MasterClass^TM

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CHAIRED BY                    Joel A. Holsinger, Managing Director                        Fortress Investment Group LLC

Featuring 20 Expert Speakers Including --

• Jonathan W. Berger, Navigant Capital Advisors LLC
• Robert T. Bielinski, CIT Group Inc.
• Adam D. Burgoon, KarpReilly LLC
• Christopher Catalano, McDonald's Corp.
• Clinton J. Coleman, Newcastle Management LP
• Ray Damron, Shari's Management Corp.
• Daniel Z. Dean, United Enterprise Fund LP
• Jay G. Finkelstein, DLA Piper LLP (US)
• Amy V. Forrestal,  Brookwood Associates LLC
• Robert Giaimo, Silver Diner Development Inc.
• David Goronkin, Redstone American Grill Inc.
• Paul Halpern, Versa Capital Management Inc.
• Mark Hughes, GE Capital Solutions Franchise Finance
• Robert G. Levine, Milestone Partners
• Bret Lowell, DLA Piper LLP (US)
• Philip McDonough, Capital Growth Advisors LLC
• Scott C. Norrick, BBK Ltd.
• Bradford Nugent, Yucaipa Companies LLC
• Hazem Ouf, Vicorp Restaurants Inc.
• James A. Peko, Grant Thornton LLP
• Kenneth R. Switzer, Marco's Franchising LLC
• Eric J. Welsch, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
• Luis Zaldivar, Palladium Equity Partners LLC

Click Here to Register >>   Purchase Audio Package >>    

 Visit Audio Library >>    Add to Outlook Calendar >>

FULL-DAY MASTERCLASS
Thursday, January 22, 2009
8:00 am - 4:30 pm

NETWORKING COCKTAIL RECEPTION

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
New York City

SPECIAL HALF-DAY PRE-MASTERCLASS WORKSHOP (Optional)

Fundamentals of Helping Restaurant Companies Survive the Recession

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

2:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Designed to Meet the Needs of GPs, LPs, & Managers of Buyout, Growth Equity, 
& Mezzanine Funds, As Well as Officers & Directors of Their Portfolio Companies, Independent Sponsors, and  Investment Bankers, Lenders, Industry Executives, Lawyers, & Other Advisors Who Work With Them

Faculty | Schedule | Registration | Location | Sponsorship | Audio Package

Last year at our annual restaurant conference we told you it was going to get uglier for the restaurant industry.  

We’re sorry to say we were wrong.  Actually, 2008 was beyond ugly -- it was nuclear.  And things are getting even worse -- labor costs are rising, and consumer confidence and spending power are shrinking to all time historic lows. 

What does that mean for you?  Three answers --

First -- Now’s the time you must help the companies in your portfolio survive impending shakeouts.  Define a niche, own a space, and avoid the sins of too-aggressive price increases, cannibalization, and brand image deterioration through discounting.  And most importantly, at all costs, you must survive -- you’ll exit with a stronger company for the years to come. 

Second -- Now’s also the time to be looking for companies to buy. You can cut highly appealing deals at fire sale prices -- if you know what to look for, how much to pay, and most of all, where to borrow. 

Of course, M&A activity is at an all-time low, but so are valuations -- dropping to 4x or 5x EBITDA for even the most pristine companies, down from the12x being paid two years ago. And now it’s especially opportune to find those good-companies-with-bad-balance-sheets.  Sure, getting the leverage you need is obviously challenging, but in the future you’ll be rewarded for being creative and contrarian.

And third -- Now is unquestionably the very best time to sign up to get useful, actionable knowledge at The Capital Roundtable’s Fourth Annual MasterClass on PE Investing in Middle-Market Restaurant Companies -- so you can hear how to thrive in today’s recession.

Solutions You Can Immediately Put to Good Use.

With so many problems facing the restaurant industry, no single expert has all the answers. So you’ll welcome the chance to meet with industry experts and fellow PE professionals to share experiences, hear what’s working and what isn’t, and discover new recipes for success.

In fact, it’s well worth your time to come just for the networking alone.

Yet of course, relevant information is what this conference is all about. And that’s why this full-day MasterClass on Thursday, January 22, 2009 will for the fourth time  be chaired by Joel Holsinger, a noted restaurant industry veteran who’s served as an investor, lender, advisor, and operator.  Joel served as chief architect of the recent rescue from bankruptcy of Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern, arguably the most relevant private equity restaurant deal of late, given our economic outlook.

Bringing you this kind of current insight is the specialty of The Capital Roundtable. We’re America’s leading conference organization for the private equity community, and our mission is to help you prosper both when times are booming and when times are tough.

And because everyone loves a bargain in this financial crunch, we’re happy to oblige. Sign up now, and you can take advantage of a $400 Early Bird Discount!

20 Restaurant Industry Experts Reveal Their Secrets

We’re assembling a panel of well-known leaders who will be refreshingly open with their opinions, insights, and current strategies. So you’ll be well-prepared to seize opportunities and react to likely possibilities that come your way.

By attending this MasterClass, you’ll have the answers to the questions that are on the minds of everyone in the restaurant sector:

• How do I continue managing my portfolio companies in this environment?
• Fast casual, quick service, midscale, fine dining -- what’s the best place to be?
• Why should I be concerned if my portfolio companies are not highly differentiated?
• What can I learn from the big restaurant brands that continue to do well?
• Who is lending money today for restaurant deals?
• What alternate sources of debt financing are available?
• What types of premiums are being charged by the shrinking pool of restaurant lenders -- and what added scrutiny can be expected?
• What are the best opportunities among distressed companies?
• Will the Obama administration’s policies bring boon or boondoggle to the restaurant industry?
• Are today’s historically low valuations likely to stay put, or is a rebound in the works?
• And much, much more.

