CSRA 2026 Annual Meeting

Time

Session

2:00 – 5:00 PM

National Chain Partners’ GA Meeting

2:00 – 3:45 PM

CSRA Board Meeting (All CEOs Invited)

4:00 – 5:45 PM

CSRA Board & National Restaurant Association Senior Staff Meeting (All CEOs Invited)

6:30 PM

CEO & National C-Suite Dinner - Barcelona Restaurant

6:30 PM

Government Affairs Staff Dinner — On Your Own

 Suggested Meet-Up: Puttshack — wear your name tags to break the ice and get to know others!

Time

Session

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

9:00 – 9:20 AM

Welcome to Nashville

Sara Beth Urban & Elected Official

9:20 – 9:40 AM

Welcome

Scott Dolch & Michelle Korsmo

9:40 – 10:40 AM

State of the Union

Sean Kennedy, joined by Dave Thomas
Two weeks after the mid-term elections, Sean will discuss where things stand, what will shape policy in 2027, and how it will affect restaurant advocacy with trusted industry friend Dave Thomas.

10:40 – 11:00 AM

Break

11:00 AM – Noon

Credit Cards & Restaurants: An Imbalanced Relationship
The credit card interchange fight continues. Visa & MasterCard continue to report record profits. Federal agencies have seemingly blocked state legislative paths, so where do we go from here? Discussion with Joe Kefauver, Dan Swanson and Kelsey Ericsson Steufort.

Noon – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 – 2:00 PM

MAHA, EPR & Other Problematic Acronyms
Brands’ perspective on the continuous challenges from both sides of the aisle on environmental and nutritional issues. Hear from the brands on their advocacy strategy and the broader supply chain effects these policies have on restaurant operations.

2:00 – 2:30 PM

Emerging Issues in Technology Policy & Surveillance Pricing

Panel discussion moderated by Aaron Frazier

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Fair Share Proposals [TBD]

3:00 – 3:20 PM

Break

3:20 – 4:00 PM

Was That Video Real?
David Massey leads a panel discussion on AI being used more than ever in advocacy and campaigns. How should you utilize it to best improve your advocacy work? Hear from experts in both legislative and campaign spaces on how emerging technology can enhance our collective work.

4:00 – 4:50 PM

Government Affairs Only Breakout Session

5:00 – 6:15 PM

Welcome Reception (Rooftop)

Evening

Dinner on Your Own

Time

Session

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

9:00 – 10:00 AM

What the Polls Are Saying

A conversation on polling trends and how that affects legislative advocacy. How the electoral results impact perceived power and where caucus leadership goes from here. Presented by Chris Layne from Cygnal, one of the top polling firms in the country.

10:00 – 10:45 AM

Hemp-Derived THC Beverage Policy
Where do we go from here at the federal, state and training levels?  A quickly emerging discussion regarding THC/Cannabis.

10:00 – 12:00 AM

Foundation: Program Innovation, Partnerships, and Successes

A conversation about innovative program models, unique partnerships, and industry-backed certificates that are creating new opportunities and strengthening our foundations.

10:45 – 11:05 AM

Break

11:05 AM – Noon

Government Affairs Only Breakout Session

Noon – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 – 1:20 PM

Welcome to All

Scott Dolch & Michelle Korsmo

1:20 – 2:00 PM

National Restaurant Association Update

Michelle Korsmo

2:00 – 2:45 PM

Keynote Speaker (TBD)

2:45 – 3:10 PM

Break

3:10 – 3:50 PM

Collaborating for Greater Impact
Hear how SRA leaders are leveraging their foundations to strengthen membership, amplify advocacy, elevate their brand, and create greater impact through cross-functional collaboration.

3:50 – 4:40 PM

Practical Project Management

Panel discussion by association professionals who will share real-world perspectives on moving projects from concept to completion while navigating priorities, limited resources, cross-team collaboration, and the inevitable challenges that arise along the way.

6:00 PM

A Taste of Nashville: Dinner at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint  — Offsite Dinner for All Attendees

An evening offsite for a true taste of Music City! Join fellow attendees and guests at Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint for legendary whole-hog BBQ, a laid-back Nashville atmosphere, and a chance to connect over great food and drinks. Come hungry—this is one conference dinner you won’t want to miss.

Jeans, boots, and comfortable attire are encouraged for a laid-back evening of BBQ and Music City fun.

