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Senior Dining Association
Senior Dining Association
  • Synergy
  • Attend
    • Why Attend
    • Registration
    • Travel
    • Health & Safety
    • FAQ
    • Future Dates
    • Membership
  • The Conference Experience
    • Schedule
    • Conference Speakers
    • Synergy Exhibitors
    • Sliced Competition
    • Call for Presenters
    • Synergy 2022 Recap
  • Exhibitor Information
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Exhibitor Resources
  • Contact Us
  • More
    • Synergy
    • Attend
      • Why Attend
      • Registration
      • Travel
      • Health & Safety
      • FAQ
      • Future Dates
      • Membership
    • The Conference Experience
      • Schedule
      • Conference Speakers
      • Synergy Exhibitors
      • Sliced Competition
      • Call for Presenters
      • Synergy 2022 Recap
    • Exhibitor Information
      • Become a Sponsor
      • Exhibitor Resources
    • Contact Us
  • Synergy
  • Attend
    • Why Attend
    • Registration
    • Travel
    • Health & Safety
    • FAQ
    • Future Dates
    • Membership
  • The Conference Experience
    • Schedule
    • Conference Speakers
    • Synergy Exhibitors
    • Sliced Competition
    • Call for Presenters
    • Synergy 2022 Recap
  • Exhibitor Information
    • Become a Sponsor
    • Exhibitor Resources
  • Contact Us

Synergy Schedule

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Register Today!

2023 Schedule of Events

sunday, April 16, 2023

Synergy Day 1

Travel Day to Houston, TX

Registration & Exhibitor move- in

12:00pm - 5:00pm

Poolside: Relaxing , Swimming, Lounging, and Networking

2:00pm - 5:00pm

Relax and take a little me time to unwind before the conference and then connect with some old friends and develop new relationships at the poolside lounge.  

Outdoor Opening Celebration Reception

5:00pm - 7:00pm

We’ll kick off our conference outdoors with a welcome reception for attendees to mix, mingle,  and have fun as we indulge in tasty hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.

Will Bowen, opening keynote speaker

How to Turn Complainers into Collaborators

Executives, employees, and staff deal with hundreds of complaints on a daily

basis from both complaining customers and complaining coworkers.


In a fast-paced and funny presentation you’ll learn:

• What’s wrong with complaining? (Complaining’s destructive effects on health,

happiness, relationships, and career)

• What is (and isn’t) a complaint?

• The 5 reasons people complain (as remembered by the acronym G.R.I.P.E.)

• How to get other people (and ourselves) to stop complaining

• Positive leadership in a negative world


You’ll leave inspired, mindful of own complaints, and motivated to approach

complainers with new, simple, and effective strategies.

MONDAY

Monday, April 17, 2023

Synergy Day 2

Registration & Exhibitor move-in

8:00am - 3:00pm

Networking Breakfast

7:30am - 8:30am

The networking breakfast will bring attendees and industry partners together at the table. Break out of your shell and talk with peers in your region, city, or elsewhere.    

Welcome and Keynote Leadership Development Speaker

8:30am - 10:00am

Welcome: Harris Ader, SDA Founder 

Keynote Speaker: Will Bowen

Topic: How to Turn Complainers into Collaborators | See above for description

Networking Break

10:00am - 10:30am

Education Tracks

10:30am - 11:30am

(1) Presentation Topic: Implementing a tipping program in senior living that works 

Speaker: Jim Epper & Elizabeth Calhoun

(2) Presentation Topic: TBA

Speaker: Maggie Roche

(3) Roundtable Discussion Topic:  How do we retain vs recruit? How to take care of and develop our teams better.   

Moderator: Thad Parton

(4) Roundtable Discussion Topic: Robots in your communities & understanding your  ROI

Moderator: Schelley Hollyday

Education Tracks

11:30am - 12:30pm

(5) Presentation Topic: 7 Strategies leaders can use to keep and attract the very best talent 

Speaker: Mark Iverson - The Warriors Mindset

(6) Presentation Topic:  Plant forward cuisine  

Speaker: Dr. Michael Fenster - BridgMed

(7) Roundtable Discussion Topic: Building a culture of hospitality in your organization from the ground up

