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Schedule

​October 20, 2025
Monona Terrace - Madison
​
While the hospitality industry serves as the common thread, we’re not talking about food and customer service here.
​
Instead, sessions will cover:
  • Leadership skill development
  • Achieving a healthy work-life balance
  • Motivation for that take-charge spirit
  • Strategies to tackle challenges in the professional world 

​This Conference will be a high-energy atmosphere of workshops, networking and mentorship… packed in with a whole lot of fun!
Check back soon for programming and schedule details!

2024 Schedule

8:15 am
Check-in
9:00 - 9:15 am
Opening Remarks
Kristine Hillmer, President & CEO, Wisconsin Restaurant Association
Exhibit Hall B​
9:15 - 10:00 am
Opening Keynote
Grounded in Legacy: Cultivating Success Through Purposeful Leadership
Christine Specht, Chief Executive Officer, Cousins Subs
Exhibit Hall B​
Session Details ⬇
Start your day at the Women in Hospitality Conference with an inspiring keynote by Christine Specht, CEO of Cousins Subs. Christine will share her journey of transforming a family legacy into a modern success story, highlighting the importance of grounded leadership, passionate commitment, and purposeful action.
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Christine's keynote will cover:  
  • Grounded Leadership: How staying connected to the roots of the business, ensures authenticity and relatability.
  • Passionate Commitment: The drive to innovate and improve continuously, fostering a culture of excellence and enthusiasm.
  • Optimistic Vision: Embracing challenges with a positive outlook, turning obstacles into opportunities for growth.
  • Purposeful Action: Aligning business goals with community impact, demonstrating that success is about more than just profit.
10:00 - 10:15 am
Break
Grand Terrace
10:15 - 11:00 am
Leading Through Change and Ambiguity
Matt Meuleners, Executive Partner and Lead Instructor, Focus Training
​Lecture Hall
Session Details ⬇
Significant change, such as a leadership change or career transition, introduces a complex set of reactions in those affected, from anxiety to outright resistance. Leaders must recognize that during such transitions, ambiguity is a key driver of these reactions, and leaders have significant control in helping to mitigate it. This session will focus on the functional tactics attendees can employ to effectively navigate the emotional and cultural challenges present in change. Attendees will learn to use tools like the SARAH Change Curve for mitigating ambiguity-driven fear, diagnosing the response to change, and coaching others through the process.

​This session will help you to...
  • Navigate,
  • Mitigate, 
  • Operate 
  • Through Change & Ambiguity
Selling Yourself Short? Understanding Imposter Syndrome
Deanne Phillips, CFP®, CDFA®, ABFP℠, Director of Client Learning and Development, Annex Wealth Management
Tom Parks, AIF, CRPS, Director of Retirement Plan Services at Annex Wealth Management
Hall of Ideas​
Session Details ⬇
Whether it’s in the hospitality world of work or dealing with personal finances, women tend to second guess themselves, doubt their abilities, and even place unreasonable expectations on themselves. From the fear of having our limitations being called out to fears that we are failing in endeavors where we’ve had acclaim, imposter syndrome can at the least stunt our progress and ability to move forward with important decisions. It can even ruin our attempts at that much sought-after “work-life balance”.
 
Come share in a discussion on the topic of IMPOSTER SYNDROME. Discover the types and fears behind each and join Annex Wealth Management’s Director of Client Learning and Development, Deanne Phillips, CFP®, CDFA®, ABFP℠ in an open talk about our journeys, what it has cost us, what they have meant for us, and more importantly, what works to get us back on track. 

​This session will help you...
  • face your fears
  • challenge limitations
  • get back on track
11:00 - 11:15 am
Break
Grand Terrace
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Change Leadership in the Hospitality Industry
Panel Discussion
Featuring:  ​Lecture Hall
Session Details ⬇
Join industry leaders and our expert moderator, Matt Meuleners, as they explore the most significant changes impacting the hospitality industry today and over the next five years. Discover what effective change leadership looks like at various organizational levels, from location managers to senior leadership, and hear success stories of well-handled changes within leading organizations. This session is designed for hospitality professionals eager to navigate and lead through industry transformations effectively.
The Other Side of Busy: 5 Steps to Overcoming Overwhelm
Jenna Piché, Founder & Time Management Coach, First Light Coaching
​Hall of Ideas​
Session Details ⬇
In the relentless pursuit of success, many professionals find themselves ensnared in "Hustle Culture", working endless hours yet feeling perpetually behind. "The Other Side of Busy: 5 Steps to Overcoming Overwhelm" is designed specifically for you—ambitious professionals striving to make their mark without sacrificing their well-being. This dynamic session will reveal the hidden traps of busyness and how you can break free to get more done faster. Through five transformative steps, you'll learn how to regain control, enhance your productivity, and cultivate a work-life harmony that not only fuels your career growth but also enriches your personal life.  

