Welcome Conference, sponsored by S. Pellegrino, returns to Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, NYC, on Monday, 19 September. Will Guidara's leading annual event allows hospitality professionals to come together, share ideas and inspire one another over one unique day.
This year marks the return of the in-person conference - founded by fine-dining restaurateur and industry professional Will Guidara and Anthony Rudolf in 2014 - following a two-year pandemic induced hiatus, and will centre on the theme: 'Welcome back'.
Thrilled about the event's return, Guidara said: "I’m very excited. My dad always says the secret to happiness is always having something to look forward to. Over the last couple of years, these moments where people throughout the industry can get together, whether through sharing ideas or inspiring one another, or just feeling part of a community. These are moments that truly leave you with your gas tank full and we haven’t had many of these times lately."
"Welcome has always done that for me and for a lot of other people and I’m looking forward to that happening again."
"So many people have spent the last two years having to understand how to stay alive. I know all of my close friends in the industry are trying to shift gears so we can start to, instead of focusing on survival, focus on evolution and how we can start to move things forward again. We want to provide: perspective, insight, inspiration and education."
An inspiring and eclectic group of international speakers will take to the stage in New York - from London's Asma Khan, to American entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk - who will all focus on what has happened in the industry over the last two years, as it tries to emerge even stronger and more resilient.
Tickets go on sale today and can be purchased through the website.
Here's the eclectic line-up of the speakers confirmed so far:
