Top Executives Take Center Stage at HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo

Leaders from top hospitality brands discussed culture, leadership, strategy and more

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. March 26, 2013

March 26, 2013 - The HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo, the only human resource conference specifically for the hospitality industry, gathered hundreds of professionals from around the nation for its 7th annual conference. The event covered a wide range of topics including the Affordable Care Act, hiring, sexual harassment case law, technology for HR and much more. The conference also featured innovative leaders representing large hospitality brands, with presenters including Dina Barmasse-Gray of The Cheesecake Factory, Debbie Brown of Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts, Diane Turek-Pire of Wyndham Hotel Group, Eric Stewart of Royal Caribbean Cruises and more than a dozen others.

The Plenary, Culture Matters: The Competitive Advantage, opened this year's HR in Hospitality Conference. Presenter Marilyn Carlson Nelson, chairman and former CEO of Carlson, one of the world's largest travel and hospitality companies, shared her belief that now is the best time for HR to use its platform to clearly define, redefine and even debate its corporate culture and the role it plays in society. Nelson stressed the need for HR to shape its culture in positive ways to contribute to humanity. She believes connecting company culture with social consciousness give businesses a key competitive advantage.

“Step up, speak from the heart, and lead with courage and confidence,” said Carlson.

With dozens of breakout sessions and six plenaries, the 2013 conference highlighted proven strategies and essential advice from top companies including Caesars Entertainment, Hilton Worldwide, Jack in the Box and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. In sessions such as HR TipsNTrends, panelists candidly offered a variety of tips to HR professionals about the functions of their HR departments, external referral programs and outreach efforts.

Effective legal tips were also provided to everyone in attendance as HR in Hospitality delivered several opportunities to gather legal understanding. During 50 Legal Tips in 50 Minutes, attorneys offered advice for staying in compliance with regulations set forth by the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board.

“Want to avoid a DOL issue?” asked Michael Gray, partner at Jones Day Law firm. “Establish a mechanism for employees to access if there's an inappropriate deduction from their paycheck.”

Continuously partnering with Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and ILR School, the HR in Hospitality Conference program qualifies attendees for CHT, HRCI and HRIP credits.

Between sessions, attendees explored the Expo. The high-energy, vendor-filled Expo Hall offered networking opportunities, including discussion lunches. Plus, the venue housed exhibitors including: Hcareers, HireVue, HospitalityCARE, Target GiftCards and others offering a variety of innovative solutions and services.

The 2-1/2-day National HR in Hospitality Conference continues to be a must-attend event. Attracting professionals from airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, restaurants plus law firms, the event grows year after year.

Next year's HR in Hospitality Conference & Expo will take place April 28 - 30, 2014 at ARIA Resort & Casino, Las Vegas. More details will be released in the fall. From now until next April, the conference continues virtually on LinkedIn, where the National HR in Hospitality Conference LinkedIn group maintains active discussions. Additionally, the conference can be found on twitter by searching the hashtag #HRinHosp and following the @HRinHospitality twitter handle.

For media inquiries, please contact Rennette Fortune at 561-622-6520, ext. 8674 or email [email protected].

ABOUT National HR in Hospitality® Conference … National HR in Hospitality® Conference & Expo, established in 2007, is recognized as the nation's only conference for human resources, labor relations and employment law professionals at hotels, resorts, restaurants, airlines and all other sectors within the hospitality industry. HR in Hospitality® is annually produced by Human Resource Executive® Magazine and LRP Publications in partnership with Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, Center for Hospitality Research and ILR School. HR in Hospitality® conference program is consistently designed to address the unique challenges human resource management in the hospitality industry face by providing targeted guidance, HR recertification and networking opportunities. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.hrinhospitality.com or call toll-free 1-800-727-1227. Join the HR in Hospitality discussion on twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.