On September 16, 2024, more than 1,700 people gathered at the Lincoln Center in New York to watch 10 TED-style talks on one topic—hospitality. This is the Welcome Conference and it's been held every year (except 2020 and 2021) since 2014. This year, tickets for the conference were so sought after that they sold out online in just one minute—even with a larger venue than last year.
Why is the Welcome Conference in such demand?
In a post-pandemic digital world where many work remotely, people crave human connection more than ever. The hospitality industry is where that connection happens repeatedly. Welcome Conference Co-Founder Will Guidara led the conference by saying, "The human moments need to be as human as humanly possible."
Less than two years ago, Guidara released his New York Times bestselling book Unreasonable Hospitality, in which he shatters preconceived ideas of hospitality and discusses the remarkable power of giving people more than they expect. That idea is catching on—so much that the conference attracts speakers and attendees not just from the restaurant industry but from any business that has human interactions with its clients, customers, or guests.
Who spoke at the Welcome Conference in 2024?
This year's conference featured an American classical pianist, two best-selling authors, a world-class ocean rower, and noteworthy figures in the hospitality industry. Here's what the line-up looked like:
Jade Simmons – Classical Music’s #1 Maverick
Julio Garcia – Restaurateur, Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen
Dr. Becky Kennedy – Clinical Psychologist and Founder of Good Inside
Donald Miller – Author of Building a StoryBrand
Angus Collins – Endurance Athlete & Founder of Beyond Endurance
Steve Palmer – Founder and Chief Vision Officer of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group
Chayil Hyland – Food Education Fund Alum; Current Cornell Student
Jen Hidinger-Kendrick – Founder of Giving Kitchen
David Brooks – Author and New York Times Columnist
Zach Williams, Kanene Pipkin, and Brian Elmquist – The Lone Bellow
While these speakers told different stories that embodied hospitality, they touched on three recurring topics: mentorship, giving back, and teamwork.
1. Mentoring others within your discipline
Classical pianist Jade Simmons dedicated a musical piece to her third piano teacher for being the "gateway" to her career. Simmons recollected about her teacher, "She threw out all her beginner books and decided to do things differently because she believed in me." Several years later when Jade was performing at concerts, she found ways to relate to her audience by telling stories between musical pieces. She connected her purpose as a pianist to that of hospitality workers by saying, "Your purpose is not the thing you do. It is the thing that happens in others when you do the thing you do."
Donald Miller, author of Building a Story Brand, explained the character's journey in every book or movie. (1) A hero (2) has a problem (3) and meets a guide, (4) who gives them a plan, (5) and calls them to action (6) that ends in success (7) that helps them avoid failure. Miller then likened the people of the hospitality industry to guides—the strongest character in every story. They welcome people into their establishments and treat guests as the heroes of their own stories.
Food Education Alum Chayil Hyland described her mentors' characteristics with the acronym BET—believing, equipping, and teaching. When she wanted to study the food industry, many people told her she should go into business. However, mentors like her mom and teachers encouraged her to follow her passion and worked to help make it happen. Chayil challenges leaders to meet new students, listen to their stories, and help them achieve their goals.
2. Giving back after transformation
"I was saved by hospitality." At the beginning of his talk, the Founder of the Indigo Road Hospitality Group, Steve Palmer, told the audience that before he got into hospitality, he was homeless, unemployed, and an addict. Just as the hospitality industry welcomes guests, it also welcomed him as a team member. However, even though he worked every position in restaurants taking care of others, he didn't know how to take care of himself. So, one day, the owner told him he needed to go to rehab or quit. He chose rehab. Years later, he went on to be a partner in his own restaurant group and created programs that give back to employees: interest-free loans for home down payments, benefits for mental health, and support groups for alcoholics.
Julio Garcia started as a dishwasher who didn't speak English in the restaurant industry. But after much hard work at various restaurants, he moved to management. Julio recalled one particular owner who was very hard on him and didn't know why. Years later, that owner called Garcia to ask if he wanted to buy his restaurant. "I didn't have enough money," Garcia said, "But he believed in me enough to help me work it out." Now, Julio owns his own brand with six restaurants, and he helps restaurant workers move up in the industry.
Jen Hidinger-Kendrick and her husband Ryan, a chef, dreamt of starting a restaurant. But at the age of 35, Ryan was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Jen was impressed with how the hospitality industry raised $300,000 for her husband's treatment. When he passed away, Hidinger-Kendrick started Giving Kitchen—a foundation that's committed to helping food service workers in crisis. She leaves us with the message, "Your legacy is not just your work today. It's about the people that you bring into the fold to help create the future."
3. Creating strong & connected teams
Clinical Psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy relates the employer-employee relationship in the food service industry to the parent-child relationship in the family unit. This relationship must start with the foundation of seeing the good in others. After that, she offers a series of strategies for working with employees. The first is setting boundaries that you, as an employer, will uphold if lines are crossed. Next, validate your employee's feelings when things don't go their way. Finally, repair broken relationships by apologizing when you've done something wrong. By following these guidelines, operators can create winning teams within their restaurant businesses.
In his talk, Ocean Rower and Positive Psychology Coach Angus Collins reflected on building teams for his 4-man rowing crews. In 2015, he chose three of his best friends from high school to race across the Atlantic Ocean. They won the race by five days but missed the world record by one day. In 2016, he selected Olympic rowers for his team and went on to claim the world record. However, because the team wasn't close, Collins said of the experience, "The sense of satisfaction wasn't nearly as great the second time around." When it comes to choosing teams, Collins gave the audience a final thought, "True success comes from the people you journey with. It's not about being the strongest, but about being part of a team that has your back."
David Brooks, author of How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, discussed how to listen better to your team (and your guests). The first step is your gaze. Keep your eyes on someone to show you care. The second is accompaniment—paying attention more to others than yourself. The third is conversation. Asking questions that invoke storytelling is a great way to spark interaction. Instead of, "What do you believe?" ask, "How did you come to believe that?" Instead of, "Why do you do that?" ask, "Tell me about the last time you did that." Brooks challenged the audience to be vulnerable, trust people, and look at others as if they were you.
When Zach Williams was 23, his wife had a horse-riding accident that left her a paraplegic. During this difficult time, he started journaling. Later when he read his entries to his friends, they encouraged him to learn the guitar and start singing. So he did. A short time after that, his wife miraculously regained full movement. Upon her recovery, he kept a promise he made to his friends and moved to New York City to start a band—The Lone Bellow. Even though Williams has had solo offers from big record labels, he chooses to stick with the bandmates who have been by his side all this time. His message? Find the people you love and invite them in.
The Welcome Conference is about connecting with people
Hospitality is a dialogue, not a monologue. When people come together and share ideas, extraordinary things happen. This year's Welcome Conference taught us about the power of connecting with people and building strong relationships. Over the next few weeks, talks from each of the speakers will be added to the Welcome Conference website. But until then, business owners who want to dig deeper can watch past speakers and check out the books and music from those who spoke at this year's conference. Even though you might not have been able to attend the Welcome Conference this year, you still can be motivated by the inspiration it brought.
