A “CATALYST FOR WORKPLACE EVOLUTION” WAS A MAJOR SUCCESS SHFM NATIONAL CONFER
I n Early December, ARAMARK and Compass Group hosted a three day networking and seminar event for Homegrown Hospitality. Featured Chef Kenny Gilber, owner and chef of Silkie’s Chicken and Champagne Bar in Jacksonville, kicked off the event with a homecoming banquet featuring a menu of Southern comfort food prepared by the host corporations. The event continued the following day with keynote speaker Clint Pulver, who shared his experiences of childhood, being involved in a lifechanging research study on company management styles, and mistakes he’s made along his journey. He left the audience with a profound quote to take back to their work in hospitality, “People do Business with People they Like.” The day continued after Pulver’s session with an Innovation Showcase featuring vendors tables of all the latest innovations in the foodservice industry. Attendees networked around the room and learned about new methods and modern techniques that they can bring back home with them to their individual workplaces. The following session of the day was a 3-person panel that discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic
has permanently impacted the foodservice industry, including the changes and challenges that foodservice professionals now face every day in the workplace as a result. The panel highlighted the three major factors that influence how businesses can manage effectively: culture, cultural fluency, and mentorship. Following the panel, convention leaders lightened up the day by bringing back their own version of the popular book and movie series The Hunger Games. This charitable event included four games that tested your skills and ability to be a team player. The session raised $30,000 for Gracie’s Kitchen, a volunteer organization that works to provide meals to those in need. Day 2 ended with an award presentation to confirm the new 2022 President of SHFM Rob Gebhardt. The final day of the seminar started off with a discussion entitled the Myths of Sustainability, and highlighted ways businesses can be more sustainable going forward. Finally, the event ended with one final Innovation Showcase. Attendees of the three-day seminar mastered countless new skills in a short period of time and were eager to return home to incorporate them into their own business models! n
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