In the fast-paced and demanding world of hospitality, where delivering exceptional guest experiences is the standard, maintaining peak performance while safeguarding mental health has never been more critical. In this engaging keynote, Dr. Lisa Belanger takes you on a transformative journey into the intersection of mental well-being, peak performance, and the future of the hospitality industry.

Discover research-backed strategies tailored to the unique challenges of hospitality professionals—helping you sharpen mental agility, enhance resilience, and optimize productivity while avoiding burnout. Drawing from cutting-edge insights in psychology, neuroscience, and workplace innovation, Dr. Belanger reveals how intentional habits, effective team systems, and supportive environments can drive both exceptional guest satisfaction and staff well-being.

This session equips hospitality leaders and teams with actionable tools to:

• Maintain energy and focus during high-pressure events and peak seasons.
• Create systems and routines that balance demanding workloads, uncertainty and change with mental health.
• Cultivate a culture that supports staff well-being while delivering world-class service.
• Learn how small, strategic shifts in daily practices, work design, and team dynamics can unlock greater clarity, resilience, and sustainable performance for hospitality professionals.
• Discover how prioritizing mental well-being not only enhances individual and team productivity but also strengthens the overall guest experience.

Finding and retaining top talent is a growing challenge in today’s hospitality labor market, but innovative workforce programs can help hotels build a skilled and diverse team. This fast-paced, rapid-fire session will feature four expert speakers, each presenting a unique employment program that can support your hotel’s recruitment efforts.

With just seven minutes per speaker, you’ll gain quick, actionable insights into programs that connect employers with untapped talent pools. Walk away with key takeaways and practical strategies to enhance your hiring approach and strengthen your workforce. Get ready for an engaging session packed with fresh ideas and new opportunities to source talent!

Enjoy a relaxing lunch and explore our vibrant marketplace, where you'll discover a diverse array of innovative products and solutions from leading vendors. This is a great opportunity to network, engage with cutting-edge offerings, and gain insights into the latest trends and technologies in the industry. Savor a delectable selection of desserts served right in the marketplace area. 

What should you do when an injury happens at work? Who reports what and when? How soon should you bring the injured worker back to work and what can they do? Deborah Nilssen from WCB will guide you through best practices for supervisors and department leaders to respond to injuries.

The Café Circle event is designed to foster networking, collaboration, and community building among local tourism businesses, associations, and disability employment services providers through structured networking opportunities featuring World Café discussions.

This event features local disability employment support organizations and their available services and resources to tourism employers via lightening talks, fosters fruitful conversations on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility, and enlightens ideas about attraction and retention of talent from untapped talent pool.

Safe Minds, Safe Work Presentation: focuses on the critical importance of psychological safety in the workplace and its direct impact on employee well-being and organizational success. The presentation will introduce the concept of psychological safety, emphasizing its benefits, such as improved productivity and employee engagement. Attendees will gain an understanding of the CSA Z1003 Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace and the responsibilities that hotel employers have for ensuring the health and safety of their employees under the OHS legislation in Alberta.  

The presentation will also explore identifying and addressing psychosocial hazards in the hotel workplace. Strategies for mitigating these risks will be discussed and practical solutions will be provided, leveraging Government of Alberta resources and prevention initiatives designed to support employers. The session concludes with actionable steps to build a culture of psychological safety, emphasizing prevention, continuous feedback, and a proactive approach to mental health in the workplace. Together, these insights will inspire attendees to prioritize "safe minds" as a foundation for safe, productive, and thriving hotel work environments.

When wildfires threatened Jasper, Pursuit Collection faced an immense challenge—protecting guests, ensuring staff safety, and maintaining operational resilience. In this session, Jim Martin, Director of Health & Safetyfrom Pursuit, will share firsthand insights into crisis preparedness, response, and recovery. From pre-planning and staff training to real-time decision-making and communication strategies, attendees will learn how Pursuit navigated the crisis while prioritizing safety for their guests and employees. Whether facing natural disasters or other emergencies, this session will equip hospitality professionals with the tools needed to prepare, respond, and recover effectively.

A multi-generational workforce offers endless opportunities for innovation and collaboration – yet it presents many unique challenges as well. When leaders are able to master the art of effective, adaptable leadership, everyone is able to benefit from the diversity of worldviews, personalities, cultures, and knowledge within their organization.

When it comes to safety, every employee deserves to feel physically protected and mentally supported. To achieve this, teams must have a shared understanding of what healthy communication, change management, and resilience looks like. Leadership from above also means leading from within.

Join workplace culture expert Kristopher Marks for an immersive, interactive, and empowering journey through the ever-changing dynamics of leadership, safety, and communication within the hospitality industry.