How the New Creator Economy is Transforming Wine and Food Festivals

Lee Brian Schrager has a knack for turning curiosity into groundbreaking ideas.

As the Chief Communications Officer & Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits, Lee Schrager is also the founder of the South Beach and New York Wine and Food Festivals (powered by The Food Network).

His latest brainchild, FoodieCon, is reshaping the food festival experience by integrating social media influencers and staying ahead of industry trends.

Watch now to learn about the origins of SOBEWFF and the new FoodieCon, running large events, and adapting to social media trends.

#entrepreneur #toast #restaurantinfluencers #sobewff #nycwff #foodiecon

Chapters:

[02:11] - Lee Schrager's Big Pitch

[05:39] - Getting that First Sponsor

[07:42] - The Origins of Foodie Con

[12:39] - Expanding into New York

[14:13] - Next Generation of Hospitality Leaders

[19:47] - Social Media Integration

[24:44] - Pitching Big Ideas

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

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OVATION WAS VOTED THE #1 GUEST FEEDBACK PLATFORM FOR RESTAURANTS —

Visit to learn how Ovation’s Guest Feedback Platform actually drives revenue with actionable insights.

• Ovation Guest Feedback Platform

Episode Links:

Lee Schrager Instagram

Lee Schrager

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Online

South Beach Food & Wine Festivals

New York Food & Wine Festivals

FoodieCon Instagram

FoodieCon TikTok

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits LinkedIn

Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits Instagram

South Glazer’s Wine & Spirits YouTube

Takeaways:

FoodieCon Origins - FoodieCon came to fruition when Lee Schrager’s curiosity met his intuition and urgency. While hosting the New York Wine and Food Festival, he noticed a sponsor using influencers to attract visitors and immediately ideated an event surrounding influencer involvement.

Pivoting from LA to New York - Lee Schrager had everything in place to bring Southern Glazer’s Festival to Los Angeles. However, his boss made the decision to refocus on the historically difficult New York market, and the festival, with title sponsor The Food Network, has been thriving ever since.

Adapting to Trends and Social Media - FoodieCon is an event that integrates social media influencers. With social media being an ever changing landscape, it is important for Lee Schrager and company to listen first, in order to adapt effectively.

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ABOUT LEE BRIAN SCHRAGER—

Lee Brian Schrager, a renowned event planner and media relations expert, is the Chief Communications Officer and SVP of Corporate Social Responsibility at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits. Joining the company in 2000, Schrager oversees projects across 44 U.S. states, Canada, and the Caribbean. He is best known for creating the Food Network South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals, which have raised substantial funds for various charitable causes, including over $34 million for Florida International University and more than $14.8 million for hunger relief organizations in New York City.

With a background from the Culinary Institute of America and Florida International University, Schrager has significantly impacted the culinary and philanthropic worlds. He serves on several boards, contributes to Ocean Drive magazine, and judges prestigious awards. His contributions to the industry include the publication of three cookbooks and the successful annual celebration of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Kim Malek, Meredith Sandland, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media