No Matter What Your Role, You Won’t Want to Miss This MasterClass

We hope you come to this MasterClass eager for information, because you’ll be treated to a banquet of panels, presentations, and roundtable discussions. Plus the style is as impressive as the substance -- the entire day is well-paced with plenty of time to network with other attendees. The program is designed to benefit --

• GPs and LPs considering available restaurant opportunities for their portfolios.
• Private equity sponsors with underperforming restaurant portfolio companies.
• Hedge fund managers examining opportunistic restaurant investments.
• Lenders who have restaurant financing available for the right deals.
• Attorneys and Advisors with restaurant sector clients.
• Investment bankers who actively pursue deals in the restaurant industry.
• Industry executives looking for capital and perspective at this unprecedented time in our economy and within the restaurant industry.
• Executive search professionals recruiting for the restaurant industry.

We also encourage you to attend our afternoon pre-MasterClass Workshop the day before on Wednesday, January 21, "Fundamentals of Helping  Restaurant Companies Survive the Recession". This optional half-day workshop will feature leading industry specialists who will take you through the nuances and the numbers.

Remember, register with our Early Bird Discount by Friday, December 12, 2008 and you’ll save $400 off our regular fee! So make your reservation now before our tables are all filled. We’ll be looking forward to greeting you.

For more information, please feel free to contact Heather Sote at 212/832-7333 ext. 111 or hsote@capitalroundtable.com.

The Capital Roundtable thanks BBK, CIT Capital, DLA Piper, & KeyBanc Capital Markets for sponsoring this outstanding conference.  It’s due in great part to their support and collaboration that we have the resources to make this event so worthwhile for you.

This MasterClass is being produced by The Capital Roundtable, America’s leading conference organization focusing on “need-to-know” information for professionals in the middle-market private equity community. For more information about The Capital Roundtable’s 25 annual MasterClasses and other events and programs, please visit www.capitalroundtable.com.

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Faculty

 Chaired By

• Joel Holsinger, Managing Director, Fortress Investment Group LLC

Hosted By

• Burt Alimansky, Managing Partner, Alimansky & Bethell Group, and Chairman, The Capital Roundtable

Speakers

• Jonathan W. Berger, Managing Director, Navigant Capital Advisors LLC

• Robert T. Bielinski, Managing Director, CIT Group Inc.
• Adam D. Burgoon, Partner, KarpReilly LLC
• Christopher Catalano, Chief Investment Officer, McDonald's Corp.
• Clinton J. Coleman, Vice President, Newcastle Management LP
• Ray Damron, Executive Vice President & CFO, Shari's Management Corp.
• Daniel Z. Dean, Managing Partner, United Enterprise Fund LP
• Jay G. Finkelstein, Partner, DLA Piper LLP (US)
• Amy V. Forrestal, Managing Director, Brookwood Associates LLC
• Robert Giaimo, President & CEO, Silver Diner Development Inc.
• David Goronkin, President & CEO, Redstone American Grill Inc.
• Paul Halpern, Partner, Versa Capital Management Inc.
• Mark Hughes, Senior Vice President, GE Capital Solutions Franchise Finance
• Robert G. Levine, Partner, Milestone Partners
• Bret Lowell, Partner & Co-Chair, DLA Piper LLP (US)
• Philip McDonough, Managing Director, Capital Growth Advisors LLC
• Scott C. Norrick, Senior Director, BBK Ltd.
• Bradford Nugent, Yucaipa Companies LLC
• Hazem Ouf, President & CEO, Vicorp Restaurants Inc.
• James A. Peko, Principal, Grant Thornton LLP
• Kenneth R. Switzer, Vice President & CFO, Marco's Franchising LLC
• Eric J. Welsch, Vice President, KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc.
• Luis Zaldivar, Principal, Palladium Equity Partners LLC

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Schedule

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Registration

• Early Bird Registration Fee -- and save $400 off the regular fee! Register by Friday, December 12, and the fee for the MasterClass is $1495 -- or $1795 for both the MasterClass and Workshop.

• Premiere Registration Fee -- and save $200 off the regular fee! Register by Friday, January 9, and the fee for the MasterClass is $1695 -- or $1995 for both the MasterClass and Workshop.

• After that, the regular registration fee is $1895 for the MasterClass -- or $2195 for both the MasterClass and Workshop.

• At the door, if space is available, the fee is $1995 for the MasterClass -- or $2295 for both the MasterClass and Workshop.

• Special group rates -- The Capital Roundtable offers a special rate for 3 or more people from your firm.  For more info, please contact Samantha Feldman at sfeldman@capitalroundtable.com or 212/832-7333 ext 112.

Click Here to Register >>    Purchase Audio Package >>

Visit Audio Library >>      Add to Outlook Calendar >>

You can pay by credit card (using the links above) or by check. Mail your check and business card to: New York Business Roundtable Inc., 12 East 44 Street, Penthouse, New York, NY 10017.

If the program is oversubscribed, we will notify you immediately and not charge your credit card. (If you need to cancel, please do so by Thursday, January 15, at 5:00pm, and we will credit you for a future meeting.)

From time to time, for reasons beyond Capital Roundtable's control, program schedules and speakers become subject to change. We make every effort to announce substantive changes by email to registrants at least 48 hours in advance.

Have a special question? Please contact Samantha Feldman at 212/832-7333 ext. 112 or sfeldman@capitalroundtable.com.

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Location

University Club

1 W 54th St

New York, NY 10019

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Audio Package

Can't attend but want to hear the program? You can buy the audio package along with the handouts. Purchase the audio package online now.

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Sponsorship

The Capital Roundtable offers excellent sponsorship opportunities to reach the middle-market private-equity community. For more details, contact Arlene West at 212/832-0800 or by email at awest@capitalroundtable.com.

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