Back by popular demand, ED Publications and the Gentlemen’s Club EXPO will once again present the ED University Certification Series. This series will include training/certification programs on very specific areas of club operation, where all of those who attend will receive a certificate of completion.
“We call it the ‘ED University’ Certification Series because by using the word ‘university’ we send the message that these are educational classes where attendees will actually be students in a sense,” says ED Publisher Dave Manack. “Attendees will leave those classes educated about the latest developments in club operations and they will receive a certificate of completion—a diploma if you will—for having attended those classes.”
This concept was met with a very favorable response from industry leaders, who suggested that, after nearly 30 years in operation, the EXPO add a new component to the show to encourage club owners to send their key personnel to the convention.
“This Certification Series is an excellent addition to the EXPO,” says RCI Management President Ed Anakar. “I believe it will add great value to club owners and employees. The certification in most cases can help with litigation and insurance costs, and the training is invaluable.”
“If you want to stay in business and be successful, you have to be knowledgeable on all the key issues surrounding the industry,” adds industry veteran Jim St. John of the Spearmint Rhino club chain. “ The EXPO puts the industry’s experts on that seminar stage every year to help this industry. What is that worth? It’s worth a hell of a lot! You should be sending as much of your staff as you can to learn, because you won’t get this information anywhere else.”
At EXPO 2022, there will be Certification Seminars offered on: Security (conflict de-escalation, as well as cyber-security), Bar Theft and Loss (bartender theft, overpouring, inventory control), Modern Marketing (a nuts-and-bolts tutorial on the do’s and don’ts of social media management) and Team Training and Motivation, featuring guest speaker Willard Barth.
Monday
Club Security “Conflict De-escalation” Certification
Monday, Aug 15, 11:45 am – 1 pm
Conflict de-escalation is not an intervention that starts from a dead stop when an incident begins to erupt. Security professionals Charles Wilson and Gary Sikorski will train management and security personnel on how to pick-up on the verbal and nonverbal cues necessary to effectively communicate with guests. The ultimate goal is to instill the proper mindset in your security staff to always be proactive, prepared and properly oriented. Bonus security presentation: Cybersecurity is an emerging area of security risk, one that club operators cannot afford to be in the dark about. GoBest’s JC Pomerleau will explain the cyber risks that your club may face right now, and what steps clubs can take to minimize those risks.
What you and your team will learn: How to effectively recognize and de-escalate dangerous situations in your club before they get out of control, and how to assess potential cybersecurity risks.
Bar Management “Preventing Theft and Waste” Certification
Monday, Aug 15, 1 pm – 2 pm
Here are some eye-opening statistics: The National Restaurant Association says 75% of employees steal from the workplace at least once, and half will steal repeatedly. Employees are also responsible for 75% of inventory shortages (think: loss/shrinkage). But how can you control something that’s as prevalent as bar theft and loss? Our bar experts will demonstrate proven methods that will help club operators to take to control their bar’s profits. This certification training seminar is designed to help save you thousands of dollars right now!
What you and your team will learn: Our experts will provide proven methods to detect and prevent bar theft, loss and waste, while also outlining measures that operators can take to maximize their bar profits.
Tuesday
Club Marketing “Social Media Management” Certification
Tuesday, Aug 16, 10:30 – 11:30 am
Some see it as a blessing, a relatively inexpensive way of promoting your club to thousands of potential customers. For others, it’s a curse, a necessary evil that causes headaches and frustration. Social media marketing may be necessary, but we’re going to take the “evil” out of the equation by going over basic yet effective strategies for managing your own social media. Social media expert Sammy Shayne, Founder and CEO of Fame Talent Agency, will help club operators establish specific strategies that will help them gain control of their digital marketing.
What you and your team will learn: Which platforms are most effective for clubs, how to manage multiple accounts, what to post (and what not to), and how to use social media to boost your brand!
Club Management “Team Training & Motivation” Certification
Tuesday, Aug 16, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Providing a great guest experience and running a smooth operation starts with ownership and management, but ultimately, a club’s success will depend largely on how well trained and motivated their staff is. Willard Barth, author of The Anatomy of Transformation, and a nationally recognized speaker and expert on business leadership, will provide proven strategies to help your management train and motivate your staff to achieve optimal performance, improving customer experience and your bottom line.
What you and your team will learn: How to uncover the hidden potential within every area of your operation and create a duplicable process that can be taught to all of your staff. When you’ve completed this certification, you will have complete certainty that what you have learned works!
Wednesday
The Legal Roundtable Brunch
Wednesday, Aug 17, 11 am – Noon
Grab a plate and sit down with a top First Amendment attorney at the EXPO’s Legal Roundtable Brunch! What was once a very popular staple of the EXPO has returned, as a select group of well-known industry attorneys will each have their own “table,” allowing them to converse on a wide range of legal topics with club owners and operators in an informal setting. It’s likely as close as most people will get to “free legal advice,” and who wouldn’t want that?!
The Legal Panel: Being proactive in a reactive world
Wednesday, Aug 17, Noon – 1:15 pm
Not every legal headache that club owners endure will relate to a U.S. Supreme Court case. Often times, it’s everyday situations — specifically, litigation relating to incidents within the club including slip and falls, assaults, etc. — that cause owners the most significant amount of legal difficulty. Our EXPO legal panel attorneys will offer tips on how to be proactive and avoid these situations, while also providing advice on how to handle litigation and depositions should a lawsuit arise.
