2026 Agenda – Dine In Cinema Summit

THE APP: Time to download the app as we will be using this for correspondences during the show. Thank you to Theater Toolkit for being our 2026 App Sponsor.
TRANSPORTATION: Buses will be departing from the Aloft Hotel in the Domain according to the agenda. It is important to take all of your items off the bus each time. Make sure you take a different bus each trip to receive the goodies on it.
EXHIBITOR SEATING: As always, exhibitors take priority with seating. With honoring all the “special favors” seating is going to be tight and quite possibly not enough for everyone on the list. If you are an exhibitor, please take a seat first. Vendors, please wait until all the exhibitors have been seated. THEN, Vendors, a max of two from your company are able to be seated at this time. If after this there is still room, you may seat the remainder of your group. If there is not a seat available, you may hang in the lobby. You may choose to swap out your team for different sessions. Again, this is not ideal, and yes, next year new policies will be in place- just a heads up. Therefore, it is important to not get comfortable with how things went in previous years. Every year is a learning year for us. The evening events are not an issue for attendance.
SWAG BAGS: We have enough for 250 attendees. If you get one great. If not, there is always next year. You should bring your bag with you during the duration of the conference. You will be moving between theaters during the day (at the same venue), and you will be getting things during the day. The items in your bag will be used during the conference (water bottles, etc).
SPONSORS: Anytime you see a sponsor, please thank them. They have done an amazing job contributing to this event to make what it is. They will appreciate your love. They are going to talk about themselves, be ready and be respectful. If we don’t have sponsors, we don’t have an event. We, Matt and I, don’t take a salary from this activity. We do it because we passionately believe in this industry or we are insane. We are still assessing. Regardless, your “fun for 3.5 days” is because of sponsors and our free labor.
EVENING EVENTS: Do attend all the events. The spirit of the Summit is that we are all together all day and we party at night. It is not high school where you break off because you think you are cooler than others. The events are all paid for. You will have drinks (alcoholic and non) and dinner. If you have extra money to go out on your own, shoot it over this way:) Client meetings can happen on Thursday evening or any morning before 9:30am as we all know you told your work you were at this through Thursday.
NAME TAGS: You will pick up your name tags at the Monday night event or Tuesday morning at Film Alley. If you do not pick up your name tag at either of these events, you will need to find Amy. Don’t ask Matt. This is not his thing. If you ask him, he will kindly tell you to “Ask Amy”.
Breakfast: Breakfast will be offered to you each day. For you coffee lovers and energy drinkers, Tom’s Travellin’ Coffee Truck (Thank you to A&A Global for sponsoring your caffeine addiction) will be available from 10am-noon Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday. If you need that coffee first thing in the morning to get yourself going, the hotel is the best option for you.
Happy Hour Glasses: You will be receiving a branded pilsner glass during each happy hour. If it is DICS Branded with (EDC, MIT or Decibel Studios), you may take it. If it says Waterford Crystal or anything not DICS, you need to leave it at the venue.
Traveling Between Theaters During Presentations: Kindly be quiet and clean up your seat area so people coming in know they can sit there. We have just enough seats for everyone attending. Don’t be a seat hog.
Wristbands: You will need to check in at each evening event and receive a wristband. Without a wristband, you will not be able to eat or drink on us.

If you have any questions/comments/concerns email us at contact@dineincinemasummit.com or text Amy at 512-799-8601 or Matt at 512-799-8600. During the event, texting will you get you a response.

We are grateful for each of you and let’s raise a glass to the eighth annual Dine In Cinema+ FEC Summit!

Amy and Matt

A special thank you to our 2026 bus sponsors!

A special thank you to our 2026 media sponsors!

