Oregon Restaurant Association Holds First Regional Business Summit in Eugene

[Wilsonville, OR] - On May 12, 2008, the Oregon Restaurant Association held its first regional business summit in Eugene. Consisting of a luncheon, appearances from esteemed guest speakers, breakout sessions with industry panelists and a dinner and awards ceremony, participants were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the summit's format.

ORA Board Chair Joe Benetti began the event with a discussion about his experience as a voting member on the Governor's Comprehensive Revenue Restructuring Task Force as well as his experience as a former mayor of Coos Bay. Guest speaker Senator Floyd Prozanski then shared agenda items likely to emerge in the 2009 legislative session.

After the general session, guests had the chance to attend separate breakout sessions. Each guest had the option of picking one of two topics that most suited their individual needs. First on the agenda were the two breakout session topics of Culinary Tourism and Workforce, followed by Menu Labeling and Labor and Benefits. Experienced industry panelists discussed issues and concerns within each topic, providing guests with invaluable information on how to protect their businesses and what to expect in the coming months.

The summit concluded with a dinner and awards ceremony. At the ceremony, ORA recognized three outstanding industry members, all of whom excel in their craft, serve their respective communities, and inspire other operators and purveyors in the course of doing business.

Going forward, the Oregon Restaurant Association plans to host a regional business summit in all of the five regions across Oregon. For more information on the Eugene Regional Business Summit and others to come, visit www.ora.org/events.