The Training High Five is your chance to celebrate and showcase the best in hospitality training! This recognition program highlights particularly effective training solutions developed and implemented by CHART members. These strategies have improved training, accelerated learning, and boosted employee performance. Now, it’s your turn to explore, adapt, and ignite your own success. Get inspired, borrow brilliance, and build something even better! #CHARTtrainers
T RA I N I NG HIGH 5
2026
An Association of Hospitality Trainers
Training High Five
The Training High Five is your chance to celebrate and showcase the best in hospitality training! This recognition program highlights particularly effective training solutions developed and implemented by CHART members. Winning solutions take center stage at CHART conferences and earn a spot in our annual compilation—a go-to resource for fresh, proven ideas. These strategies have improved training, accelerated learning, and boosted employee performance. Now, it’s your turn to explore, adapt, and ignite your own success. Get inspired, borrow brilliance, and build something even better! Share Your Success Got a training solution that made a real impact? Pay it forward! By sharing your success, you’ll be living CHART’s guiding principles of Learning, Sharing, Growing, and Caring and helping fellow trainers elevate their game. Whether it’s a quick, effective training game or a full-scale rollout strategy, if it moved the needle at your company (and isn’t proprietary), we want to hear about it! Submit your idea to CHART and be part of a community that thrives on innovation and collaboration. How to Submit Your Ideas Nominations are accepted year ‘round. Visit the CHART website (Community > Awards & Scholarships) for more details and the quick and easy online nomination form. The CHART Board will periodically review ideas for originality, impact, and relevance. The top ideas submitted will be highlighted at a CHART conference and then posted on the CHART website for members to see and use.
2026 WINNERS
Pizza Topping Practice Activity: Turning Recipes into Interactive Learning Submitted by: Alyssa Bunkley Training Specialist | Dewey’s Pizza Using Games to Enhance Knowledge, Retention, and Engagement Submitted by: Sylvia Cruz Franchise Training Manager Whataburger All About Me Forms: Building Belonging from Day One Submitted by: Anna Mason Director of Learning and Development Edley’s Bar-B-Que Play Your Way to Better Learning: DiSC Playland Submitted by: Carlye Henderson Learning and Development Manager Eat’n Park Hospitality Group ASCENT: A 6-month Leadership Development Experience Submitted by: Travis Smith Senior Training Manager, People Development & Culture | Pyramid Global Hospitality Monthly Mash-up: Keeping Learning Live, Relevant, and Connected Submitted by: Angelina Sabatini Manager of Training | Live Nation Entertainment - Venue Nation
Winner HIGH
2026 CHART Training
Pizza Topping Practice Activity: Turning Recipes into Interactive Learning Alyssa Bunkley, Training Specialist Dewey’s Pizza
Objective
Teaching recipe builds is foundational in restaurant training—but too often it relies on passive methods like studying menus, reviewing flashcards, or practicing directly on the line. Dewey’s Pizza wanted to transform recipe training into an interactive, waste-free experience that allowed team members to build confidence before ever touching real ingredients.
Alyssa Bunkley Dewey’s Pizza
How it Works
Using Articulate Storyline, we created an interactive pizza topping practice activity that simulates the build process digitally. Team members select toppings one at a time in the correct order, receiving immediate feedback if a selection is incorrect. Once completed successfully, the system displays a pizza chart outlining the ingredients, their order, and portion amounts. The activity mirrors real build standards while creating a psychologically safe environment where learners can practice, make mistakes, and try again. The template can be customized for any recipe build and is available for others to adapt within their own Storyline projects. This flexible tool can be used for new hire onboarding, seasonal menu rollouts, remedial training for
team members who need reinforcement, or re-training for employees returning from leave.
Results
The interactive approach has increased speed to efficiency, reduced food waste, and improved team member confidence. By shifting recipe training from passive review to hands-on digital practice, Dewey’s Pizza has created a scalable solution that strengthens both performance and engagement.
Winner HIGH
2026 CHART Training
Using Games to Enhance Knowledge, Retention, and Engagement Sylvia Cruz, Franchise Training Manager Whataburger
As Whataburger rapidly expanded from 850 restaurants in 10 states to more than 1,165 restaurants across 17 states, generating employee engagement in new markets became a significant challenge. Many new employees were unfamiliar with the brand, and traditional training methods weren’t enough to spark energy and connection. Objective
How it Works
Sylvia Cruz Whataburger
Drawing inspiration from Jeopardy-style games previously used in ServSafe classes, they
introduced simple, low-tech gamification into new restaurant opening training. Using accessible materials—poster board, post-it notes, markers, and
training manuals—new restaurant opening trainers created customized Jeopardy boards with categories such as Food Safety, Burgers, Chicken, and Hospitality. Questions were assigned point values, and teams competed while reinforcing key operational knowledge. A Whataburger-themed Lotería card activity models how playful competition can drive retention and participation. An unexpected benefit emerged during development: as trainers created questions for the game, they deepened their own understanding of the material and became more intentional about how they presented it during training sessions.
Results
The Jeopardy-style approach increased engagement, strengthened knowledge retention, and elevated overall training quality. By using simple tools and a creative mindset, Whataburger successfully built brand excitement in new markets while strengthening both trainer and learner effectiveness.
Winner HIGH
2026 CHART Training
All About Me Forms: Building Belonging from Day One Anna Mason, Director of Learning and Development | Edley’s Bar-B-Que
Objective
Strong engagement begins with personal connection. This is a structured way to intentionally build community and belonging by ensuring every team member feels known, valued, and celebrated from the start.
