Speakers & Panelists
Scroll to meet our 2026 Keynote Speaker and Panelists!Â
Our 2026 Keynote speaker
Alton Brown
Creator/Host, Good Eats; Best-Selling Author
Alton Brown was directing TV commercials when he got the crazy idea to go to culinary school and reinvent the cooking show. The result was Good Eats, an irreverent, science-forward program that led to Brown working on the Food Network for over twenty years. He has written approximately 31.5 pounds of books, several of which are New York Times bestsellers, including Food for Thought, an award-winning collection of essays published in 2025. He is the winner of a Peabody Award and two James Beard Foundation Awards. His live culinary variety shows have toured to hundreds of sold-out crowds across the country since 2013.  Brown lives in Atlanta with his wife, the designer Elizabeth Ingram, and three nefarious canines.
SeSSION ONE
Chantal Ge Wu
Senior Director, Hospitality Market Analytics, CoStar Group
Greg Winey
Founder/Principal/CEO, NorthPointe Hospitality Management
Marco Roca Jr.
The Quantitative Storyteller. Chantal unpacks the "Southeast U.S." pipeline, construction activity, and transaction volume to validate investment decisions.
Co-Founder & Partner,
Reveille Hospitality
The Asset Manager. Brings the owner/operator perspective, focusing on debt financing, equity sourcing, and restructuring operations to maximize profitability.
The Developer. A specialist in global real estate startups and operations, Marco translates market intelligence into brick-and-mortar reality.
Chris Hardman
President & CEO, Georgia Hotel & Lodging Association
Jon McGavin
Area General Manager, JW Marriott & Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando
The Legislative Physicist. Represents the external policy forces and advocacy strategies protecting the state's tourism economy.
The Operator. Provides the operational reality check, discussing how luxury assets execute high-level strategy while maintaining 5-Diamond standards.
SeSSION TWO
Monte Ortel
COO, Gas South District
Damon M. [Murray]
Vice President of Campus Operations, Georgia World Congress Center Authority
Adam Noyes
COO/Partner, Proof of the Pudding
The District Engineer. Managing a venue ranked 18th worldwide, Monte discusses the operational logistics of hosting over 1 million guests annually and executing large-scale campus expansions.
The Campus Engineer. Represents one of the premier convention facilities in the nation, unpacking the science of facilities management on a massive scale.
The Fuel. Adam discusses the massive logistics of scaling food service for thousands of guests at stadiums and convention centers without sacrificing quality.
Amanda Dyson-Thornton
Executive Director, Georgia Association
of CVBs
The Magnet. Represents the destination marketing organizations that attract large-scale events to specific geographies, filling the venues.
Robyn Gillespie, PMP, DES
Vice President, Account Services, Czarnowski Collective
The Architect. Robyn brings the "experiential science," discussing how integrated live and digital marketing drives engagement on the trade show floor.
SeSSION Three
Allie Waldman, CCM
The Gold Standard. Representing one of the most iconic brands in sports hospitality, Allie discusses the operational perfectionism required to manage elite club operations.
Director of Club Operations, Augusta National Golf Club
The Cultural Architect. Amber focuses on organizational excellence, translating high-level strategy into disciplined execution to maintain the culture of a historic club.
COO/General Manager, Piedmont
Driving Club
Amber Read, CCM, MBA
James ("Jim") Holliday
Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center
Robert Stenhammer, MBA
The Strategist. Jim brings the commercial resort perspective, focusing on transient sales strategy and conference center management at a major ski destination.
The Developer. Robert discusses managing luxury coastal communities where hospitality amenities directly drive real estate value and homeowner retention.
Vice President & General Manager,
Alys Beach
SeSSION four
Luke Christian
Founder & CEO, Surcheros Fresh Mex
Peter Dale
Chef/Owner, Five & Ten; Partner, Maepole, Condor Chocolates
Daniel Zeal
The Scaler. A leader in the fast-casual space, Luke discusses the science of franchising—taking a concept and replicating it across multiple units without losing brand integrity.
The Creator. Providing the essential "Independent Restaurateur" perspective, Peter focuses on thoughtful hospitality, sustainable sourcing, and building distinct, localized brands.
Director of Food & Beverage, The Lodge at Sea Island
The Curator. Representing the pinnacle of luxury resort dining, Daniel discusses maintaining perfection across complex, high-volume resort outlets.
Matthew Roher
Director of F&B, The Sea Pines Resort
The Ecosystem. Managing a massive resort culinary program, Matthew bridges the gap between independent fine dining creativity and corporate operational structure.
Stephanie C. Fischer
President & CEO, Georgia Restaurant Association
The Advocate. Stephanie provides the legislative and economic context that allows these diverse business models to thrive.