Florida Restaurant Show 2026

Jane leads innovation at FoodTech Inc., focusing on sustainable food solutions.

<p>Catering legend Bill Hansen, CEO of <a href="https://www.billhansen.com">The Hansen Group</a>, is a 50-plus-year industry veteran who provides personalized, curated experiences to anyone planning a wedding, a quince&ntilde;era, a bar/bat mitzvah, a corporate event or even a simple dinner party.</p> <p>Over the last four decades, this visionary has hosted four U.S. presidents, several championship Super Bowl teams, and countless celebrities and athletes. He has catered events for everyone from Pope John Paul II to the Bush family, the Reagan family, Michael Jordan, Usher, Kim Kardashian and beyond.</p> <p>More than just a catering industry giant, Bill&rsquo;s decades-long relationships with the region&rsquo;s top DJs, floral designers, lighting firms, linen and tabletop rentals, hotels and transportation companies have led to the creation of the brand, which specializes in weddings and events throughout South Florida. He oversees more than 400 events a year with 40 full-time and 200 on-call employees, averaging over $10 million in sales annually.</p>

Alison Anne worked her way from Hostess/Busser at a small family-owned restaurant in her hometown to AGM & Events Director at one of Washington, DC's largest sports bars during her 18 year career, in addition to being credentialed with the International Coaching Federation as a Professional Certified Coach. When she noticed the high levels of burnout, dissatisfaction, and turnover plaguing the industry, she discovered she had a knack for drilling down into the heart of what makes restaurants - and restaurant people - tick. Now, her love for the industry has her focusing on employee support and well-being, from the GM to the dishwasher, and working with her clients to connect their vision and growth initiatives to the needs of their staff, while making sure that they are equipped with the systems to do something about it.

Brian P. Connors is a visionary leader and industry innovator with over two decades of expertise in hospitality, higher education, and business development. As Principal Managing Partner of Connors Davis Hospitality, LLC, Brian has been instrumental in developing transformative strategies and forging strategic partnerships with premier hospitality and beverage brands worldwide. His consulting portfolio includes high-impact projects for global corporations such as Bacardi North America, Royal Caribbean International, and Sandals Resorts International. Brian is the Managing Partner and a lead facilitator for Accelerating Leaders, that collaborates with industry and academia to design cutting-edge solutions for operational training, leadership development, and educational resources. He is also an Advisory Board Member for growth and partnerships for Cecilia.ai. the world’s first interactive bartender utilizing artificial intelligence. In 2023 & 2024 Brian was honored as one of the Most Influential Educators in Global Hospitality by The International Hospitality Institute. He was also invited to be a TEDx speaker in 2023 and he shared his story called "Be Curious & Take Risks".

Worked in the pizza industry for years before 2004 as a general employee. Everything from inside, to driver to manager. Started as an insider at Pizza X then worked my way up to 3rdm 2nd then 1st assistant manager, eventually becoming GM of the Bedford location for 3 years. Parlayed my time with Pizza X into my current position with PMQ Pizza Magazine. Defined and changed my role over the years from basic inside and event planner to online video personality, test chef and Director of the U.S. Pizza Team, which entails planning competitions, managing competitions, planning international trips with up to 30 members to compete. Even planning and managing live streamed competitions for pizza acrobatics on ESPN 3. I firmly believe ini doing everything for yourself at least once. You cannot ask someone to do something you would never do, plus it gives you valuable insight into how that job should be done and what it entails. Understand your role, but understand the roles of those around you or that work for you as well. Anyone can bark orders, it takes a manager to understand them.

<p>Bruce Ozga is the Director of Professional &amp; Continuing Studies at St. Thomas University Previously, he was the Vice President of Culinary Education at Helms College in Augusta and Macon, GA. He is certified by the American Culinary Federation as a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator, as well as a Certified Hospitality Educator by the American Hotel &amp; Lodging Association. His experience in the foodservice industry spans over thirty-five years and across six different states. A native of Connecticut, he developed his culinary skills in several restaurants such as the 1784 Inn of Franklin, Norwich Inn and Spa and United Restaurant services in New Haven.</p> <p>Chef Ozga is a graduate of Johnson &amp; Wales University&rsquo;s Providence Campus with an associates degree in culinary arts and a bachelor&rsquo;s degree in food service management. He also holds a master&rsquo;s degree in education from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO.</p> <p>Education is truly his passion. He has been in education since 1993 when he moved to Texas to teach and be the program director at Galveston Community College. During his time in Texas, he was on the board of directors for the Texas Chefs Association. In the summer of 1997 he moved to Florida to teach and eventually become the Dean of Culinary Education at Johnson &amp; wales University&rsquo;s Miami and Denver campuses for over twenty years. He also served on the Florida Restaurant Association Educational Foundation board as a trustee-at-large over the last decade along with being the Vice Conseiller Culinaire with the Miami Chapter of the Chaine des Rotisseur.</p> <p>Over the years he has won many awards but more recently he was recognized as the Greater Miami ACF Educator of the Year and the Chef of the Year.</p>

