The hospitality industry has given a collective sigh of relief now that we on the other side of the pandemic and can once again get back to what they do best: celebrating. However, reropening hasn’t been an easy road for some as they struggle to re-staff after a slew of layoffs and furloughs. And in some cases, having to re-learn how to lead and work as a team. Fortunately, The Special Event, co-located with Catersource Conference & Tradeshow, will have a full slate of sessions (and an All Access Pass can get in to all of them!) this July that will give you the necessary knowledge to help your business and team thrive.

Here are some of tthe sessions you can look forward to attending in Miami as you work to rebuild and strengthen your team post-COVID. Register now to join us! 

Inheriting A New Team – How to Motivate Them To Success

Wednesday, July 21 at 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Presented by Michelle Durpetti, Managing Partner/Chief Planner, Gene & Georgetti / Michelle Durpetti Events

Have you ever stepped into a new management position, inherited an established team, and wondered how to effectively open up communication and motivate them to succeed? Michelle Durpetti is a wedding planner, venue owner, and third-generation restaurateur based in Chicago, with her work taking her all over the world. Her multiple streams of business have allowed her to hone her skills and perfect the art of team management. In this session, you will learn to sharpen your tools and develop leadership skills that will unite and motivate your team.

Well-Trained Staff- the Best Marketing & PR for your company (CS)

Tuesday, July 20 at 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Presented by Bob Pacanovsky, Chief Hospitality Officer, The Black Tie Experience

How many people work in marketing and PR in your company?

If yours is like most businesses, you have only a few people (and maybe only one) that officially work in this role. But if you step back and think about it, you have many more people on your staff that are in the role of marketing and PR.

Your staff can be (and should be) your best marketing and public relations for your business. The guests at your events may never meet the CEO or executive chef of your organization. Rather, they may base their entire experience on who they interacted with from your frontline staff, and how they were treated at the event. As we move into a “new normal”, if your staff is perceived as professional, it will go a long way in the minds of the clients and guests. (And, if they want to hire you for their next event.)

In order to become the best marketing and PR for your organization, your people need the combination of service etiquette and hospitality.

In this seminar, you will discover what service etiquette is and how your staff can create an impression that LASTS. This acronym for the word LASTS will help them “polish” their service etiquette. They will also learn the 5 Essential Laws of Hospitality, so that they help create a wonderful dining and catering experience for your clients and their guests.

This can make the best marketing investment you will ever make for your organization!

The BIG Pause…Same Team, New Dreams

Tuesday, July 20 at 4:00pm – 5:00pm

Rob Barber , VP, R&D and Modular Systems, ATOMIC Design Inc

As the live events industry came to a halt in March 2020 and we all faced an uncertain future for the industry, ATOMIC’s team of event professionals hit the brakes and then started reinventing. Learn how you can continue to redesign your team, your goals and your business for the future. Interact with Rob Barber, VP of R&D and Modular Systems, as he shares tips, tricks and case studies to inspire your own redesign – whether it’s your business, your goals or your clients!

Turn Your Clique Into a Tribe (CS)

Tuesday, July 20 at 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Presented by Fausto Pifferrer, Vice President/Owner, Blue Elephant Events and Catering

Get beyond your own clique and form a tribe! Learn how to develop your own tribe of like-minded professionals that you can share and learn from, increasing your ROI every time you attend a professional conference. Conference friendships are intense – use them to build your brand, hone your skills, and start presenting yourself as an expert in your field wherever you go.

Complacency: The Enemy of a Successful Team

Tuesday, July 20 at 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Presented by Meryl Snow, Consultant, SnowStorm Solutions / Certified Catering Consultants

We all know what it feels like to be managed skillfully as opposed to being managed poorly. If you are in management, know that intimidation doesn’t work. A drill sergeant doesn’t earn respect. Motivating a team is one of the most important things a leader can do. Without guidance, employees can fail and suffer, unsure of what to do next and how to succeed to their highest potential. While it’s true that no one can truly motivate anyone, a good leader can do a tremendous amount to influence people and encourage their motivation and success.

