Propel unveils details of dozen ‘deep-dive’ parallel sessions at Culture, Talent & Training Conference: Propel has unveiled the details of a dozen “parallel sessions” at this year’s Culture, Talent & Training Conference, which offer the chance to deep-dive into specialist subjects. There will be a chance for teams attending the conference to break away and absorb as many parallel sessions as they want. The parallel sessions will run alongside the main conference. Propel managing director Paul Charity said: “Aside from hearing from a lot of the UK’s best operators about how they are getting the best out of their teams in what is such a challenging labour and economic environment, there’s the opportunity to attend parallel sessions that will focus on the vital detail. We already have many hundreds of people registered for the event – it’s a unique chance to health-check and strengthen your company culture.” The Culture, Talent & Training Conference is on Thursday, 9 October (click here for full schedule). Tickets for the conference are £295 plus VAT for operators and £345 plus VAT for suppliers. There is a 20% discount for operators and suppliers who are Premium Club subscribers. Email: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com to book places. The parallel sessions are: Elton Mouna – tackling the misuse of power and bullying in hospitality: Expect a session that will be different, maybe even difficult to hear, but expect relevance, and honesty with an important message. Mouna, a pub sector deep-dive project specialist, will share his motivation for creating a movement for change, his vision, and the progress made so far. He will also share the names of the 12 wise men and women he has assembled who not only understand why misuse of power happens but also bring solutions for positive change. He will share anonymised examples of real-life sector bullying, but also wants to gather further perspectives and thoughts; Candid Hospitality – the psychology of champions, how hospitality meets elite sports: Join chartered psychologist Tom Young in an interactive session that delves into the world of elite teams and their approach to culture, psychological safety, and behavioural profiling. Young has consulted with some of the world’s most successful teams, including Team Europe at the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, Wigan Warriors, Manchester United Women and Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson, and has worked closely with hospitality brands including The Alchemist and Zizzi while sitting on the advisory board for Candid Hospitality. Join him to explore how top teams use culture to unlock success; Sixty Eight People – catalyst by Sixty Eight People: Join Sixty Eight People for an exclusive, interactive session tailored for people leaders keen to elevate their senior leadership teams. Coaches Cally Bannon Smith and Cassie Ruthven, alongside industry-leading people directors, will unveil the transformative power of insights discovery and team effectiveness when driving senior leadership team performance. Discover how Insights can enhance collaboration, leverage diversity, and propel team performance. Participate in engaging exercises, gain unique insights from successful people leaders, and witness how these techniques have significantly impacted their senior leadership teams’ development; 5Mins AI – why so many skip hospitality careers – and training that wins them back: Join Hannah Swarbrick, head of people at Big Fang Collective, and Saurav Chopra, chief executive of 5Mins AI, as they tackle one of hospitality’s major challenges: the majority of staff don’t want industry careers. Swarbrick reveals why accepting this reality – rather than fighting it – transforms training outcomes. Instead of forcing linear pathways, she advocates for learner-led development that lets teams choose what interests them, from soft skills to sales skills. This counterintuitive approach actually improves engagement and performance. Swarbrick will share how shifting from mandatory linear progression to “learn what excites you” creates genuine development conversations. Chopra will demonstrate how 5Mins enables this through TikTok-style, bite-sized learning that makes skills development addictive rather than obligatory. Discover why giving teams control over their learning journey paradoxically makes them more likely to excel; Hit Training – training teams for unforgettable service – the mindset that drives guest loyalty: Hosted by Jeremy Scorer, director of licensed trade at Hit Training, this session features leadership and performance coach Paul Martin, who will share how the right mindset and behaviours can turn everyday service into memorable guest experiences. With customer expectations rising and margins under pressure, training teams to connect emotionally with guests is more important than ever. Martin will reveal practical techniques for developing confidence, presence, and service habits that create loyalty, repeat visits, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Delegates will take away fresh insights on how investing in training and mindset development delivers a direct impact on revenue and reputation; Expert LMS – obsessed by people, powered by technology: This session will discuss putting people at the heart of everything we do, while using technology as the engine that brings ideas to life, connects teams, and creates opportunities for growth that lasts. Helen Bowden, managing director of Expert LMS, talks about people being the true driving force behind every successful organisation. Technology alone cannot create change – it is people who shape culture, drive innovation, and deliver results. Our obsession with people means we design every solution with their growth, engagement, and potential in mind. Bowden talks to Jon Calabrese, operations director of Clays, who, with more than 16 years in hospitality, has also launched the Clayers Academy, driving team engagement and reducing turnover to 28%. His obsession for people, training and technology has help shape the award-winning business; Sideways – Sideways unlocked – compliance courses that can now work everywhere: Discover how Sideways is transforming compliance training with video-based courses that teams actually like and where learning actually happens. In this dynamic session, Leanne Gunson, head of learning and development at Pizza Pilgrims, and Shaw Morgan, learning and development partner at Pizza Pilgrims, sit down with Sideways managing director Dhilon Solanki to share first-hand how they have used the Sideways platform, but then seamlessly integrated its courses into All Gravy, Pizza Pilgrims’ new workforce management solution. See how operators can unlock greater flexibility, better learning, and lower prices. Every attendee will also receive free access to Sideways’ inspection ready course; Mapal – shining a spotlight on neurodiversity in hospitality: Abbie Macpherson, head of digital design at Mapal, will be joined by Alex Folwell, head of learning and development at The Big Table Group, to shine a spotlight on neurodiversity in hospitality. They will explore how to design engaging and inclusive learning experiences that enable neurodivergent team members to thrive in their roles and feel genuinely supported at work; TiPJAR – the technology, the culture, and the return on investment of well-being: Join Dan Hawkie, chief commercial officer of Tipjar, and Hannah Plumb, talent and culture director at The Alchemist, as they reveal how The Alchemist has built a culture that drives engagement, develops talent, and bridges the challenges of operating across both the UK and Germany. This session will uncover how employee well-being delivers returns for the team and guests, why financial well-being is the missing piece of the puzzle, the technology that genuinely makes a difference – and the traps to avoid, and how Tipjar helped The Alchemist transition payroll smoothly, without relying on pay advance schemes. Discover how investing in people creates measurable impact for teams, guests, and the bottom line; Purple Story – building a culture where money worries don’t hold people back: When two in five employees are distracted by money stress every week, it’s not just their focus that suffers — it’s their confidence, growth, and well-being. This session, explores how weaving financial well-being into training and culture can give individuals the tools to thrive in life and work, creating stronger, more resilient teams.