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Denver, CO – Over 160 attendees got a taste of the workforce
of the future during the opening reception of the Council of Hotel and
Restaurant Trainers (CHART) 69th Hospitality Training Conference, held
February 26 – March 1 at the Marriott Denver City Center.
ProStart students from local Wheat Ridge and
Thornton High Schools cooked tableside with Marriott chefs to showcase
their culinary skills, knowledge and enthusiasm.“It is a rare opportunity for high school students to get in front of the hospitality industry’s top people developers so that they can see the many career options available,” said Joleen Flory-Lundgren, SPHR, FMP, vice president of human resources and training for Famous Dave’s of America and CHART president. “This chance also allowed hospitality trainers a chance to witness first-hand, the professionalism of students involved in the ProStart program, as well as the skilled workforce of our industry's future,” he added. .  Marcella Heibert (left), ProStart Instructor at Wheat Ridge High School and James Marovec (right), Director of Industry Relationships of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation with Colorado ProStart Students In addition to traditional learning sessions, attendees also participated in CHART’s 4th annual community service project, held in conjunction with The Spot, downtown Denver’s award-winning, nonprofit, drop-in urban youth center. During Spot Pride Day, attendees swept, mopped, cleaned and moved furniture alongside Spot youth participants to help keep the center a safe and clean environment. General session speaker, Alan Parisse, kicked off the conference with “Thriving on Change.” He inspired attendees by encouraging that their jobs provide people positive nourishment in a negative world. Best-selling author, Mark Sanborn, motivated the audience to reinvent and enrich themselves through vision, empowerment and service. A conference first was the “Best Practices in Retention, Recognition and Recruiting” panel, where insights from Nation’s Restaurant News’ People and Performance Award (PAPA) winners were shared with attendees. “Ask My Peers: LIVE!” was a fast-paced version of CHART’s popular on-line discussion group. Participants rotated through several tables, quickly transferring knowledge on a variety of timely topics including e-learning, performance improvement, soft skills training and diversity. Members also had the chance to learn from their peers in breakout sessions that focused on three tracks: hourly staff training, management training and executive and multi-unit training. Dennis Snow closed the conference by describing the Disney model of how customers’ experience can be broken down and analyzed to create service excellence at each step. The 70th Semi-Annual CHART Hospitality Training Conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts July 23 – 26, 2005 at the Boston Park Plaza. |
Contact: Telephone: 312-405-2634 Email: [email protected] Website: www.chart.org |