Monday, February 2, 2026

Time	Description	Sponsored By
11:00am	First Annual DICS Golf Spectacular separate registration + payment required golf, ride or host a hole Avery Ranch Golf Club 10500 Avery Club Drive Austin, Texas 78717
6:00pm	WIE Meet at DICS! Join Women In Exhibition for their conference meet up at WIE. Want to know more about this organization or just visit with fellow WIE members, have a drink before the DICS kick off event sponsored by Venue Valet.
6:30pm-9:30pm	“The Party Begins” Opening Event Haywire Restaurant 11301 Rock Rose Avenue #100 Austin, Texas 78758 **Bus service is not available on this evening. Venue is a 6 minute walk from host hotel

Time

Description

Sponsored By

11:00am

First Annual DICS Golf Spectacular

*separate registration + payment required

*golf, ride or host a hole

Avery Ranch Golf Club

10500 Avery Club Drive

Austin, Texas 78717

6:00pm

WIE Meet at DICS! Join Women In Exhibition for their conference meet up at WIE. Want to know more about this organization or just visit with fellow WIE members, have a drink before the DICS kick off event sponsored by Venue Valet.

6:30pm-9:30pm

“The Party Begins” Opening Event

Haywire Restaurant

11301 Rock Rose Avenue #100

Austin, Texas 78758

**Bus service is not available on this evening. Venue is a 6 minute walk from host hotel

Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Time	Description	Sponsored By
Feature Sponsors of the Day
10:00am- 12:00pm	Time to hydrate. IV Hydration in the top rows of the theaters. Head up there! If there are not seats, get on the list.
9:00am	Bus Departs The Aloft Hotel 11601 Domain Drive Austin, Texas 78758 512-491-0777 to Film Alley Georgetown 420 Wolf Ranch Parkway Georgetown, Texas 78628 10am-noon: get your bougie drink (parked in front of Film Alley)	Breakfast Sponsors of the Day
10:00am	Welcome and Introductions from the DICS Producers Matt Mader, CEO, Venue Valet Amy Mader, Director of Business Development, Venue Valet
10:30am	*The Exhibitor of the Future: Why the Cinema Must Become a Programming Platform* Presenter: Mark Collins @ Collins Theatre Systems
11:00am	*Operational Service Models & The Data That Supports Them* Presenter: Scott Beck @ Theater Toolkit Participants… Eli Perez @ Hooky Jacob Schulman @ Film Alley Rob Novak @ Marcus Scott Cassell @ Roadhouse David Meillier @ Flix Brewhouse
12:00pm	*Can We Slay The Dragon?* Presenter: J. Sperling Reich @ Celluloid Junkie Participants… Art Seago @ Decibel Studios Randy Hester @ Hometown Cinemas Craig Hall @ Nexus Cinema Dining Morris Schulman @ Schulman Theaters Josh Frank @ Silent Synced
1:00pm	Lunch
1:30pm	*The Jetson’s Era Entertainment* Presenter: Art Seago @ Decibel Studios Participants… Jason Wistreich @ JKRP Sam Hatcher @ Decibel Studios Tony Adamson @ GDC Robert McCall @ JKRP Phil Shissler @ Twin Shores Aaron Jenks @ Paradigm Design
2:15pm	*How To Deal With A Shitty Customer* Presenter: Nate Murray @ Delta Strike
2:45pm	*Why Social Gaming is the OG of Out of Home Entertainment* Presenter: Bart Burger @ QubicaAMF
3:15pm	*Leverage F&B To Extend The Stay and Do Creative Things to Maximize Profit* Presenter: Will Costello @ SmartBar USA
3:45pm	*The 1% Difference: The Small Factors that Make a Big Impact* Presenter: Denise Killian @ Trainertainment
4:30pm	*How to Not Think About Your Presentation* Presenter: Frank Tees @ MiT Participants… Brian Weil @ Christie Digital Systems Chase Taylor @ Sound Vision Technical Scott Hubbard @ Everything Cinema Clayton Schulman @ Schulman Theatres
5:30pm	The Summit Happy Hour & Snacks
6:00pm	Bus Departs
6:30pm – 9:30pm	“The Party Continues” Evening Networking Event 3120 Palm Way #130 Austin, Texas 78730
Special Note:	*Bus Service Ends after Drop Off at “The Party Continues”* Networking Event**

