2025 Session Descriptions

Unleashing the Genius of your Team: The Six Types of Working Genius

Discover the unique genius within you and your team! Dive deep into Patrick Lencioni's groundbreaking framework from his book, The Six Types of Working Genius©. Whether you’re an individual seeking clarity on your strengths, a team eager to optimize performance, or an organization committed to leveraging its human capital, this workshop is tailor-made to enlighten and empower.

The Six Types of Working Genius© is designed to help individuals, teams, and organizations optimize performance by identifying and leveraging their unique strengths. The model categorizes work into six "Geniuses" (Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, Tenacity), with each person naturally excelling in two areas while experiencing frustration in two others. The workshop provides tools like individual assessments, team maps, and interactive exercises to foster self-awareness, collaboration, and productivity. It benefits individuals by aligning roles with strengths, teams by enhancing synergy and efficiency, and organizations by optimizing talent and workflows.

Unapologetically You: Creating Your Personal Brand

Women in Lodging Session

Presented by WIL Logo

This empowering session is designed to help you define and confidently express your authentic self in both personal and professional spaces. Through guided reflection and practical strategies, you'll learn how to build a personal brand that aligns with your values, strengths, and unique identity.

Please Note: This session is open to all associates and leaders regardless of gender. This content is applicable to all.

The Art of Leading, Inspiring Followership

OHLA Emerging Professionals Session

Presented by

In this dynamic breakout session, participants will explore the essential shift from being a high-performing individual teammate to becoming an effective leader. Through guided discussion and interactive prompts, we’ll unpack the challenges of communication and delegation in fast-paced hospitality environments.

Please Note: This session is open to all associates and leaders regardless of tenure or age. This content is applicable to all.

From Bills to Ballots: Understanding Lawmaking, Industry Impacts, and Elections

This session will walk through how a bill becomes a law in Ohio, highlighting the key stages from introduction to passage and the opportunities for stakeholder engagement along the way. We’ll connect the process to pressing issues affecting the hotel and lodging industry, including tax policy, workforce challenges, and regulatory proposals, and place it in the broader context of upcoming elections and their influence on legislative priorities. Participants will leave with a clearer understanding of both the mechanics of lawmaking and the policy landscape shaping Ohio’s hospitality sector.

Leading the Hard Talk: Practical Tools for Constructive Conflict

Heart pounding. Palms sweating. Pacing. Mind racing. Looking for the door. Does this sound like you before, during, or after a difficult conversation? Ever found yourself avoiding tough discussions for fear of conflict?

Join this interactive and “funny-because-it’s-true” session about developing proactive skills to navigate tough conversations, conflict, and more. You’ll leave the session with tools to raise self-awareness and manage your reactions under stress, plus practical tips to embrace positive polarization and resolve conflicts with confidence.

The Art of Negotiation

HSMAI Ohio Chapter Sales Track

Presented by

"The Art of Negotiation in Hospitality Sales" delves into proven strategies and techniques for closing deals, building client trust, and maximizing value in a competitive market. This session equips hospitality sales professionals with practical tools to navigate complex negotiations with confidence and finesse.

Enhancing the Guest Journey Through Technology and Experience

Unique Lodging of Ohio Track

Presented by

Independent and unique lodging operators face both challenges and opportunities in today’s evolving hospitality landscape. Guests expect a seamless, personalized journey from the moment they begin searching for accommodations until long after they’ve checked out. Technology plays a crucial role in meeting—and exceeding—those expectations.

This interactive fireside chat will explore how Unique Lodging of Ohio (ULO) owners and managers can:

Leverage technology to streamline the booking journey and set the right first impression.
Enhance the on-property guest experience through communication tools, personalization, and local touches.
Use post-stay engagement and guest reviews to strengthen reputation, drive repeat bookings, and fuel word-of-mouth growth.

The session will also feature special guest Jake Ryan, owner of Book Hocking, who will share his hands-on perspective as a ULO operator. Jake will highlight practical tools, strategies, and “tricks of the trade” he uses to elevate guest satisfaction, manage expectations, and turn reviews into business growth.

Attendees will walk away with actionable insights on how to align technology and human hospitality to deliver unforgettable guest experiences at every stage of the journey—before, during, and after the stay.

The Secret Ingredients of Five-Star Service

Hospitality professionals are experts at making others feel seen, valued, and cared for, but who’s taking care of you? In this restorative session, Chelsea C. Elliott, MSW invites attendees to slow down and reflect on what emotional wellness looks like in their own lives, while they provide a five-star experience for those they serve. You’ll walk away with practical tools to manage stress, set healthy boundaries, and rediscover joy in your work. Because when you feel good, everyone you serve feels it too.

Productivity Unlocked: work smarter not harder with tools you already have

Join us in this hands-on session that reveals powerful features and hidden tools within the Office 365 suite. Learn how to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and boost efficiency using apps like Outlook, Teams, OneNote, and more.

Next-Level Marketing: AI Tools for Image-to-Video Storytelling

HSMAI Ohio Chapter Sales Track

Presented by HSMAI LOGO

"Next-Level Marketing: AI Tools for Image-to-Video Storytelling" explores cutting-edge AI platforms that transform static visuals into dynamic, engaging video content. This session will equip you with practical skills to elevate your brand storytelling and captivate audiences across digital channels.

Coaching Your Shift Like It's Game Day!

Unique Lodging of Ohio Track

Presented by

Energizing, team-focused training that teaches hotel team members to approach each shift like a football game—strategizing, communicating, and executing with purpose. Approach the day with their positions, adapt to unexpected challenges, and deliver winning guest experiences together.

Feeding the Future: Navigating Food & Beverage Challenges and Trends in Hospitality

The food and beverage landscape in the hotel industry is undergoing a profound shift—driven by labor shortages, rising costs, shifting guest expectations, and unpredictable supply chains. In this dynamic session, we’ll explore the most pressing F&B issues facing Ohio hoteliers and identify actionable strategies to thrive in a high-pressure environment.

Whether you manage a full-service hotel or a limited-service property, this session will deliver practical ideas and real-world examples to help you transform your F&B operations from a cost center into a competitive advantage.

Unlocking Sales Beyond RevPAR: Social Media, Prospecting & Forecasting

HSMAI Ohio Chapter Sales Track

Presented by HSMAI LOGO

This session explores innovative strategies to drive revenue by leveraging modern sales tools and techniques beyond traditional metrics. This session will guide hospitality professionals in using social media for lead generation, mastering effective prospecting, and improving forecasting accuracy to boost overall sales performance.

Rediscovering Your Resources: Tapping Into the Unused, the Local, the Profitable

Unique Lodging of Ohio Track

Presented by

To equip hotel leadership and staff with actionable strategies for identifying and leveraging untapped or underutilized resources to drive bookings, revenue, guest satisfaction, and market differentiation.

Confetti Culture: 8 Powerful Principles to Elevate the Way You Live, Lead, and Lift Your Teams

At the heart of this high-energy session is James’s signature Confetti Culture Method — a confetti-filled framework designed to help you start winning and keep winning at work. Blending inspiration with practical application, James reveals proven strategies to ignite momentum, fuel motivation, and build cultures where people feel seen, valued, and celebrated every day.

Audience Takeaways:

Spark Momentum that Lasts — Learn simple, repeatable practices to create daily wins that build trust, unity, and unstoppable momentum.
Fuel Motivation that Drives Results — Discover how consistent recognition and celebration can transform effort into engagement and performance.
Build a Culture Worth Celebrating — Master the 8 powerful principles of the Confetti Culture Method to create a workplace that’s positive, productive, and profitable.

Previous Next