Colleen Silk is a wife, Mompreneur, Hospitality Hustler, Ambassador &amp; Mental Health Hero Gold Influencer Winner at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theburntchefproject.com/services-for-individuals" rel="noopener" target="_blank">The Burnt Chef Project</a>, with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. She is the Founder of HBM and Podcast Host of Hospitality Bites, where she highlights the untold stories of the industry.

<p>Chef Colin Roche has been in the hospitality field for over thirty-five years and has multiple degrees in this discipline. He is also an award-winning educator who is a member of numerous professional organizations. Dr. Roche&rsquo;s certifications include the American Culinary Federation&rsquo;s &ldquo;Certified Executive Chef&rdquo; (CEC) and &ldquo;Certified Culinary Educator&rdquo; (CCE); The National Restaurant Association&rsquo;s &ldquo;Foodservice Management Professional&rdquo; (FMP); and the American Hotel &amp; Lodging Educational Institute&rsquo;s &ldquo;Certified Hospitality Educator&rdquo; (CHE).</p> Dr. Roche is currently employed by St. Thomas University in Miami as their dean of Biscayne College for the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. His college also houses the STU Honors College as well as the Institute for Ethical Leadership. His area of research interests includes culinary and hospitality education, tertiary education (teaching, learning, pedagogy, and assessment) and the scholarship of teaching &amp; learning (SOTL). He has published numerous articles and is also the co-author of the book &ldquo;Culinary Educators&rsquo; Teaching Tools &amp; Tips&rdquo; (Kendall Hunt, 2014).

Dale Willerton is The Lease Coach, America's #1 Lease Consultant for tenants. Formerly a shopping center manager, Willerton switched to exclusively helping tenants over 25 years ago. Willerton has successfully negotiated and coached on over 2000 lease projects for both independent and franchise tenants across North America. As an industry insider, Willerton wrote Negotiating Commercial Leases & Renewals FOR DUMMIES for tenants and frequently speaks at major restaurant and franchise shows across the country.

As a meat scientist for Certified Angus Beef, Dr. Daniel Clark enjoys teaching chefs, grocery leaders and foodservice distributors about beef quality and cuts at The Certified Angus Beef Culinary Center and at meat labs across the country. Daniel graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor&rsquo;s, master&rsquo;s and doctorate degree in meat and animal science. He also taught meat science courses and led research at The Ohio State University before joining the brand&rsquo;s staff in 2019.

<p>Daniel&rsquo;s is a partner in Sandman Savrann&rsquo;s Miami office and his practice is focused exclusively in the hospitality industry. He advises hotel, condo-hotel, restaurant and nightclub owners and operators in connection with a wide array of legal matters including acquisitions, leasing, compliance, licensing, guest relations issues, employment matters, ADA issues, data privacy, and litigation.</p> <p>In addition to his law practice, Daniel is also an adjunct professor of hospitality law at the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality &amp; Tourism Management and Broward College, and currently serves as President of the South Florida Chapter of HFTP&nbsp;(Hospitality Finance and Technology Professionals).</p>

Chef Daniel Contreras has more than 20 years of culinary experience at Disney&rsquo;s Parks and Resorts. Originally from Colombia, Chef Daniel started as a line cook with Disney in 2005 and has worked in&nbsp;some of the best kitchens at the&nbsp;Walt Disney World Resort, including Cinderella&rsquo;s Royal Table, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen, and Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom Park and Le Cellier Steakhouse, Rose &amp; Crown Dining Room, Biergarten Restaurant and Coral Reef Restaurant at EPCOT. He currently serves as Chef de Cuisine at Tiffin&rsquo;s Restaurant and Nomad Lounge at Disney&rsquo;s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

Danny Riggs is a Regional Sales Leader at Popmenu, a tech leader specializing in AI-powered, multichannel marketing for restaurants. He oversees sales teams across the East Coast, working closely with restaurants of all sizes to boost their revenue and profitability. As a founding member of the Toast sales team and former Director of Sales at Sunday, a top fintech platform for hospitality, he has spent over a decade helping restaurants modernize operations and elevate the guest experience. Known for his coaching-driven leadership and deep industry expertise, Danny is passionate about building high-performing teams and empowering operators to drive sustainable growth.