Last week, The Hospitality Hero welcomed an incredible mix of hospitality professionals, students, educators and industry leaders to our June edition of The Art of Hospitality – a day that reminded us just how much power this sector holds when we come together with purpose.
We began the morning with a warm introduction from our founder, Steven Hesketh, who shared his reflections from a recent talk in LA and gave everyone a full update on what The Hospitality Hero is working on right now.
From the Sunset Café, where we support individuals rebuilding their lives through hands-on hospitality training, to the Connect Program, which links schools directly with hotels to offer real exposure, and our newly launched EDGE campaign that helps young people gain the confidence and skills to succeed – the room was instantly reminded why this work matters.
We also revealed an exciting sneak preview of our upcoming children’s book, designed to inspire the next generation of hospitality leaders. Everyone in the audience received a sample to take home, a little reminder that the future of hospitality starts with storytelling and representation.
We then welcomed our keynote speaker, Sam Squire, former footballer turned founder of Inspire to Ignite.
Sam’s talk was a powerful wake-up call, exploring the rise in NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) young people and challenging us all to think differently.
He shared that 68% of young people now prioritise inclusive workplaces when choosing where to work and reminded us that hospitality has the potential to be one of the best confidence-building industries for young people – if we’re ready to adapt.
That energy carried straight into what many called the highlight of the day – The Great Hospitality Debate. And it truly lived up to the name.
Hosted by Steven Hesketh, this session brought together an electric mix of voices, from industry professionals like Ali Wheeler of We Mind the Gap, Sam Squire, and Dr. Burcu Kaya Sayari from Liverpool John Moore’s University to the youngest Acorn winner James Ellams and three thoughtful students from City of Liverpool College: James, Andrew, and Jessica.
What unfolded was far more than a panel. It was a bold, honest, and at times fiery conversation that exposed both the tensions and the opportunities in today’s hospitality workforce.
Danielle Youd from the Philharmonic raised a valid point about younger workers struggling with early starts and weekend shifts. Ali Wheeler challenged us to be more flexible suggesting that if young workers can’t get into work before 7:30am due to public transport, maybe breakfast service could shift slightly to accommodate them.
But not everyone agreed. Hamish Ferguson from Carden Park rightly pointed out that businesses can’t simply bend to all new challenges, margins are tight and customer satisfaction is non-negotiable.
Ali Wheeler responded by saying she completely agreed; no one is asking businesses to lower standards or compromise service.
But she urged the room to think creatively, pointing out that Carden Park itself is a brilliant example, with a dedicated staff bus ensuring team members can make those early shifts without issue.
This push and pull, between realism and reinvention, made for a debate that felt genuinely urgent and full of possibility.
What was perhaps most powerful was hearing directly from the students.
James Morgan shared how much more he’s learned working in a professional kitchen than at the City of Liverpool Colleges restaurant – a reminder that real-world experience can be a stronger teacher than any textbook.
The panel brought theory and reality crashing together, exposing the gap between education and employment while offering hopeful ways to close it.
After a brilliant lunch from the DoubleTree and time for more networking, we moved into our wellbeing-focused session, led by the brilliant Jojo Smith from CreativSAS with guest speaker Saeed Olayiwola, founder of SO Health.
This session began with a deep-breathing exercise and a group shake-off – literally – to release bad energy.
Saeed spoke candidly about burnout, boundaries and the importance of taking care of ourselves in such a high-pressure industry. His approach was fresh, warm and refreshingly honest, leaving many in the audience thinking differently about how we support staff beyond their skillsets.
Next, we were joined by Joel Lee, General Manager of Box Park Liverpool, who gave us a behind-the-scenes look at launching a major hospitality brand in a new city.
Joel shared what types of events work, how to staff appropriately, and what it takes to build trust in a new market.
A standout moment came when Peter Schriewersmann asked about last year’s tensions involving Everton fans – Joel didn’t shy away. He explained that the decision, made before his time at Box Park, was a misstep, but the team have taken lessons from it.
Ironically, Joel himself is a proud Evertonian, which brought some levity to a serious conversation.
We closed the day with a powerful and insightful panel on Liverpool’s new Accommodation BID, led by Marcus Magee, Katie Bentley, and Donna Howitt – three people who are helping shape the city’s future.
They explained how the new £2+VAT levy will be invested back into Liverpool’s visitor economy – supporting the very businesses that drive tourism and growth.
With clarity and transparency, they broke down where the money goes, who contributes, and why collaboration between sectors is more important than ever.
Throughout the day, attendees received branded TAOH bookmarks, took home tasters of our children’s book, and – most importantly – made genuine new connections.
As we closed, we asked everyone to sum up the event in just one word. The responses said it all: hopeful, inspiring, informative, fun, positive, organised, educational.
We owe a huge thank you to our sponsors and partners who made the day possible. Special thanks to The Edible Group for their passion around food education and wellbeing, and to Energised Earth for championing sustainability in hospitality. Shoutout to 360 Vision and Milosz Kraskowski for capturing the day on film, and to ASG for keeping everything sounding smooth from start to finish. And of course, thank you to the entire team at DoubleTree by Hilton Liverpool for your hospitality.
Our next event takes place at The Queen’s Hotel, Chester on October 8th. If this week proved anything, it’s that when the hospitality community comes together with open minds and shared purpose, real progress happens.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep building an industry we’re proud of.
Get your tickets for the next TAOH event now – https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thehospitalityheroltd/1709737
