Organised by Hospitality Industry Trust (HIT) Scotland, the event provides a forum for existing leaders and emerging talent to voice their views about the issues facing the Scottish hospitality industry. There will be six workshops hosted by leaders from various industries.

The conference brings together three generations as defined by a recent Chess Partnership and Caterer Group report into the lifestyles of people working in the hospitality industry. They are:

Generation Y, aged 16-25
Generation X, aged 26-39
Baby Boomers, aged 40+

The findings will form the basis of a strategy to shape the future of the industry.

Workshops:

Staff Retention 
This workshop focuses on the major reasons behind high staff turnover in the Scottish tourism industry, looking at practice in other industries and revealing the secrets of staff retention.

Innovation
Join like-minded people to explore how the industry generates and rewards ideas. Investigate how it reacts to and predicts the changing needs of its customers, as well as how you and your company can remain up-to-date with new developments.

Leadership
How do you become a major player in the industry? Some of the Scottish tourism industry’s top leaders share the secrets of their success.

Dispelling the myth
Long hours, low pay and little recognition – is this really what the industry is like? This workshop is led by members of the emerging talent team and provides an insight into the industry.

Training
What training support is there for the industry and its employees? Training and development facilitators provide you with the best course of action to improve your career.

Opportunities – What’s in it for me?
What personal gains are there in the industry? What are employees and employers hoping to achieve from a career in hospitality and tourism?     

HIT Scotland will be presenting three scholarships at this event. The scholarships are aimed at emerging talent who have just joined the industry and those in higher and further education due to graduate.
The three categories are:
• Management experience
• Management learning
• Craft specialist

Start - 10.00am
Registration and coffee
Welcome
Opening speaker
Industry debate (panel consisting of two representatives from each generation group, X,Y and baby boomers)
Lunch
Workshops
Closing speakers
Scholarships
Conclusions
Finish - 4.30pm

The event is hosted by television presenter Gaby Logan. The keynote speaker is Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of Coffee Republic.

Tickets are £25, which includes registration and refreshments (lunch and coffee breaks). Admission for students is free.