How it Works The “All About Me” form collects personal information from each team
Anna Mason Edley’s Bar-B-Que
member, including likes, dislikes, allergies, aspirations, and practical details such as t-shirt size and dietary restrictions. A longer version is used for managers and support center team members, while a streamlined version supports new restaurant openings. This information enables leaders to
personalize recognition, thoughtfully plan team meals, and celebrate accomplishments in ways that resonate individually. It also ensures inclusivity during training events by proactively accounting for dietary needs and preferences. To streamline the process, completed forms are scanned and compiled into organized Excel sheets using AI tools, making the data easily accessible and actionable.
Results
By fostering stronger personal connections and intentional celebration, this approach helped reduce 90-day turnover by more than 30% between restaurant openings. The initiative demonstrates how simple personalization strategies can significantly strengthen engagement, trust, and retention.
Winner HIGH
2026 CHART Training
Play Your Way to Better Learning: DiSC Playland Carlye Henderson, Learning and Development Manager | Eat’n Park Hospitality Group
Objective
Charged with helping salaried leaders better fulfill the company’s purpose of “creating smiles,” they sought a fast, engaging way to elevate leadership effectiveness across dispersed field teams. Rather than delivering a traditional facilitated session, training aimed to create a dynamic learning experience that turned theory into practice.
How it Works
Carlye Henderson Eat’n Park
The result was DiSC Playland, an immersive, play-based learning program built around the DiSC assessment. The format flipped the traditional training ratio from 50% lecture and 50% activities to 90% experiential activities and just 10% facilitation. Key activities include: Tower Challenge : A competitive
team-building exercise that highlights behavioral differences under pressure. Mad Libs Storytelling : A structured activity for sharing personal narratives and deepening self-awareness. Compliment Throwdown : A high-energy feedback exercise that builds appreciation and reinforces individual value. Jenga Trivia Twist : A hands-on quiz game that reinforces learning through play. Each activity is followed by a purposeful debrief to connect the experience back to leadership behaviors and workplace application.
Results
DiSC Playland strengthened organizational culture by fostering empathy, playfulness, and shared understanding of values. Leaders demonstrated measurable
improvements in communication, collaboration, and appreciation for diverse working styles. By infusing play into learning, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group transformed leadership development into an experience that is memorable, practical, and deeply engaging.
Winner HIGH
2026 CHART Training
ASCENT: A 6-month Leadership Development Experience Travis Smith, Senior Training Manager, People Development and Culture | Pyramid Global Hospitality
Objective Pyramid Global Hospitality recognized a gap between operational expertise and enterprise leadership readiness. Many high-potential leaders excelled within their departments or properties but had limited opportunities to develop strategic thinking, build cross-functional relationships, or gain exposure to senior leadership. The solution was ASCENT, a six-month leadership development experience designed to build a stronger internal leadership pipeline while simultaneously creating real business value.
Travis Smith Pyramid Hospitality
How it Works
ASCENT brings together high-potential leaders from different hotels, disciplines, and geographic regions for a cohort-based development experience. The program combines monthly learning tied to leadership competencies with executive mentorship, peer networking, and cross-functional collaboration. Participants are assigned to teams and spend six months working on executive-sponsored business challenges with the potential to influence future organizational decisions. While teams advance their capstone projects independently, executive leaders remain actively involved as mentors, guest speakers, sponsors, and final project reviewers. The experience culminates in a formal presentation to executive leadership, where participants share actionable recommendations while demonstrating their growth as leaders and their ability to think strategically about the organization as a whole.
Results
ASCENT has become more than a leadership program. It has created a connected community of emerging leaders who are invested in the future success of the organization. Participants develop greater confidence, broaden their perspectives, strengthen relationships across the company, and shift from thinking primarily about their individual departments to thinking like enterprise leaders.
2026 CHART Training Winner HIGH Monthly Mash-Up: Keeping Learning Live, Relevant, and Connected Angelina Sabatini, Manager of Training | Live Nation Entertainment - Venue Nation
Objective With teams spread across venues, offices, and remote locations, Venue Nation wanted to create more opportunities for leaders to continue developing their human and leadership skills throughout the year. The goal was to offer learning that was accessible, engaging, and relevant – while also creating connections across the organization. The answer was Monthly Mash-Up, a live, interactive learning series designed to help leaders tune up their skills, amplify their confidence, and continue growing together.
Angelina Sabatini Live Nation
How it Works
Each Monthly Mash-Up is a 60-minute virtual live learning experience focused on a relevant leadership or operational topic. Sessions blend learning, laughter, and collaboration while giving participants opportunities to actively engage rather than simply listen. To launch the series, a yearlong content calendar was created that aligns learning topics with business priorities and seasonal needs. For example, goal writing was featured in February, followed by time management in March – just ahead of the busy Amphitheater concert season. Participant feedback helps shape future sessions and allows the program to continue evolving based on the needs and voices of the people participating.
Results
Monthly Mash-Up has become an important part of Venue Nation’s efforts to engage teams through learning, development, and career and leadership acceleration. The series gives team members regular opportunities to build new skills, connect with colleagues across the organization, and participate in learning at every level. By combining timely topics with live interaction and a feedback-driven approach, the program keeps development connected to the business, and makes learning something teams can look forward to all year long.
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