Moderator: Patrick Plumadore - ACTS Retirement-Life Communities

(8) Roundtable Discussion Topic: Senior living food and menu trends

Moderator: Paul Muecke - Hormel

Networking Lunch & Awards Celebration

12:30pm - 2:30pm

Education Tracks

2:30pm - 3:30pm

(9) Presentation Topic: Immanuel Communities new internal dining department - everyone reports to home office (centralization of services)

Speaker: Alan Jarecki - Immanuel Communities

(10) Presentation Topic: Maximizing your POS date to reduce operational costs

Speaker: Schelley Hollyday - The Hollyday Group

(11) Roundtable Discussion Topic: 

Moderator: Eric Johnson -  Trilogy

(12) Roundtable Discussion Topic:  Workplace Wellness: Take care of yourself to take care of others 

Moderator: Mark Iverson

SDA Peer Group Discussions

3:30pm - 5:00pm

Peers come together to discuss challenges and uncover thoughtful solutions. Participants will leave with new ideas and develop new relationships.  

SDA | Peer Groups: Vice Presidents of Dining & Hospitality * Directors of Dining * Executive Chefs * Dietitians  * Industry Partners  * Executive Directors / C-Suite  

EXPO Networking Cocktail Reception

5:00pm - 6:30pm
Tuesday afternoon join us at

The EXPO

Learn about new foods, products, and technologies available to enhance your dining operations during the expo. 

TUESDAY

April 18, 2023

Synergy Day 3

Registration

8:00am - 3:00pm

Networking Breakfast

7:30am - 9:00am

The Networking breakfast will bring attendees and industry partners together at the table. Break out of your shell and talk with peers in your region, city, or elsewhere. 

General Session Panel Discussion

9:00am - 10:00am

Topic: Exploring current and future senior living dining experience trends

Moderator: Cheryl Slavinsky - Senior Dining Association

Panelists: TBA

Networking and Coffee Break

10:00am - 10:30am

General Session Panel Discussion

10:30am - 11:30am

Topic: TBA

Moderator: TBA

Panelists: TBA

Expo, Lunch & SLICED

12:00pm - 3:00pm

SDA Quickfire: Best Practices & Innovations

3:30pm - 5:00pm

What you need to know and what you can implement today. Learn how successful dining operations use out-of-the-box thinking to keep their dining program moving forward and win over residents.

Participants:

  • Jim Epper, Director of Dining Services with Bishop Gadsden
  • Alan Jarecki, Vice President of Culinary Operations with Immanuel Communities
  • Elvis Burrows, Director of Dining Services with The Mayflower

Networking Cocktail Reception

5:00pm - 6:30pm
Wednesday, Leadership Development Workshop Keynoter Speaker

Eric Rowles

Raising Your Leadership Game:  Tools, Techniques and Communication 


In this fast paced, hands on, and skills-focused leadership development training, participants will be exposed to over a dozen tangible and ready-to-use leadership resources that can be use in their daily work. 

Wednesday

April 19, 2023

Synergy Day 4

Networking Breakfast

8:00 am - 9:00am

SLICED Awards & Opening General Session Panel Discussion

9:00am - 10:00am

Topic: TBA

Moderator: TBA

Panelists: TBA

Networking & Coffee Break

10:00 am - 10:30am

Leadership Development Workshop

10:30am - 12:30pm

Keynote Speaker: Eric Rowles

Raising Your Leadership Game: Tools, Techniques and Communication 

This highly interactive training will incorporate emotional intelligence inventories, communication and collaboration methods, and innovative tactics that SDA attendees can implement as soon as they get back home.   

Depart or stay and enjoy Houston

12:30pm

Register for The SDA Workforce & Culture Change Symposium

October 11-13, 2023

SDA Workforce & Culture Change Symposium to be held in Las Vegas, NV, October 11-13, 2023 at Caesar's Palace. The symposium will bring together senior living leaders from various organizations to discover how to align senior living with hospitality culture with a keen focus on workforce development, recruiting, training, and retention of top talent to remain competitive in the hospitality marketplace.  

Schedule is subject to change & will update monthly. Check back regularly for updates.


Copyright © 2023  Senior Dining Association  - All Rights Reserved.


The only dedicated association providing resources, education and networking opportunities for dining & hospitality in the senior living industry. 

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SDA Synergy Senior Dining Hospitality Conference

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