View a video invitation from Justin about why YOU should join us in Louisville.

Leadership is not about you, but it starts with you! If you want to be a great leader of others, you must first be a great leader of yourself. Impactful speaker Justin Patton will have you explore the wake that you leave, the #1 trait that holds all leaders back, and how your presence builds or erodes trust and connection in your relationships. This highly engaging presentation will challenge you to look at yourself differently, and it will change how you lead and communicate in every part of your life.

Self-confidence, cohesion, and expectations drive team performance. Through Dr. Ivan Joseph’s approach, leaders and teams see an immediate impact.

Sharing funny and moving stories, and research-based insights, Dr. Ivan will inspire you to elevate your team to achieve even your toughest goals. In this powerful session, you’ll gain insights and techniques to:

• Articulate common values and a shared sense of purpose.
• Create team cohesion, the foundation of elite team performance.
• Set higher expectations to achieve new levels of performance.

As NAIA National Coach of the Year, Dr. Ivan cracked the code for developing champion-level performance. He led a tiny college in Iowa to win a national soccer championship. He led a marginal university athletic program to national prominence. And that’s why he’s invited to speak on stages around the world. Because when teams thrive, they elevate everyone to a level they didn’t realize was possible!

• Actionable AI Insight – Learn how AI complements human leadership to enhance team performance, with practical strategies you can implement immediately.
• Real-World Inspiration – Gain insights from leading brands like Hilton, showcasing how they are leveraging AI in training to achieve outstanding results.
• Collaborative Innovation – Connect with industry peers to exchange ideas and solutions for shaping the future of hospitality training.

This interactive session is for: All experience levels. Those interested in strategies for creating more genuine and connected workplace environments.

We’ve all been there - scrolling through highlight reels of picture-perfect success stories and thinking, Am I the only one who doesn’t have it all figured out? Welcome to Success Theater, where everyone’s career looks glamorous while you’re juggling sweaty armpits and awkward smiles. (Sound familiar?) Real leadership isn’t about perfection—it’s about authenticity, trust, and embracing the messy, unfiltered moments behind the scenes.

In this engaging session, you’ll unpack how Success Theater fuels imposter syndrome and explore how embracing challenges and leaning into the “boring but brilliant” parts of leadership can build trust and lasting success. Through relatable stories, interactive activities, and plenty of sharing, you’ll learn how leading with authenticity builds trust, inspires connection, and drives real success. Forget the highlight reel—it’s time to discover the power of leading as the real, messy, and brilliant you. Spoiler Alert: Your best leadership moment might just be admitting you don’t have it all figured out.

Your key takeaways:

• Bust the Myth of Perfection – Walk away knowing what “Success Theater” is, why it fuels imposter syndrome, and how to stop falling for the highlight reel trap.
• Unlock Your Authentic Superpowers – Learn simple, real-world strategies to lead with self-awareness, transparency, and values that are actually yours.
• Celebrate “Boring Brilliance” – Discover how the unglamorous, behind-the-scenes stuff (yes, the spreadsheets and sticky notes) are the secret sauce to leadership success.
• Find Freedom in Messy Moments – Get inspired to ditch the performance and embrace your perfectly imperfect self as a leader.
• Take Action, Your Way – Leave with a personal plan to lean into authenticity and start leading in a way that’s real, relatable, and refreshingly you.

• Implementation
• Certified Trainers
• Technology
• Content strategy
• Budgeting
• Creating buy-in
• and more!

• Curated Apps – A curated list of apps for training, organization, travel, wellness, and more.
• App/Life Integration – Practical tips for integrating apps into your daily routine to enhance productivity and creativity.
• Collaboration – Real-time peer interaction as attendees share their go-to tools and strategies.

• "3 Ps of Intentional Choices" Framework – Learn how to pause, prioritize, and pursue decisions with purpose.
• Decision-Impact Map Tool – Master a practical exercise to map decisions to outcomes, ensuring alignment with your values and goals.
• Strategies to Overcome Barriers – Gain strategies to tackle challenges like fear, pressure, and time constraints.
• Commitment to Action – Leave with a personalized commitment to an intentional choice you can implement immediately.