Staffing Strategies During Your Rebuild (CS)

Tuesday, July 20 at 8:00am – 9:00am

Presented by Warren Dietel, Owner & President, Puff ‘n Stuff Catering; Bill Hansen, CEO, Bill Hansen Luxury Catering and Event Production; Sumir Meghani, CEO & Co-Founder, Instawork; Leslie LaSorsa, General Manager, Crave Catering

Hospitality businesses are rebuilding today, but are in wildly different stages given their region and types of services offered. In this session, you’ll learn from long-time caterers on how they’re rebuilding their offerings and staff in a way that aligns with the business. You’ll also break into smaller groups to refine your own strategy and leave with a clearer plan of your own. Current speakers include: Bill Hansen (Panelist, CEO at Bill Hansen Luxury Catering and Event Production), Warren Dietel (Panelist, CEO at Puff ‘n Stuff Catering), Leslie LaSorsa (Panelist, General Manager at Crave Catering), Sumir Meghani (Moderator, Co-Founder of Instawork)

Harness the Power of Habit: How Smart Leaders Can Create Their Dream Team in 10 Minutes a Day (Or Less)

Tuesday, July 20 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Presented by Sharon Lipinski, CEO, Habit Mastery Consulting

You want to lead the most engaged, innovative, and productive event management team possible.You’re probably already investing in training your people, but you’re still not seeing the results that you want. That’s because most training approaches are missing a key secret ingredient… habits. Learn how to use cutting edge neural science research to harness the power of habit to improve not only your own success but your teams’ communication, problem solving, and productivity, too. Since you learn best when you apply what you’ve learned, you’ll a create a new habit on the spot.

Build Your Team with Apps & Software (CS)

Thursday, July 22 at 10:30am – 11:30am

Presented by Jamie Quickert, Director of Delight, Grazziani Multimedia

Start building up your vendor team from the moment that you are hired by the client to bolster confidence, raise expectations, and set clear goals for everyone involved. Take the lead and build a vendor team that works together for the success of the event and the satisfaction of the client.

Delicate Delegating

Wednesday, July 21 at 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Angela Proffitt, Event & Productivity Consultant, GSD Creative

One of the hardest tasks to do as a business owner is to hire the right people and trust them with your business. We have mastered how to outsource in many different areas from on site directors to VA’s that live across the world. Let me show you the key processes you will need to grow your team and company.

Mobilizing Your Vendor Team to Ensure Event Success (CS)

Wednesday, July 21 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Presented by Reuben Bell, President/Owner, Blue Elephant Events and Catering; Suzi McMerty Shands, Vice President, Sales, Mintahoe Catering & Events

Start building up your vendor team from the moment that you are hired by the client to bolster confidence, raise expectations, and set clear goals for everyone involved. Take the lead and build a vendor team that works together for the success of the event and the satisfaction of the client.

Hire and Keep Resilient Employees to Navigate Change

Tuesday, July 20 at 2:30pm – 3:30pm

Presented by Deborah Gilboa, MD, Resilience Expert and Physician, Ask Doctor G

Executives know the value of each staff member, but that knowledge and appreciation can be difficult to translate to staff, especially given the daily pressures and schedules faced by each member of the team. Communication struggles in every department are the biggest obstacles to serving customers and each other, as they cause lost time, lost knowledge, and mounting frustration in the very people we need most to engage. Dr. G will focus on prevention, response, and reconciliation tools to build resilience in each member of your team. In this way both the predictable and the unimaginable stressors faced by everyone in the events business can be mitigated and managed with respect for the individual and the department in which they work. Dr. G will outline the strategies you can use to develop each of your employees. Strengthen them in the knowledge that their contributions are crucial – both to their own effectiveness and to the mission of your organization.Work culture grows from deep roots of mission and leadership. Dr. G mobilizes your team by arming each person with the skills they require to communicate effectively, and find more solutions than obstacles.

