QSR Media Conference & Awards 2026 powered by Red Bull

subject to change...
 

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM   Networking Registration

9:00 AM - 9:05 AM   Welcoming Remarks

9:05 AM - 9:25 AM   Internation Speaking Session

9:25 AM - 9:45 AM   Economic Outlook

From interest rates and cost-of-living pressures to the downstream effects on consumer confidence and discretionary spending, this session cuts through the noise to give QSR operators a grounded read on the economic conditions shaping the rest of 2026 — and what it means for pricing, profitability, and strategic planning.

9:45 AM - 10:05 AM   Trends Report

What are Australians actually ordering, how often are they eating out, and which formats are winning their spend? This session presents the latest consumer data and market intelligence on where Australia's QSR industry is heading — giving operators a clear-eyed view of the trends shaping the next phase of growth before they become obvious.

10:05 AM - 10:45 AM   Leader's Panel

Australia's QSR industry is navigating one of its most consequential periods in recent memory. Consumer expectations are shifting, new formats and business models are emerging, and the competitive landscape is being reshaped by both homegrown ambition and international entrants raising the bar.

This panel brings together the chief executives and senior leaders running some of the country's most recognised brands to speak candidly about what that reality looks like from the inside — what has surprised them, where they are placing their bets, and what they believe it genuinely takes to win in one of the most competitive business environments in the country.

Panelists:

• Merrill Pereyra, Chief Executive Officer, Domino's Australia and New Zealand
• Kristi Woolrich, General Manager, KFC SOPAC
• Richard Hinson, Chief Executive Officer, Minor DKL Food Group

10:45 AM - 11:25 AM   MORNING BREAK

11:25 AM - 11:45 AM   The Challenger Entry: Lessons from launching Wendy’s in Australia, and what every international brand underestimates about this market

When Wendy’s opened its doors in Australia, it didn't just enter a new market; it broke global records for opening day and opening week sales. But record-breaking launches don't happen by accident. In this session, Richard Wallis, President APAC at Flynn Group, shares the real story behind one of the most ambitious QSR market entries in recent years: what the brand got right, what caught them off guard, and why Australia remains one of the most underestimated and unforgiving markets for any international brand looking to scale.

• Richard Wallis, President APAC, Flynn Group

11:45 AM - 12:15 PM   International Showcase Panel

Panelists:

• Representative

12:15 PM - 12:55 PM   QSR & Money Panel

The investment landscape for Australian QSR has never been more active. Private equity is circling, franchise networks are attracting institutional capital, and the brands that understand what investors are looking for are pulling ahead of those that do not.

This panel brings together multi-brand QSR operators, consumer equity analysts, and investment professionals who back growth businesses, for a frank conversation about what makes a brand investable right now, what taking on capital actually looks like from the operator's side, and where the smart money is moving next.

Panelists:

• Grant Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Concept 8
• Chris Garlic, Chief Executive Officer, Retail Zoo
• Tom Kierath, Head of Consumer Research, Barrenjoey
• Josh Ludski, Head of Strategic Investments, River Capital
• Shaun Cousins, Executive Director, Retail and Consumer Analyst, UBS

12:55 PM - 1:55 PM   LUNCH BREAK

1:55 PM - 2:55 PM   Awards Programme

2:55 PM - 3:25 PM   AFTERNOON BREAK

3:25 PM - 3:40 PM   Kerry Speaking Session

3:40 PM - 4:25 PM   Grow the Brand: A Data-Driven Strategy Workshop

The competitive landscape facing Australian QSR operators has never been more complex. Convenience stores, supermarkets, and pubs are encroaching on traditional QSR territory, loyalty is harder to earn than ever, and growth decisions are being made in an environment where the wrong call is costly. This workshop, led by Fonto, cuts through that noise with a data-led look at the single most pressing competitive tension shaping the market right now.

Attendees who will pre-register for this workshop find themselves working in teams, armed with a real data brief and a problem-solving framework, to tackle a live growth challenge assigned to a fictional brand profile drawn from the realities of today's market.

Each team presents their strategy back to the room, with a prize for the winning group and a data takeaway for everyone

• Representative, Fonto

4:25 PM - 5:05 PM   Beyond the counter: Rewriting Rules of Reach in Foodservice

Australian QSRs are no longer defined solely by their store footprint. Increasingly, brands are discovering that growth lies not just in opening more locations, but in showing up wherever their customers already are, from supermarket aisles to convenience store fridges.

As cost-of-living pressures reshape where and how Australians eat, the most agile operators are finding new revenue streams and new audiences through retail product extensions, convenience channel partnerships, and format innovation that stretches the brand well beyond the restaurant. The challenge — and the opportunity — is doing this without diluting what made the brand worth taking home in the first place.

• Ramon Castillo, Chief Executive Officer, Zeus Street Greek
• Jun Lee, Founder and Managing Director, Gami Chicken

STAGE 2

3:25 PM - 3:40 PM   The art of scaling a cult brand

Taking one of Australia's most loved charcoal chicken brands from 64 locations to 200 demands more than ambition, it demands operational discipline applied at every level of the business. Craig Tozer brings a rare combination of both.

With a background leading operations at a major Australian quick service brand, Craig now oversees the operational engine behind El Jannah's ambitious national expansion. In this conversation, Craig will share how operational thinking shapes every stage of growth at El Jannah: from the early discipline of finding and evaluating the right sites, to building the infrastructure and culture needed to scale without losing what made the brand worth believing in.

• Craig Tozer, Chief Operating Officer, El Jannah

3:40 PM - 4:00 PM   Speaking Session

4:00 PM - 4:30 PM   Reading the Room: Understanding your Customer with Data

Understanding your customer in 2026 means going well beyond what they order. The conversations happening on social media, the patterns buried in spending data, and the perception gaps between how a brand sees itself and how its customers actually feel about it, together, these tell a story that no single data source can tell alone.

This discussion will bring together experts in social listening and consumer sentiment tracking, experts in analysing financial and credit card transaction data, and brand perception research to give operators a 360-degree view of the customer they think they know

5:05 PM   End of Programme

more to come...