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 ATD26 Keynotes

Nicole Vassallo's profile image
Nicole Vassallo Community Champion posted 12-15-2025 12:34 PM

ATTENTION!  An email just came out that ATD will announce a keynote speaker tomorrow!  Let's collect our guesses... Who will keynote in LA next May?  

In a moment defined by disruption, leadership is no longer about reacting. It is about shaping what comes next. 

Tomorrow, ATD will announce a keynote speaker who embodies that mindset in a powerful and unexpected way. A New York Times bestselling author who has built iconic experiences by putting people, culture, and purpose first. 

Rebecca Tannujaya's profile image
Rebecca Tannujaya Community Manager

Ah, I'm so excited to hear who it is!

Nicole Vassallo's profile image
Nicole Vassallo Community Champion

And the first keynote is..........Will Guidara!  I hear we have FOUR this year, so who knows when the next will be announced!  Can't wait!  

Unreasonable Hospitality: How Giving People More Than They Expect Can Get You To #1

Will Guidara took Eleven Madison Park from a middling Brasserie to the best restaurant in the world when he realized something revolutionary – in a restaurant, the food, the service, and the design are simply ingredients in the recipe of human connection. When Will encouraged his team to be present with their guests, take what they do seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and employ a “one size fits one” strategy, magic happened. In this talk, Will shares why these lessons took EMP to #1, and how an unreasonable approach to the pursuit of human connection can help you win – and give people an experience they’ll remember forever.