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Key Takeaways Viscidi believes the most valuable industry insights are found outside the four walls of a restaurant.
At events, emerging brands gain inspiration, community and the rare chance to learn from peers facing the same challenges.
From AI-powered matchmaking to curated formats like speed networking, Viscidi ensures operators and vendors make meaningful connections rather than hoping for chance encounters.
Marcus Viscidi is not just attending conferences. He is one of the people responsible for bringing them to life.
As a vice president of sales for Informa, the company behind some of the most influential gatherings in food, Viscidi oversees the impressive industry events portfolio that includes Create, Restaurant Leadership Conference, FS Tech and even the National Restaurant Association Show.
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The Create event in Nashville, Tennessee, was filled with operators who arrived ready to learn, argue, collaborate and grow. “This is the one event built specifically for emerging brands,” Viscidi says, a reminder that events like it exist because he and his team identified a gap no one else was filling.
It is the exact environment he thinks about every day. Not food costs or equipment decisions, but people. More specifically, what happens when you pull operators out of their restaurants and place them in a setting where curiosity takes over?
“Humans are social beings,” Viscidi says. “You get away from your day-to-day, you see content that inspires you, and you surround yourself with peers who help you level up.” He says it with ease, but the simplicity hides the truth.
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