A few weeks ago, I was sitting at dinner with one of the biggest players in the catering industry. A true heavyweight. Someone who knows everyone, has seen everything, and has been to more conferences than most of us can count.
Midway through the meal, he leaned in and asked me a simple request
“Tell me why I should go to ASCEND. And why I should send my team.”
Then came the follow-ups.
Why is it different?
What will I actually walk away with?
Who is it really for?
What makes it worth time away from my business?
Why now?
My sales brain was lit up. I got to SELL (like really sell) ASCEND, the International Caterers Association’s game-changing first national conference.
But later that night, something else hit me. If someone like him, someone deeply embedded in this industry, someone with unlimited access to information and people, is asking these questions, then I know others are asking them too.
So let me tell you exactly what I told him, as the Education Chair of this unbelievable new, national hospitality conference.
ASCEND was built for leaders who understand that growth requires input
Leadership can be lonely.
The higher you go, the fewer places there are where you can speak honestly, think expansively, and be challenged without posturing. Most leaders spend their days giving. Solving. Supporting. Deciding. Carrying the weight.
ASCEND exists because leaders need a place to be fed.
Social science backs this up. Research from Harvard Business School shows that leaders who intentionally invest in learning communities outside their organizations demonstrate higher cognitive flexibility, stronger decision making, and greater long-term resilience. In short, leaders who keep learning lead better.
ASCEND is leadership development in real time.
This conference is designed for a very specific kind of leader
ASCEND is for leaders who are actively shaping the future of their business and their people.
It is for:
- Owners and founders who are thinking beyond this year’s revenue and into legacy, succession, and sustainability
- CEOs, presidents, and managing partners who carry responsibility for culture, vision, and financial health
- Executives and directors of sales, operations, culinary, marketing, and people who influence outcomes beyond their individual role
- Emerging leaders who are already operating at a higher altitude and preparing for their next seat
These are leaders who ask better questions, not just for answers, but for perspective.
These are leaders who want to sharpen how they think, so they can keep thriving and creating more superstars.
What ASCEND is not
Let’s be clear, because clarity builds trust.
ASCEND is not:
- A beginner-level conference
- A place to sit quietly, take notes, and go home
- A conference designed for people who want to be told what to do without engaging
If someone is looking for foundational education, entry to intermediate-level training, or an observational experience, ASCEND is not the right room.
And that is intentional.
ASCEND is built for leaders who want to be in the room where conversations are honest, elevated, and occasionally uncomfortable in the best possible way.
Why feeding yourself as a leader matters more than feeding your team
Most leaders are excellent at investing in their teams.
Training budgets. Conferences for staff. Professional development for others.
But here is the truth. Leaders often starve themselves.
You cannot pour clarity, courage, or creativity from an empty well.
ASCEND is where leaders refill that well.
Not with fluff. Not with hype. But with grounded insight, shared experience, and real dialogue with peers who understand the weight of leadership.
What makes ASCEND different
ASCEND is built around four pillars:
Imagine. Build. Serve. Become.
These pillars reflect how leaders actually grow.
- Imagine invites leaders to think beyond current constraints and reconnect with vision
- Build focuses on systems, structure, and strategy that support sustainable growth
- Serve grounds leadership in people, culture, and impact
- Become centers the leader themselves, because who you are shapes everything you lead
The sessions are designed to spark conversation, not just consumption. Roundtables. Workshops. Facilitated dialogue. Real-time problem solving.
Why now matters
The catering and events industry is changing faster than ever.
Client expectations. Workforce dynamics. Technology. Economics. Leadership models.
The leaders who will thrive are not the ones who work harder. They are the ones who think better.
ASCEND is for leaders who understand that staying relevant requires evolution. That leadership is not a fixed skill set, but a practice.
If you are asking whether ASCEND is for you
If you are quietly asking yourself questions like these below, you are already thinking like the kind of leader ASCEND was built for.
Am I giving myself the space to challenge my current assumptions, or am I leading from what has always worked? This is the work of imagining what is possible, and how to get there.
Am I gaining perspective that helps me design better systems, decisions, and structures for the future, not just solve today’s problems? This is how leaders move from managing activity to building something that lasts.
Am I showing up as the kind of leader people want to follow, or am I simply managing outcomes and tasks? This is the difference between serving people and supervising work.
Am I surrounding myself with peers who stretch me, reflect truth back to me, and help me grow into the leader my business now requires? This is becoming, and it could be a bit uncomfortable.
And if you are a leader who knows that feeding yourself is not indulgent, but essential, you already understand why this conference exists.
That is exactly what I told my friend at dinner.
And now, I am telling you. If this feels like you, then I hope to see you July 19-22, 2026, at the 5-star Perry Lane Hotel in Savannah, GA, because you won’t want to miss it.
Ready to Register?