Time

Session

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

9:00 – 9:35 AM

Educational Foundation Strategic Plan Update

Michelle Korsmo

9:35 – 10:00 AM

Foundation Executive Director Introduction & Discussion Michelle Korsmo & Dr. Monica Parrish Trent

10:00 – 10:50 AM

From Busy Work to Better Work

A working session on using AI to run association operations, with a focus on real examples of how you can automate the time-consuming work that nobody wants to do through back-office automation. The latest year-end updates are provided as you discover practical ideas that can help your association work smarter. Bring your laptops for this interactive session led by Chris Gloede, Chief Consultant with Ricochet.

10:50 – 11:05 AM

Break

11:05 – 11:55 AM

Lightning Rounds — Fast Ideas, Real Results
Why try and create from scratch when you can steal shamelessly from your colleagues?  Many of the best ideas are already in our community of peers who have faced a challenge, found a solution, and achieved measurable results. Six SRA leaders will present one proven success story each and provide you with actionable paths for success in your SRA.  These will be ideas worth the theft charge!  

Noon – 1:00 PM

Lunch

1:00 – 1:55 PM

Are We Ready for Who’s Next? Leading The People Who Will Reinvent Our Industry

The next gen of leaders is already emerging, but are our associations ready for them? This conversation moves away from managing individual generations and focuses on changing expectations, new learning and communication styles, and rapidly evolving technology.  Brian Connors from Accelerating Leaders will help us to discover what we need to stop, start, and rethink today to remain relevant tomorrow.

Brian Connors, Accelerating Leaders. Brian will help us navigate how to attract, motivate, and retain the people who will reinvent our industry.

1:55 – 2:40 PM

From Noise to Value: Communicating What Restaurant Operators Actually Need to Hear

SRA’s are working harder than ever and stretched thin across our teams responsible for communications, advocacy, education, events and member expectations. At the same time engagement can plateau, renewals are less predictable and recruiting new members increasingly difficult. Cheri Quinn and Emily Youngblood from The Mercury Creative Group will lead a session on providing practical strategies to simplify messaging, tell stronger stories, and create communications that strengthen engagement, participation, and member growth. 

2:40 – 3:00 PM

Break

3:00 – 3:45 PM

What SRA Member Benefits Drive Recruitment & Retention

An interactive panel discussion of SRA leaders who will share proven member benefit programs and best practices that have successfully driven recruitment, increased retention, and strengthened member engagement. Discover new partnerships and programs to enhance your association's value proposition and make membership an indispensable investment for restaurant operators.

3:45 – 4:45 PM

Learning Labs – NRA Solutions Through the Lens of State Success Stories

In this interactive session, attendees will choose two of four 20-minute learning labs, each featuring an NRA expert teamed with an SRA leader who has effectively implemented the program at the state level. Through practical examples and peer insights, participants will learn how these solutions are positioned, promoted, and driving engagement, workforce development, and operational success.

Evening

Dinner on Your Own

Time

Session

8:00 – 9:00 AM

Breakfast

9:00 – 9:45 AM

Foundation: Tapping Into New Funding

What are founders funding and where are the opportunities?  Attendees will share ideas, lessons learned, and new approaches to generating revenue.

9:45 – 10:30 AM

Foundation: Defining Our Value Proposition – Differentiating Our Programs. 

As more culinary and workforce programs enter the space, how do we stand out? Share ideas for differentiating our programs, communicating their unique value, and perhaps partnering with other programs.

10:30 – 11:15 AM

Foundation: Building Boards That Show Up

A discussion on board recruitment, engagement, and leadership development, with a focus on building boards that actively support your mission, relationships and foundation growth.

9:00 – 9:45 AM

Membership/MarCom: Turning Great Ideas into Action – The best ideas often come from those sitting next to you.  Brian Conners will return with a session to guide us through a collaborative problem-solving process designed specifically for SRA Membership and Marketing & Communications professionals.  Working with our peers, he will help us discover common challenges, exchange proven strategies, and leave with practical ideas and an action plan to put into practice immediately.

9:45 – 10:30 AM

Membership/MarCom: Peer Exchange Roundtable: Real Conversations. Real Solutions.

We will break into four facilitated roundtable discussions of some of our biggest challenges to spur honest dialogue, idea sharing, and problem-solving. We will leave with practical insights that are working.

10:30 – 11:15 AM

Membership/MarCom:  Looking Ahead, Team Wrap-ups & Conference Takeaways

Each work group will meet alone to review the week to share notes on what they are bringing back to their states, and conversations that will continue through work group calls throughout the coming months.

11:15 – 11:30 AM

Closing Remarks & Adjourn