Christine Manfield has been confirmed as a speaker at the upcoming Hospitality Leaders Summit held on Monday 29 July in Sydney.
The chef, restaurateur and author will take part in a one-on-one discussion with MC Alex Herbert (Bird Cow Fish), where the pair will discuss everything from closing her final restaurant Universal to pioneering pop-ups, mentoring young chefs and how travel has led to a natural new chapter in her career.
Manfield recently spoke to Hospitality about the importance of travel during the early days of her career and her current role hosting tours in countries including India, Mexico, Italy, Colombia and more.
“My favourite motto is, ‘Life starts at the end of your comfort zone’,” she says. “I’m not interested in being mediocre — I’m always up for a challenge and that’s what travel provides. When I had restaurants, it was mandatory for me to escape for a week or a few days and throw myself into something else. The creative juices start flowing again and you can bring back what you learn and use it to grow your business.”
Manfield will join more than 30 industry leaders including Kylie Javier Ashton (Momofuku Seiobo), Justin North (Concept Hospitality), Chrissy Flanagan (The Sausage Factory), Mal Meiers (R U OK?), Sven Almenning (Speakeasy Group), Tara Sullivan (Solotel), Mitch Orr (ACME), Lucy Allon (Straight to the Source), Sam Egerton (Merivale) and more.
The one-day summit will cover hospitality’s most pressing topics including attracting and retaining local staff, building a brand beyond a restaurant, mental health and wellbeing, 2020 trends, marketing and social media, solo chefs vs group operators and more.
Early bird tickets are on sale until 29 June for restaurant trade and suppliers.