Chip Romp
Senior Director, Workforce Development and Business Services | National Restaurant Association
LinkedIn

This interactive session is for: Hospitality leaders, trainers, and managers focused on elevating safety and security within their teams and establishments.

Learn how to protect your establishment, grow employee confidence, and enhance guest satisfaction with tailored De-escalation and Active Threat Response Training. This session, specifically designed for the unique challenges of the hospitality industry, provides actionable strategies to handle high-stress and active threat scenarios with professionalism and poise. Walk away with the tools to ensure your team is prepared for any situation while maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for both employees and guests.

Don’t miss this chance to elevate your safety standards and set a new benchmark for your team’s preparedness. Your guests and staff deserve the best!

Your key takeaways:

• De-escalation Techniques – Learn proven ways to defuse tense situations.
• Threat Response – Safeguard your establishment with practical active threat response strategies.
• Employee Confidence – Grow their skills and self-assurance in handling high-stress scenarios.
• Risk Mitigation – Protect your business by taking proactive steps to minimize the potential negative impact of identified risks.

This interactive session is for: Training professionals seeking fresh, affordable approaches to improve engagement and drive better learning outcomes.

Today’s training isn’t just competing with daily operational demands—it’s also up against the endless entertainment options found on every device. Discover how to craft training content that truly connects with your workforce in a fast-paced, digital world. No matter your department’s size or budget, you'll gain actionable insights on creating content that feels relevant, engaging, and modern.

Leave this session with the tools and confidence to create budget-friendly, effective training that resonates with your audience and inspires better performance.

Your key takeaways:

• Affordable Content Creation – Learn how to set up a professional-looking training studio or space within your budget.
• Modern Content Writing – Discover how to craft TikTok and Instagram-style videos, podcasts, and more to align with how your teams naturally engage, and learn how to record content that you can use right away.
• Enhanced Engagement – Shift your focus from mandatory completion to meaningful engagement, driving improved training results.

This informational session is for: Those looking to cultivate a thriving business culture built on strong foundational values.

The most successful businesses create cultures that inspire employees, elevate service, and forge emotional connections with guests. Learn how Choctaw Nation has done this by integrating tribal cultural principles into its business operations, ensuring alignment between heritage, hospitality, and high-performance teams. Learn how an immersive employee onboarding experience fosters deep emotional connections, how core values shape guest service, and how non-profit and for-profit perspectives shift the way success is measured. Walk away with actionable strategies to create a values-driven culture that strengthens your business from the inside out.

Your key takeaways:

• Learn how core values can create an emotional connection with employees and guests.
• Understand the differences between non-profit and for-profit business cultures and how they influence decision-making.
• Explore immersive onboarding techniques that cultivate connection and purpose.
• Discover strategies for aligning business practices with cultural traditions while maintaining operational excellence.

Winona Bullis
Director of Field Training–Specialty Brands | GoTo Foods
LinkedIn

Jay Hartwig
Director of People and Retention | Fox Restaurant Concepts
LinkedIn

CHART MasterClasses are highly interactive, in-depth workshops focused on applying the concepts learned in each competency track to the real-life projects/challenges/initiatives brought to the session by participants.

This session is designed specifically for those who have completed all three workshops in the Trainer Track at a previous conference, have integrated the concepts into their own training, and are ready to achieve the next level of training mastery. Participants in this MasterClass will come prepared with a presentation and will have the opportunity to practice, receive feedback, and refine their skills in a supportive environment. Past participants have described the experience as “transformational,” providing tools and confidence to enhance their training programs immediately.

The Trainer MasterClass will focus on strengthening each participant’s classroom facilitation skills, with:

• Brief recap of key concepts taught in Trainer track
• Participants facilitating their own prepared content
• Self-critique and group feedback
• Expert mentor guidance

Participants will walk away with:

• Best practices for bringing their training to life
• Hands-on opportunity to immediately implement group feedback
• In-depth feedback from a training coach/facilitator

Interested participants must register and submit a completed application to [email protected] by February 27th to participate in the workshop. The application is intended to help facilitators prepare to mentor you during the MasterClass session and tailor the experience to the needs of session participants.

The cost to attend this MasterClass is $79.00 for CHART members and $99.00 for non-members. You can sign up when you register for the conference, or contact [email protected] to add this session if you have already registered.