Consumer concerns about rising food costs due to inflation, tariffs and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) are forcing chicken foodservice and retail to be innovative to keep shoppers engaged.
Panelists from major foodservice and retail outlets that sell chicken will discuss the challenges and opportunities they’re facing at the 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit, scheduled for July 28-30, 2025 at the DeSoto Savannah in Savannah, Georgia.
Registration is now open with early bird savings available until May 31.
The panelists include Becky Faudree, vice president of procurement, ButcherBox, Travis Gracey, meat and seafood category manager, HAC, Inc., Casey Hilder, director of marketing, Starbird and Shawn Lalehzarian, co-founder and CEO, The Red Chickz.
Becky Faudree is the vice president of procurement at ButcherBox, bringing years of experience in meat sourcing, strategic planning and growing programs that move the needle. With a strong focus on animal welfare, negotiation, pricing strategy and business expansion, she knows how to spot opportunities and turn them into real, impactful solutions, whether that’s launching a new program or product. Prior to joining ButcherBox, Faudree ran operations for two beef companies and ran procurement as global meat coordinator for Whole Foods Market.
Travis Gracey, a third-generation meat professional, kicked off his career in Oklahoma’s retail meat industry in 1992. He’s held roles as department manager, district supervisor, category manager and director for some of Oklahoma’s best retailers, including Pruett’s Food, Jumbo Foods, Associated Wholesale Grocers and currently works as the meat and seafood category manager at HAC, which operates 80 grocery stores under several well-known banners, including Food World, Piggly Wiggly and CashSaver.
Casey Hilder, director of marketing for Starbird, has led the brand to become a defining force in the super-premium QSR segment since joining in 2018. Under his leadership, Starbird has expanded from three to 14 restaurants, achieving over 25% comp sales growth for four consecutive years. With over 12 years of experience, Hilder launched Starbird’s TikTok, growing to 125,000 followers in under two years, and implemented a loyalty program, increasing app usage to 200,000 users.
Shawn Lalehzarian worked with several brands such as Wolfgang Puck, Starbucks, Pinkberry, California Pizza Kitchen and Chili’s just to name a few before opening The Red Chickz in 2014. The Red Chickz puts its West Coast spin on the Southern favorite, offering an innovative menu within the hot chicken segment. Today, The Red Chickz has five locations in Los Angeles, CA, Culver City, CA, Carlsbad, CA, Cypress, TX, and most recently Fresno, CA, with an additional 24 locations in development.
Attend the 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit
The 2025 Chicken Marketing Summit will be held at the DeSoto Savannah in Savannah, Georgia, on July 28-30, 2025. This one-of-a-kind event will feature two content tracks. The first will focus on consumers and how technology impacts them, while the second will look at the impact new technologies have from an operational standpoint for chicken companies, retail and foodservice.
Serving a unique cross-section of the chicken supply chain, the Chicken Marketing Summit explores issues and trends in food marketing and consumer chicken consumption patterns and purchasing behavior.
Registration is now open with early bird savings available until May 31.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MAY 9! Recognize excellence by submitting your free nomination for Chicken Marketer of the Year.
