The schedule below is subject to change. All events are located at the Hilton Norfolk The Main unless otherwise indicated.*

The Learning Sessions for the NACUFS 2022 Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Regional Conference will focus on delivering content in the domains aligned with the NACUFS Collegiate Dining Body of Knowledge™ . Additional details on the domains can be found at the bottom of the page.

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Learning Sessions

Burning at Both Ends - Managing Burnout in Your Career
Rachel Sheerin

Burnout is coming for the foodservice industry - and we won't let it take us! In this fast-paced and motivational program, burnout-expert and Certified Professional Behavioral Analyst, Rachel Sheerin, provides tactical tools and insights into why burnout is happening in college and university foodservice teams all over the world, how it shows up, feels, and impacts ourselves and teams - plus what to do about it! Providing strategies on how to conquer fear and navigate tough times, this humor-filled program will renew tired foodservice professionals and help them find joy in work again!

Transformational Communication. Transformational Connection.
Christelle Ramos, senior manager of marketing and communications, Yale Hospitality, Yale University

Does your dining program have a comprehensive marketing and communication strategy to inform, engage, and motivate student behavior? Is it important for your program to create deepened connections among your community (both on and off-campus) with minimal resources? Are you interested in an experiential journey to explore communication design and planning? If the answer is yes, this session is for you! Christelle will examine how a digital-first multichannel approach combined with relatable social media can effectively maintain and increase student engagement – even while apart.

What’s the Future to Be? Meal Plans, Catering, and More!
Kimberle Badinelli, business advisor/consultant, Hospitality Systems, LLC

That’s the real question for all of us! This presentation will provide participants with the qualitative results of a research study conducted by Tufts Dining. Many schools are being asked to review their business models in hopes of more financial security and, perhaps, making up some of the effects of the recent pandemic. It encompasses a synopsis of conversations with 28 colleges and universities asking about how meal plans and catering look now, but more importantly, what they expect in the future and what their crystal ball instinct tells them.

Owning Your Value
Rachel Sheerin

Show up, share your differences, and have guests, teams, and the world see who you are, why you are great at your role, and why they should follow your lead! This workshop-style format is focused on banishing burnout with leadership, hiring and confidence-boosting skills perfect for new and veteran professionals alike with a focus on energy, strategies for influence and hiring, plus reconnecting to the YOU that you are today!

Let's Hear It for the App! Revenue Strategy #1
Amy Hamilton, strategic communications and marketing, Tufts Dining, Tufts University
Kimberle Badinelli, business advisor/consultant, Hospitality Systems, LLC

While an app is no longer mandatory for Tufts students to get their meals, it's still widely utilized for convenience. The app provided the ability for Tufts to achieve operational goals and strategies. Through the power of timely, engaging, and customer-driven messaging, they saw increased traffic where they wanted it, increased revenue where they needed it, and effective communication that resulted in desired marketing objectives - all because of an app!

Wednesday, March 23, 2022 Learning Sessions

Staying Power: How to Keep Your Employees Longer
Courtney Ramsey, Magnet Culture

While some of today’s workforce is made up of deep-rooted, dependable staff, a larger number of positions are now a revolving door of employee turnover. Workforce thought leaders from Magnet Culture will share insight on why staffing is so challenging today and additional ways to gain greater staffing stability. Learn how to slow the revolving door, more effectively manage the impending shorter-term workforce, and maximize the time you have with each employee. Discover current employee turnover trends and future staffing projections, uncover the real reasons employees leave most organizations and ways to encourage them to stay, and learn ways to become a M.A.G.N.E.T. employer who attracts better applicants and keeps staff longer.

Five Key Solutions for Special Dietary Needs
Betsy Craig, chief executive officer, MenuTrinfo®, LLC

When you have students with allergies, the food they love may not love them back. During this session, Betsy will bring her experience to the table and provide you with five key takeaways to implement on campus immediately and how to sustain them into the future. This interactive session will include small group discussions to learn best-in-class solutions for food allergy success on any campus.

Leading Retention
Brandon Fortenberry, catering director, Cornell University

This session will focus on leadership and empowerment and how they can be your primary resource for retaining and growing your staff. Join Brandon to discover key initiatives you can utilize to learn what team members find important, what drives them crazy, and how to develop individuals seeking a promotion.

Leveraging Technology to Enhance Efficiency & Guest Experience
Ben Anderson, director, Grubhub Campus

Get an in-depth look at leading foodservice programs across the country and how they use technology to increase efficiency and enhance the guest experience. Take a deep dive into their implementation of delivery robots, lockers, and other technology solutions to meet customers where they are while optimizing for the evolving labor environment. Understand the critical considerations driving innovation across campus and the foodservice industry as a whole.

Higher Ed & ERC. Yes, It’s Still Available!
Ralph Perez-Rogers, executive director, college association, SUNY Delhi
Christina Viafore, director of human resources, college association, SUNY Delhi
Jeff Paille, CPA, partner, Bonadio Group
Mike Collmer, CPA, principal, Bonadio Group

Higher education can still take advantage of the Federally-funded Employee Retention Credit (ERC) which may provide significant financial benefits to colleges and universities, as well as auxiliary organizations, to support and retain their workforce during the COVID pandemic. Don't let the fatigue of the pandemic, nor the fact that you received a PPP loan, dissuade you from exploring the potential opportunity of receiving the additional financial support provided through this Federally-funded program.

Stop Recycling! Take Back Control of Your Water Program
Tony Duckett, vice president of sales, Vivreau Water

Water, the foundation of life and wellness for all of us, is a resource so precious that we can scarcely afford to lose a drop. Join our experts in an exploration of how filtering and dispensing local water can result in a staggering reduction in single-serve plastic bottles and campus carbon footprint while positively impacting the health and wellness of your community. Along the way, you will learn how a sustainable water program for your foodservice operation results in real-world cost savings and a measurable gain in operational efficiencies.

Making Your Job Easier Improves the Guest Experience
Michael Craig, chief customer officer, Nutrislice
Randy Lait, CASP, co-founder, Menu Analytics, LLC

Stop settling! In dining, improvements to the guest experience often come at the direct expense of the operators’ experience, but it doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to be that way! This discussion will explore a handful of real-life scenarios that illustrate how a negative operator experience will be felt by your customers, one way or another. There’s a direct correlation between operator experience and guest experience, and we intend to prove it!

Viva Market - Our Newest Market at Virginia Tech
Katey Carr, assistant director, Virginia Tech Dining Services, Virginia Tech
Nancy Barrett, operations manager, West End Market, VIVA Market, Virginia Tech Dining Services, Virginia Tech

Come learn what it took for Virginia Tech Dining Services to develop, construct, and open a brand-new market on campus in less than 12 months. Katey Carr and Nancy Barrett will discuss how they, along with others in the department, completely transformed vacant space in Johnston Student Center into VIVA Market, an upscale grab and go market concept. They will walk you through the entire process, including design, marketing, menu, staffing, and opening. Katey and Nancy will talk through the challenges they faced along the way, only to open on time, to rave reviews and praise from the university community.

Creating a Collegiate Dining Experience Free From Germs and Chemicals
Amanda Kaye, market development director, GOJO Industries, Inc.

Collegiate dining programs are at the core of a campus’ culture, and guest experience is more important than ever. Facility cleanliness is critical, but collegiate diners also want confidence that the facilities contribute positively toward their overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, some products that facilities rely on to provide germ protection may not be the safest options, and some may actually pose potential health risks to diners. The objective of this session is to help facilities and operations identify and select hygiene products that holistically provide healthy environments to positively impact student satisfaction, overall dining facility sales, and trust.