​This session will help you...
  • Develop time management tools
  • Align your time with your goals
  • Beat burnout
12:00 - 12:15 pm
Break
Grand Terrace
12:15 - 1:30 pm
Keynote Luncheon
Serving Up Success: Pathways to Hospitality Leadership:
Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO National Restaurant Association, CEO National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and Kristine Hillmer,​ President & CEO, Wisconsin Restaurant Association and Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation​
Exhibit Hall B​
Session Details ⬇
Join Kristine Hillmer for a Fireside Chat with Michelle Korsmo as they share insights on the diverse pathways available for developing leadership skills and achieving professional success. Drawing from her own career journey, Michelle will explore:
  • The many routes to becoming an effective leader
  • Strategies for continuous personal and professional growth
  • Programs and resources to support leadership development
  • The keys to empowering and elevating your team
No matter your current role or experience level, this session will provide you with actionable strategies to cultivate your leadership capabilities and unlock new possibilities for organizational impact.
20 Women to Watch
Celebration & Program
1:30 - 1:45 pm
Break
Grand Terrace
1:45 - 2:30 pm
Crafting Your Employer Brand: Attracting and Retaining Top Talent in Today's Competitive Market
CHART Panel Discussion
Featuring: Lecture Hall
Session Details ⬇
In this dynamic panel discussion, we'll explore the critical concept of employer branding and its impact on your ability to attract, engage, and retain top talent in today's competitive hospitality market.
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The distinguished panel of industry experts will delve into:
  1. The unique challenges and opportunities in hospitality employer branding
  2. Strategies for positioning your restaurant or hospitality group as an employer of choice
  3. Developing a compelling employee value proposition that resonates with both front-of-house and back-of-house staff
  4. Effective communication tactics to reach potential hires across various demographics
  5. Measuring and improving your employer branding efforts in the fast-paced restaurant environment

​You’ll gain valuable insights on how to enhance your company's reputation as a great place to work, giving you a competitive edge in the labor market. Join us to learn how a strong employer brand can help you attract and retain the best talent in the hospitality world, ultimately driving your business success.
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This session is presented by CHART, an association where top hospitality training and HR professionals share their expertise and experiences to drive talent in the hospitality industry forward.
Mastering Motivation
Matt Meuleners, Executive Partner and Lead Instructor, Focus Training
Hall of Ideas​
Session Details ⬇
Motivation is the force that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. It is what influences people to take action towards their personal and professional goals. In this session we will dive into the influence leaders have by exploring motivation and what drives it from a biological, social, emotional, and cognitive perspective. Attendees will also be introduced to the 4 Lenses on Motivation to help effectively diagnose motivational barriers and how you can leverage their influence to overcome them. 

​This session will help you...
  • Learn what drives motivation
  • Diagnose motivational barriers
  • Understand leadership influence
2:30 - 2:45 pm
Break
Grand Terrace
2:45 - 3:30 pm
Perspectives on Motivation in Hospitality 
Panel Discussion
Featuring: Lecture Hall
Session Details ⬇
Engage with industry leaders and our expert moderator as they reflect on their stories of rising above challenges in the hospitality sector. Explore the many layers of "why" that drive us as professionals to grow and excel. Learn about the most successful practices for motivating employees, from incentives and leadership skills to culture work, shared by top organizations. This session is ideal for professionals seeking to enhance their own motivation and productivity in their teams.
Coaching Emerging Leaders
Pamela Armstrong, Director of Talent Acquisition, Aparium Hotel Group
Hall of Ideas​
3:30 - 3:45 pm
Break
Grand Terrace
3:45 - 4:30 pm
Closing Keynote Session:
Build Your Thoughtfully Fit® Core for Resilience and Results
Darcy Luoma, CEO and Founder of Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting
Exhibit Hall B​
Session Details ⬇
Are you ready for the next curveball life throws your way? The reality is, life is filled with challenges, change, and uncertainty. Relationships have conflict, you get blindsided, you feel stuck, and you don’t always handle yourself the way you’d like. The highest-performing leaders and teams train to clear these hurdles so they have the resilience to get results—despite the obstacles. 
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You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control what you do next. That’s what Darcy learned first-hand when her life fell apart in the most shocking way. Drawing on her harrowing personal journey and decades of coaching across 48 different industries, Darcy reveals three powerful steps you can use immediately to clear the hurdles standing in your way of peak performance. So you get results, instead of regrets!

​This session will help you be...
  • Overcome hurdles
  • Develop resilience 
  • Navigate uncertainty 
  • Work more intentionally
  • Feel energized 
  • Leave with actionable takeaways
​*This program will briefly mention a sexual crime. Darcy has recorded a brief video message giving context for this.
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Social Hour
Grand Terrace
MORE Details ⬇
Raise a Glass to New Connections!
You've absorbed insights, shared experiences, and been inspired by incredible people throughout the day. Now it's time to unwind and celebrate at our Conference Closing Social Hour!

🍷 Grab a drink
👥 Mingle with fellow attendees
💡 Exchange contact info with your new connections
🌟 Reflect on the day's highlights
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Don't miss this chance to cement those valuable relationships before heading home. Your next big opportunity could be just a conversation away!
October 20, 2025  |  Monona Terrace, Madison
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