Feature Speakers


Thursday, February 8
Time 2:00PM – 3:15PM  “Food Photography & AI Marketing”

Food Photography – Jeff Hage, Co-owner of Green Frog Photography
The food service industry is not just about serving meals. It’s about creating memorable experiences.  72% of diners check social media or websites before they visit a restaurant for the first time.  As technology becomes an integral part of our daily lives, it’s only natural for it to influence the dining scene.  People eat with their eyes first!  Jeff will present images that illustrate the techniques required to create great images.  A workshop-style portion of the presentation will encourage attendees to actively explore proper lighting and positioning skills that they can immediately incorporate.

Jeff Hage is the resident food photographer and co-owner of Green Frog Photography.  He has over 30 years working with clients from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses and startups.  He has shared his wealth of insight with marketing and adverting with clients in the restaurant, food, processing, agriculture spaces, and more.

AI Marketing – Jason Shemmel, Owner of Get Social Done
The food service industry is not just about serving meals; it’s about creating memorable experiences.  As technology becomes an integral part of our daily lives, it’s only natural for it to influence the dining space.  AI tools offer unprecedented opportunities for personalized marketing, while high-quality visuals celebrate the artistry of culinary creations.  Addressing this convergence empowers restauranteurs to blend the best of both worlds, offering a modern dining experience that resonates with today’s technology savvy patrons and ensures sustained growth in a dynamic industry.  Jason will take examples from the audience to show prompts in AI tools (free & paid) to create social media worthy copy.  Therefore, you will see firsthand how to implement the practices shared in the presentation.

Jason Shemmel owns Get Social Done, a digital marketing and social media agency where he helps entrepreneurs, businesses, coaches and consultants optimize their online presence to generate more leads and prospects through done-with-you consulting or done-for-you management.


Thursday, February 8
Time – 3:40 PM – 5:00 PM  “Best Practices Associated with the Manufacture of Frozen Desserts”
Dr. Scott Rankin, Ph. D.

Professor & Chair, Food & Science Dept. University of Wisconsin-Madison

The manufacture of any consumer good has become increasingly more complicated and challenging based on a set of continued and diverse pressures. Successful ventures typically follow a set of best practices or guidelines to navigate these pressures including those from regulatory, consumer and litigation-based entities. This presentation will describe and illustrate the nature of these best practices through evidence and anecdote as a means of preparing frozen desert manufacturers for current and future processing challenges.

Friday, February 9
Time 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM  “The Link Between Meals and Emotions”
Comfort food. Home cooking. Greasy goodness. These and other like-minded terms capture a sentiment that illustrate the ties between all things delicious (and many not-so-delicious) and the emotions we encounter. This presentation will review some of the history, the physiological and neurological effects, and some practical applications of understanding the link between the foods we crave (or avoid) and the emotional responses we encounter.

Originally from La Habra, CA., Scott A. Rankin is Professor and Chair of the Food Science Department and recipient of the William F. Vilas Trust Estate Award at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Rankin earned degrees from Brigham Young University and Oregon State University. He leads programs in dairy manufacturing, covering such topics as milk pasteurization, cleaning and sanitizing, dairy chemistry, and frozen desserts while conducting research on reaction chemistry.  His research program has resulted in millions of dollars of intra and extramural funding, numerous publications and several patents and focuses on the area of small molecule chemistry applied to dairy and food issues. Primarily as a result of his research activities, Dr. Rankin has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Eckelman Foundation Fellowship; Society of Flavor Chemists Memorial Fellowship; Invention of the Year Finalist; Award of Honor for Outstanding Contribution to Cooperative Extension Service, the ADSA Foundation Scholar award; the ADSA Foundation Food Specialties award, and Brigham Young University Alumni Achievement Award. He also served as the elected president of the American Dairy Science Association (2013/14) and the Federation of Animal Science Societies.