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

Time	Description	Sponsored By
Feature Sponsors of the Day
10:00am- 12:00pm	Time to hydrate. IV Hydration in the top rows of the theaters. Head up there! If there are not seats, get on the list.
9:00am	Bus Departs The Aloft Hotel 11601 Domain Drive Austin, Texas 78758 512-491-0777 to Alamo Drafthouse: Lakeline 14028 US-183 Bldg F Austin, Texas 78717 10am-noon: get your bougie drink (parked in front of Alamo Drafthouse)	Breakfast Sponsors of the Day!
9:45am	*Creating a Vivid Vision* Presenter: Armado Lunati @ Creative Works
10:30am	*Food & Concessions: From Procurement to Pre-Ordering by Moviegoers* Presenter: Chris Anderson @ Fandango and Ian Brows @ INDY Cinema Group
11:00am	*Social to Screen: Reaching the Generational Movie-goer* Presenter: Brandon Jones @ FilmFrog Participants… Traci Hanlon @ Cinergy Paul Farnsworth @ B&B Theatres Brandt Gully @ Springs Cinema & Taphouse
11:45am	*Battle of the Brands* Presenter: Daniel Loria @ Box Office Participants… David Meiller @ Flix Brewhouse Mark Hernandez @ Flix Brewhouse Michael Taylor @ Film Alley Jeff Mann @ Cinepolis Mark Boyton @ Alamo Drafthouse Jason Schwartz @ Alamo Drafthouse Matt Russell @ Hooky
12:15pm	*Menu Items That Convert – LTOs* Presenter: Daniel Loria @ Box Office *Battle of the Brands* Presenter: Daniel Loria @ Box Office Participants… David Meillier @ Flix Brewhouse Mark Hernandez @ Flix Brewhouse Michael Taylor @ Film Alley Jeff Mann @ Cinepolis Mark Boyton @ Alamo Drafthouse Brad Sorenson @ Alamo Drafthouse Matt Russell @ Hooky
1:00pm	Lunch
1:15pm	*Rookie Mistakes Cinemas Make When Adding FECs to Their Locations* Presenter: Heather Blair @ WIE Participants… Joe Masher @ Bow Tie Cinemas Albert Waitt @ Smitty’s Entertainment Aimee Dolahanty @ Fraise Designs Traci Hanlon @ Cinergy
2:00pm	*Future-Proofing Cinemas with Scalable AV Infrastructure* Presenter: Gene Esposito and Danielle Hardin @ DFX
2:30pm	*Quality Matters! Why Pinching Pennies Costs Dollars* Presenter: Michael Giacinto @ Proctor
3:00pm	*Adapt with AI: Practical Tools That Drive Revenue, Efficiency, and Guest Experience* Presenter: Jon Lakefish @ The Lakefish Group
4:30PM	*CJ Cinema Summit – LIVE! Executive Panel!* Presenter: J. Sperling Reich @ Celluloid Junkie Participants… Rob Novak @ Marcus Theatres Kelley Bondelie @ Alamo Drafthouse Chance Robertson @ Flix Brewhouse Dave Meza @ Harkins Theatres Brian Schultz @ Look Cinemas
5:30pm	The Summit Happy Hour & Snacks
6:00pm	Bus Departs for “The Party that Never Ends” Networking Event
6:30pm- 9:30pm	*“The Party Never Ends” Networking Event* Culinary Drop Out 11721 Rock Rose Avenue #100 Austin, Texas 78758
Special Note:	*Bus Service Ends after Drop Off at “The Party Never Ends”* Event**

