Your team's success depends on the skills of its leaders! In this upbeat, interactive, and substantive program, Charles tells stories from his own leadership journey, and relates the hard fought and hard won lessons he's learned along the way. The best leaders know they must set the example of service and lead their teams in caring for others. Join Charles as he takes a look at what makes a great leader great, and what makes a poor leader fail.
Each generation comes to work with unique experiences, perspectives, expectations, and concerns, often conflicting views on how the workplace should function, creating generational friction. In this presentation, cutting through generational biases, Karen shares insight on how to build and foster a more collaborative, positive, and productive work environment. A place where each generation, from Boomer to Gen Z, feels safe, included, and contributes fully every day adding. With insights, stories, and humor Karen starts the generation conversation fostering harmony and engagement. She encourages you to challenge your thinking and challenge your response.
Guest Experience Student Panel - Top Engagement Questions Answered
They are your customers. You see them everyday but may only occasionally have an opportunity to find out what they think of your operation. Do you wonder what gets the student consumers of today excited? What makes them more loyal? What turns them off? What they are looking for? And how to better attract and engage them? Join moderator, Dee Nguyen, Unit Manager of Recruitment, Texas Tech University, and student representatives from several local universities for a panel discussion on these topics and more. What tidbits and ideas will you walk away with?
Building Exceptional Customer Service from the Ground Up
Houston Freeman, Director Residential Dining, Georgia Institute of Technology
An in-depth look at building a new customer experience for a new in-sourced dining program. Georgia Tech transitioned from contract food service to self-operated in June 2021. This presentation will discuss the pitfalls and successes of changing your student's overall dining experiences.
What Can Content Creators do for You?
Evan Wilson, Content Manager for Hospitality Services, Texas Tech University
Every company has a brand. Communicating that brand should be left to the professionals, right? Welcome to social media 101 and why your brand’s story should be told through the eyes of your audience. Texas Tech University Hospitality Service has added 6 students to their social media team in two years and our brand is now reaching almost 3 times the audience with a targeted approach, aggressive timeliness, and proactive calendar. Communicating with students where they are at, to increase engagement, customer service, and overall experience that Texas Tech University provides.
Getting the Most of Your Data
Data is everywhere, we are collecting data on all of our customers every day. This session will look at strategies for collecting, organizing, and displaying your data in a way that tells a story and helps managers make better management decisions.
Win/Win: Student Success & Elevating Your Dining Program
Kristina Patridge, Director of Dining Services, University of AlabamaBruce McVeagh, Resident District Manager, University of Alabama Dining Services, University of AlabamaZac Rogers, Co-Owner, Blenz BowlsRiley Voce, Co-Owner, Blenz Bowls
Join the discussion on how Bama Dining and Blenz Bowls built a winning partnership, maximizing resources and expertise from dining professionals and injected with the student innovative spirit. It is a partnership developed over years of collaboration and evolution and designed to meet the needs of students and ensure quality services for all campus guests. Blenz has grown from a single pull-behind trailer at The University of Alabama in 2018 to a multi-dimensional organization with food trucks and brick-and-mortar stores at eight college campuses across the southeast.
Digital Takeover
Aimee Sales, Unit Manager – Marketing & Merchandizing, Texas Tech University
If we have learned anything in the last few years, it is that information changes fast. How we deliver that information effectively to our customers is having to change rapidly as well. Digital advertising, digital menus and QR Codes have taken off on our campus and are definitely here to stay. Since the pandemic, we have had to adopt more of a hands-free approach and turn to these digital mediums as a primary way to communicate to students and campus. If you are not utilizing digital media for advertising special events, new menu items or nutritional and safety info, it might be time to consider it. Also consider selling that space to other campus departments needing to reach students.
5+ Inspired Questions For Purchasing Software
Michael Craig, Co-Founder and Chief Evangelism Officer, Nutrislice
Software is supposed to make your life easier, but if you’re not asking the right questions as you research, select, and implement new technology you might end up creating more work than you’re actually eliminating.
Join Michael as he shares five questions to ask as you explore purchasing new software. With these questions you’ll gain more insight into how software companies operate and develop an increased confidence that the software you select will work for your specific needs.
Re-envisioning the Dining Experience Through Feedback
DaNesha Allen, Director of Food Service, University of HoustonAlexcis Mendoza, District Marketing Director, University of Houston System Dining
Looking for ways to engage your campus community? Join us to learn about the various ways feedback can be used to enhance the dining experience. This session outlines how the University of Houston dining program uses various feedback methods and implements enhancements based on data collection. In this session, DaNesha Allen, Director of Food Service, and Alexcis Mendoza, District Marketing Director, will discuss how application of student feedback can rocket your campus dining program to the next level.
Serving the Future: Exploring Student Labor in College Foodservice
Erich Geiger, Executive Director, Residential Dining and Longhorn Hospitality, University of Texas at AustinTanya L. Rodriguez, PhD MSW, Cultural Anthropologist, Hormel Foods Corporation
Attracting and retaining labor is a key challenge in foodservice. The University of Texas at Austin Dining Services and Hormel Foodservice partnered to identify the push & pull factors impacting a student’s choice to work in college/university foodservice. Ethnographic research techniques, including first-person student video immersions, captured rich emotional, operational, and directional insights directly from foodservice staff and customers. This research helped us confirm existing hypotheses and identify areas for growth which will continue to foster our dedication to the professional development our foodservice team and to sustaining a delicious future for food on campus.
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