summer Brand Camp 2012. John was a Chief Marketing Officer for Yum Brands, TJX, Dunkin Brands and Carlson. Today, he is the ecommerce marketing wizard who is CEO of Vermont Teddy Bear. His experience in retail, restaurant and E-commerce has made him a sought after … [Read more]
Connecting the Dots between Workplace & Marketplace; NRA Chair Roz Mallet addresses National League of Cities
National Restaurant Association Chair, CEO of Phase Next Hospitality, and Summer Brand Camp speaker Roz Mallet, took time earlier this week to address business leaders gathered in Washington D.C. Mallet’s comments focused on the contribution that the industry makes to both workers and consumers, and also touted the industry’s highly effective ProStart program to develop future leaders. Read … [Read more]
The Chipotle Effect
Paul Barron is founder and CEO of DigitalCoCo as well as founder of FastCasual.com and QSRweb.com, and one of our featured keynotes at Summer Brand Camp. The following is an excerpt from his new book, “The Chipotle Effect”. "You may hate the title of this book, especially if you are involved with a fast casual restaurant that is not named Chipotle. It’s not especially politically … [Read more]
Workplace, Marketplace, One Place: More than an event, even more than a happening; it’s a movement & you need to join us!
Registration just opened for my favorite conference of the year, Summer Brand Camp. Calling it a conference doesn’t do it justice; it’s a movement. It’s a movement of the best-in-class businesses, talented leaders, change agents, and innovators coming together at the intersection of the workplace and the marketplace to take on our biggest challenges and enthusiastically explore the … [Read more]
PRSC: Using social media as recruitment, brand messaging tool
Mary Ellen Slayter, senior editor of SmartBrief, led a panel discussion titled "Taking the Social Media Leap" at People Report's Summer Camp Workforce Symposium in Dallas last week. Panelists talked about their experiences with intranets, social media policy and viral recruitment channels, including YouTube. James Fripp, senior director of diversity and inclusion for YUM! Brands, addressed the … [Read more]
Some of what I learned at Summer Camp
People Report’s Summer Camp made my two weeks at Boy Scout camp seem like a wasted piece of 1968. All I learned back then was how to smoke, spit and talk like someone who had sex four or five times a week—with a partner. I took home a lot more from the past week’s version of camp. Consider, for instance, these info nuggets from Dallas: *Red Robin has been using E-Verify, the … [Read more]
Summer Camp challenges preconceptions … in many ways
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches? A marshmallow-cramming contest? A dress code of shorts and flip-flops? This is an industry conference? Most definitely, dude. And don’t even ask about the references to alligator insemination and hash. Welcome to People Report’s Summer Camp, a get-together that brought together more than 200 restaurant executives characterized by one speaker as … [Read more]
How to Connect a Conference: Or, “I Can’t See Your IQ from Across the Room”
Summer Camp is a networking event hosted by People Report, where 200+ people from HR and marketing come together to push the leading edge forward. It’s a remarkable event, run by remarkable people, run for remarkable people. During the show, I got to wondering about the degree to which social media has changed the way people connect at conferences, so I asked a bunch of folks how they were … [Read more]
I went to Summer Camp (now what??)
I went to People Report Summer Camp (#PRSCamp) with my shorts and flip flops ready to go. I attended and absorbed as much as I could – I filled up every page of the notes in my guide. So many points, I could barely keep up. Now what? What will I do with this information? Easiest, would be, to set up a meeting with the CEO, march in there, and say – Hey! You need to listen to me and we … [Read more]
A Love Letter To Summer Camp
I wanna be at People Report Summer Camp! Dear powers that be, I’m really mad that you didn’t let me make it to People Report Summer Camp this year. It’s my favorite conference event of the year, and all my friends are there, and I am not. And that sucks! All the other kidz got to have funnnn last night at the talent night, and I have practiced and practiced my William Shatner … [Read more]
Talent Management: It’s not a “plug-and-play” type of thing
Recently, I was speaking with a managing director about the benefits of competency-based talent management systems. In short, if you are able to identify what top performance looks like and then align your entire talent life-cycle around that, you have the potential to have an effective, strategic talent management system. Let me re-emphasize the word potential, because simply put, an effective … [Read more]