Thursday, February 5, 2025

Time	Description	Sponsored By
Feature Sponsors of the Day
	IV Sponsors of the Day: Get your IV hydration done in the top rows of the theaters.
9:00am	Bus Departs The Aloft Hotel 11601 Domain Drive Austin, Texas 78758 512-491-0777 to Hooky Entertainment 150 Alliance Blvd. Ste 100 Hutto, Texas 78634 10am-noon: get your bougie drink (parked in front of Hooky Entertainment)
9:45am	*Gotta Diversify – Let’s Keep It Simple! A Future That Can’t Lose!* “Bowling – Gotta Have It!!!!” “Arcade & Redemption – Won’t Disappoint!” “Bad-Ass Bar – ALL DAY LONG!” Presenter: Dave Wallace @ Turfway Entertainment, Jason Wistreich @ JKRP Participants… Suzanne Wallace @ Turfway Entertainment Robert McCall @ JKRP Mik Oca from US Design Labs Britannie Betti @ Betson Shane Zimmerman @ Shaffer Distributing Sarah Malott @ QubicaAMF Kris Desroches @ Brunswick
11:30am	*The Power of Possibility: How to Break Free from Discouragement* Presenter: Danny Gruening @ Creative Works
12:15pm	*Point. Of. Sale.* Presenter: Carrie Dietrich @ ICTA Participants… Ryan Kennedy @ INDY Cinema Group Mateen Habib @ GoTab Jon Love @ RTS Al Lane @ Tapos Colin Soucy @ Toast Max Brunzel @ Vista Shane Burkhart @ Agile Ticketing
1:00pm	Lunch
1:30pm	*Key Considerations when Selecting a Technology Partner for Your Business* Presenter: Jed Hazlett @ EMBED
2:00pm	*Crafting Culture: Your Recipe for Stronger Team Dynamics* Presenter: Maria Grillo @ Crunchy Bread Culture Studio
2:45pm	*Is Your Venue Invisible to AI? How to Get Found in the Age of ChatGPT* Presenter: Marine Suttle, RD Crocker @ Box Office
3:15pm	*Who is MY CEC Customer?* Presenter: Keitha McBride @ A&A Global and Aimee Dolehanty @ Fraise Design
3:45pm	*Self-Service in a Hospitality Hungry World* Presenter: Dan Swenson @ Ready-Credit, Jared Epstein @ Frank Meyer Kiosks Participants… Peter Lichtor @ Flix Brewhouse Sal Ruggiero @ Landmark Cinemas Craig Hall @ Nexus Cinema Dining Pat Micalizzi @ Showcase Cinemas
4:15pm	*Plan for FEC Growth Up Front: Start Small but Plan Ahead for Profitable Additions* Presenter: Dutch Magrath and Gary Arvedon @ Amusement Products
4:45pm	*Expanded Concessions and Queue Lines* Presenter: Ben Hoskins @ Vistar
5:15pm	The Summit Happy Hour & Summit Snacks
6:00pm	Bus Departs
Special Note:	Bus Service Ends after Drop Off at the Host Hotel The Aloft Hotel Domain
6:30pm-9:00pm	BONUS EVENT!!!! Join fellow Dine-In Cinema Summit attendees for an off-site immersive experience at Zero Latency VR Austin North, the world’s leading free-roam VR platform. Experience how location-based virtual reality in our large multi-player format is being used globally in as a high-margin, repeat-visit attraction and an additional revenue stream for cinema operators with just 1,000 sf of minimum space required. Beer on site yes! Space is limited so call/text/email JR at 417-300-4120. Located just 15 minutes from Aloft Hotel at 6406 N I-35, Suite 2760.

Congrats to the LAST SPONSOR OF THE SUMMIT!

Thank you to Kyle Hill from Martin, Frost & Hill – The Liquor Law Attorney wrapping up our 2026 sponsorship!

Congrats to the LAST LAST SPONSOR OF THE SUMMIT!

Just when we said sponsorship was wrapped up, along came Rico’s! Thank you for your sponsorship Rico’s!

We appreciate every sponsor who supports this event! But the last sponsor needs to be recognized in our typical DICS fashion:)

Congrats to our top sponsors for the Eighth Annual Dine In Cinema +FEC Summit. We use this word often, but we are truly grateful to all our sponsors who make this event what it is. A special recognition to our top sponsors who have given us unwavering support over the past 8 years! Cheers !

See you at NINE DICS in 2027!

The 2026 Agenda