Breakfast with Starbucks

As those closest to us already know, our days here at Behind the Scenes Events begin with a venti iced coffee or two from our favorite local barista. Our busy client event schedules mean we practically live off the stuff. So we were thrilled when we had the chance to work with the man who makes our mornings (and late nights) happen - Howard Schultz, Chairman, President and CEO of Starbucks - last week.

Mr. Schultz joined our client for a breakfast program as part of a book tour promoting his recent release, Onward: How Starbucks Fought For Its Life without Losing Its Soul.

The book, and Mr. Schultz remarks, focused on the explosive growth of the Starbucks brand and their consequent strategy to slow this growth and return the neighborhood coffee shop feel to over 17,000 locations in 50 countries. Mr. Schultz engaged over 300 guests on brand strategy, the business of coffee, fair trade and employee relations.

Guests enjoyed autographed copies of Onward, and of course, ample amounts of Starbucks brew. Mr. Schultz's cup of choice? French Press Sumatra. Special thanks to our hotel partner - the Capital Hilton - for running to the nearest Starbucks location to ensure Mr. Schultz started his morning off right.