The TALENT Conference 2026

Phil Batty & Gayle Shepherd, Glasgow 2026

Marcello Ventisei, Area General Manager for Scotland for IHG Hotels

The Power of Being Uncomfortable!

Understanding how you learn and not being afraid to fail.

In this session Marcello will present on the importance of lifelong learning in developing your career and will share how his own level of consciousness towards learning has shifted through his own career, through the peers that have influenced him and reflect on his learning experiences as a previous HIT Scholar.

David Equi & Alex Equi, Equi’s Ice Cream

Building a Scottish brand across generations

In this honest and reflective keynote, David & Alex Equi share the story of Equi’s Ice Cream and its journey as a fourth-generation Scottish ice cream manufacturing business. Speaking from two generational perspectives, they discuss leadership, succession and the practical realities of evolving a family brand while remaining true to its roots, offering thoughtful insights and relatable takeaways.

Bonita Norris

The Mountaineer's Mindset

In this talk, Bonita Norris will share the lessons she learned facing up to the world's highest mountains as a beginner mountaineer with an ambitious goal.

Expect to hear a journey fraught with setbacks and near failure, that ultimately culminated in success, and learn mindset tools that will support you to keep climbing the mountains in your work and life.

Seminars

Mary Jane Flannagan

Performance under pressure – Building your resilience

Resilience isn’t just about “bouncing back” , it’s about understanding how your brain and body respond to pressure and learning how to work with that system, not against it. In this engaging workshop, we’ll explore the science behind resilience, from the amygdala’s role in triggering emotional responses to the adrenal gland and hormones that shape our stress levels. More importantly, we’ll translate that science into everyday strategies you can use;  from powerful visualisation techniques that use music and even smells to shift your state of mind, to simple breathing practices, journaling methods, and the impact of diet and anticipation on your wellbeing. You’ll leave not only with insight into why resilience matters, but also with a toolkit of practical habits to help you stay calm, energised, and ready for whatever life throws your way.

Rob Moore, Be More Human

Generations in Sync: Mastering Intergenerational Collaboration

Unlock the power of intergenerational collaboration with our dynamic session designed to help you and your team thrive. The Be More Human “Intergenerational Working” training is grounded in academic and field research and our extensive, lived experience working with local, national and global businesses.

In today’s challenging times, your team can add significant value to your customers and business by learning how to work together more effectively. This interactive session is designed to help you gain a deeper understanding of intergenerational dynamics and crucially how you can optimise your workplace to make the most of them. We will challenge you to rethink your approach to teamwork, fostering more effective collaboration and a stronger sense of connection. Join us to help you transform your team dynamics and build a more cohesive, productive, and understanding workplace.

Workshop Highlights: Take a journey through the generations, challenging stereotypes and exploring the behaviours of Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Gain insights into the generational traits that impact team effectiveness and learn how to leverage these differences for better collaboration. Explore tangible strategies to overcome the challenges of intergenerational working, and discover ways to encourage, develop, and inspire a more diverse and unified workplace

Sam Chance, Scrumptious Marketing

Turning Culture into Content: Storytelling That Attracts Hospitality Talent

Candidates don’t want job ads, they want to see what it actually feels like to work for you.

In this talk, we’ll break down how hospitality brands can turn everyday moments, team experiences and values into compelling stories that build trust and drive applications, without needing big budgets or polished campaigns.

Alison Blair, Buzzworks

Art of Hospitality. The Heart of Hospitality. Connecting, Culture and Care.

The simplicity of looking after People, yourself, your team and of course your customers.

Leigh Mellis, JetLogic

The Grit Behind the Glamour: How to Be Successful in Luxury Travel

In this talk, Leigh Mellis draws on a career spent at the sharp end of luxury travel — from working in the world of superyachts to building jetlogic, Scotland’s number one private aviation company, operating globally across 100+ countries.

Over the past 16 years, Leigh and her team have built a reputation as trusted private jet partners to business leaders, politicians, ultra-high-net-worth individuals and celebrities from the worlds of music, sport and entertainment, as well as luxury travel, hospitality and corporate partners.

Leigh offers a rare, behind-the-scenes perspective on what real success in luxury travel looks like — far beyond the glamour. Drawing on real-world experience, she explains how jetlogic operates 24/7 in a high-pressure global environment where trust, discretion and flawless execution are non-negotiable, what hospitality professionals need to understand about building trust across borders and managing expectations at the highest level, and why the biggest lesson she has learned throughout her career is simple: lasting success in luxury travel is about relationships, not transactions.

Kirsty MacCormick, Senior Vice President of Global Operations, Finlay Anderson, Director of Operations, bbspa Group

 Beyond the Blueprint: The Future of Spa Development & Design

In a world where wellness is no longer a luxury but an expectation, the way spas are conceived, designed, and operated is evolving at lightning speed. In this session, global spa development expert Kirsty MacCormick and operations strategist Finlay Anderson take you behind the scenes of bbspa’s approach to creating world-class spa destinations that balance visionary design with commercial performance.

From the drawing board to the guest journey, they’ll explore:

●       The DNA of successful spa design – how concept, storytelling, and flow create emotional connection.

●       Design with purpose – integrating wellness trends, sustainability, and technology into future-ready spaces.

●       Beyond beauty – why a spa must perform financially as well as experientially.

●       Case studies & insights – lessons from bbspa projects across the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.

●       Looking forward – what’s next for spa architecture and development in an era of meta-luxury and immersive wellness.

Takeaway:

Delegates will leave with a sharper understanding of how to approach spa projects with both creativity and commercial intelligence, gaining insights into the collaborative process of design and operations that turn a concept into a profitable, guest-loved reality.

Dave Allen, HIT Scotland

Leading the Future: Your 2026 Executive Roadmap

Moving from operational management to strategic leadership represents a daunting but essential shift in a leader's journey. For HR and L&D practitioners, mastering this transition is vital for building a resilient talent pipeline; for the individual, it is the foundation upon which long-term growth and influence is defined.

 This session explores the 2026 HIT Scotland Executive & Leadership Programmes, a series specifically designed to bridge the gap between day-to-day excellence and C-suite strategy. We will break down the core pillars of the upcoming programme series including; Leadership Redefined, AI: The Intelligent Edge, Financial Command, and Cyber Security, focusing on how these immersive experiences can solve some of the real-world challenges of leading culture change, navigating strategic complexity, and keeping pace with technological shifts.

Using real-time benchmarking, we will examine current and future skills gaps within the Scottish hospitality sector and discuss how these programmes can be integrated into your wider business learning strategy.

Gillian Rae, Spectra

Understanding Incentive Travel, the MICE Industry, and Destination Management

Understand what incentive travel is and explain how it motivates and rewards top performers within global organisations. Describe the role of the MICE industry and how Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Events connect travel, business, hospitality, and creative experience design. Identify the role of a Destination Management Company (DMC) and explain why organisations rely on DMCs for local expertise, logistics, and creative programme design. Recognise the key factors that make a DMC successful, using Spectra as a real-world example of excellence in service, attention to detail, and delivery. Explore career pathways within incentive travel, events, and destination management, including the skills and attributes most valued in the industry. Appreciate the importance of cultural experiences, sustainability, and authenticity in designing memorable and meaningful incentive programmes. Gain insight into real client expectations, planning processes, and the teamwork required to deliver seamless, high-quality programmes.