TRSA 106th Annual Conference Expands Content, Schedule

Posted May 31, 2019 at 1:18 pm



Register for TRSA’s 106th Annual Conference

The TRSA 106th Annual Conference will provide attendees with an expanded, more inclusive format that begins on Sept. 17 with TRSA committee meetings. Industry professionals, from managers up through CEOs and owners, are encouraged to participate in these meetings, which will include a 30-minute open discussion roundtable on industry-related issues.

Sept. 18 will feature the Management Development program, a new part of the Annual Conference, which will provide a day of breakouts and general sessions featuring subjects beneficial to leadership of all levels. Next-generation executives, emerging leaders, general managers, and other plant-based management, graduates of EMI and PMI, owners and c-suite executives will be inspired by keynote speaker Steve DiFillippo, restaurateur and author of It’s All About the Guest. Steve’s family has been deeply involved in the laundry business for a few generations, and he’ll bring that perspective as he shares the deliberate steps taken to transform his upscale restaurants into multiple locations during his presentation on Mastering Hospitality for Business.

Six breakout sessions feature the “best-of-the-best” top-rated speakers and topics from TRSA’s range of programs, covering:

  • Communications
  • Management
  • Recruiting and Retention, and
  • Safety and Skills Development

Sept. 19’s opening keynote, Bill Taylor, founding editor, Fast Company, will rev up the audience with questions such as: What separates us from our rivals in the marketplace? And What holds us together as colleagues in the workplace? Hear ideas, diagnostics and case studies, and be guided to a new world of work and a cutting-edge agenda for recruiting, evaluating, organizing and retaining talent. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Taylor’s bestseller, Simply Brilliant: How Great Organizations Do Ordinary Things in Extraordinary Ways, following his presentation.

Digital innovation is on the agenda with a presentation, Riding the Digital Wave, with Andrew Lippman, MIT Media Lab and co-director of Digital Life. This highly animated, engaging presentation will translate the latest digital technology trends into clear, business-ready insights that are effective in any industry. Additional general sessions include:

  • Government Relations Update, presented by Kevin Schwalb, vice president, government relations and certifications
  • Latest Trends in Labor and Employment Law with attorney Joseph Shelton, partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP
  • Textile Services Bottom-Line Performance presented by Andrew Wittmann, CFA, director, senior research analyst, Robert W. Baird Facility and Industrial Research Services Team

The conference’s closing keynote speaker, presidential historian and Pulitzer-prize winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin will discuss Leadership in Turbulent Times. Inspired by her current New York Times bestseller of the same name, Goodwin’s engaging and entertaining address will bring to life some of the actions of the most successful U.S. presidents to provide perspective for today’s leaders, and to underscore that the U.S. democracy has survived – and even thrived – through troubling times in the past. Attendees will also receive a complimentary copy of this book following the keynote.

Included social activities include a Secrets of Old Boston scavenger hunt, a competitive, yet fun small team activity that is open to all attendees and their guests/partners. A special outing is also planned for guests/partners on Sept. 18. The evening of Sept. 19 is the TRSA Annual Awards Dinner, a tradition that recognizes and celebrates the contributions of top industry leaders with the presentation of the Operator and Maglin-Biggie Associate Lifetime Achievement awards. The Sept. 20 agenda includes the annual membership meeting and elections, and presentations on the state of the association, as well as the industry, in addition to the closing keynote. This year’s conference venue, the Hyatt Regency Boston Harbor is close to the Logan International Airport and offers convenient free shuttles. The city of Boston is a 15-minute ride via water taxi, Uber or subway from the hotel.

The Annual Conference package is inclusive, covering all meals and receptions from noon Sept. 17 through breakfast on Sept. 20. However, TRSA is also offering stand-alone registrations for the Sept. 17 committee meetings and the Sept. 18 Management Development program. Registrations received on or before Aug. 9 will save $100 on registration. View the full brochure and register today at www.trsa.org/annualconference.

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