Hospitality

<p>Sharing invaluable insights on service and leadership from his extensive career in the restaurant industry, Will Guidara helps audiences transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences—for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.</p><p>Will Guidara is the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, which under his leadership received four stars from the <em>New York Times</em>, three Michelin stars, and was named #1 on the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2017.

<p>With his energetic rock ‘n roll spirit and key business insights drawn from his decades as a Hard Rock International executive, Jim Knight shares strategies for developing leadership, transforming corporate cultures, and amping up customer service to achieve exceptional and sustainable results.</p><p>Although his illustrious career started at Gatorland Zoo in Florida (he has scars to prove it), Jim cut his teeth in the hospitality training industry and eventually led Global Training for Hard Rock International for two decades.

<p>A pioneer in farm-to-table fare, recognized as one of the most significant influencers to the multibillion dollar “fine casual dining” phenomenon, restaurateur and executive chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group, Danny Meyer, has helped shape consumer demand and expectations of food and restaurant experiences for more than 30 years.</p><p>When he opened Union Square Café in 1985, he pioneered a new breed of American eatery, featuring local ingredients and his model of enlightened hospitality, which have come to define his endeavors in the culinary world.

<p>As one of the leaders behind the fast-casual bakery and cafe concept, Ron Shaich has transformed the way America dines with his finger-on-the-pulse insights on the restaurant business and instinctive ability to know what the customer wants.</p><p>In 1981, Shaich co-founded Au Bon Pain Co., Inc. and Panera Bread, the two most successful bakery-cafe brands in the country. For more than 20 years, Shaich, now Executive Chairman of the Board of Panera Bread, served as Chief Executive Officer.