Squad Goals – 5 Ways to Building an Unstoppable Dream Team of Vendors (CS)

Tuesday, July 20 at 9:30am – 10:30am

Presented by Terrica, Owner, Cocktails & Details® / Terrica Inc.

No (wo)man is an island in the events industry– to pull off any event, it takes a village. However, knowing who you should call on when your own Avengers need to assemble is tantamount to make it a success. This curating of teams starts within your own company as well as into who you select for your event teams. Being as strong as your weakest link means your connections have the opportunity to make or break your brand. Learn to avoid crucial pitfalls and claim victories as we delve into the importance of strong vendor relationships, the work it takes to maintain them and what to do when it no longer works or trouble is on the horizon

Leading for Service Excellence

Wednesday, July 21 at 1:00pm – 2:00pm

Presented by Barbara Khozam, Customer Service Consultant, Barbara Khozam, Inc.

Are you stressed out about building and managing a team the works? Are you a new manager that’s in charge of managing your “friends”? Do you want and need a straight-forward leadership class to help you be successful?

You’ve come to the right place!

Industry expert, Barbara Khozam, will help you understand and learn to deal with the challenges in working with a diverse group of people. Discover little known (and under-utilized) ways to build respect and rapport with everyone on your team today! Prepare for the challenges of being a leader without having to do it all, and know it all.

Rebuilding a Sales Team, Strategies for Building Strong Teams in Times of Transitionm (CS)

Tuesday, July 20 at 9:30am – 10:30am

Presented by Heidi Brice, Corporate Sales Director, Puff n Stuff;  Margaret Brower, Director of Sales, Bonura Hospitality Group; Katie Gamble Fleury  Director of Sales, Ridgewells Catering; Jennifer Perna, Owner and Founder, Fulton Market Consulting

What makes a strong team? Learn from three dynamic Directors of Sales, from three different markets and three different business models. Learn how each of them dealt with the challenge of rebuilding and restructuring their Sales Teams during Covid, and what lessons they learned. Learn how to motivate and lead your team through difficult times!

Becoming the Leader You Want to Be (Bridge)

Tuesday, July 20 at 8:00am – 9:00am

Presented by Anthony Lambatos, Coach and Owner, Footers Catering

Now more than ever, people are starving for positive leaders and influences in their lives. As leaders in our organizations, we have a responsibility to grow ourselves so that we can better serve the people we work with. Anthony will share an inspiring talk about how to take time away from day to day operations and spend time being intentional about your personal growth as a leader. He will share tools to help you paint a picture of what you want to become and how to create a plan to get there. Whether you have been a senior leader for many years or are new to a leadership position, this session will give you ideas and inspiration to become a better and more effective leader.

Critical Leadership & Communication

Wednesday, July 21 at 11:00am – 12:00pm

Presented by Kate Patay, Chief Strategy Officer, Patay Consulting

Whether leading a team remotely, solopreneuring, building client relationships or managing volunteers success comes down to one key factor: communication. In this session we’ll discuss with Kate and she will answer your questions on properly marketing yourself and your company in this new climate, as well as keeping both clients & staff engaged, and how to set yourself up for success on the other side of the crisis.

How to Deal With Difficult People In Difficult Situations (Bridge)

Tuesday, July 20 at 11:00am – 12:00pm

Presented by Barbara Khozam, Professional Speaker, Barbara Khozam, Inc.

This session is about communicating with people during the most challenging times. It is about avoiding conflict and controlling your triggers when it counts the most. Don’t let unmanaged confrontations and conflicts affect your relationships. These types of conflict in the workplace waste time, create stress, and sometimes destroy morale. If you find you click with some people and not other or some people seem push your buttons (on purpose?) or if you yearn for the right thing to say at the right moment, this session is for you.

Don’t let unmanaged conflict affect your relationships, waste your time, and/or create stress. While conflicts, disagreements and emotions are normal, problems can occur when they go unmanaged. This webinar will help you take complex solutions and boil them down to simple, measurable actions.

See y ou in Miami!