It all starts will the first-ever Henderson Hospitality Summit on May 13
Henderson County Public Library Special Events Coordinator Emily Hurt said she knew that if she were to attract best-selling author Will Guidara to Henderson the pitch would have to be something unique and perhaps a chance for the author and former owner of a restaurant named the world’s best to be a part of something he never had before.
So, she wrote out a letter and sent it to Guidara’s contact, inviting him to be a part of a hospitality movement—not just a guest speaker—that begins with the first-ever Henderson Hospitality Summit.
She got a response a day later from Guidara’s agent. After some more back and forth, which included a video that was created by Henderson leaders featuring local influencers, Guidara agreed to keynote the summit which will be 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., May 13 at the Preston Arts Center.
Hurt said she and colleagues that are a part of an HCPL book club had been reading Guidara’s best-selling book, “Unreasonable Hospitality,” and everyone in the group was inspired and wanted to implement his philosophies into HCPL’s culture.
Hurt thought a little bit bigger. “This would be something for us to lean into—hard,” she said.
And so, after discussions with HCPL Executive Director Shannon Sandefur and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Clay Gillham, a bigger idea was formed—the summit—and Hurt’s motivation and optimism grew.
“I’m just going to write him an email, and we’re going to get him,” Hurt said was her plan.
Soon, other leaders, Henderson Economic Development Executive Director Missy Vanderpool and Henderson Tourist Commission Executive Director Abby Dixon, were contacted and eagerly jumped on board.
“Before she even got the question out, I said ‘yes,’” Vanderpool said.
The goal that is started with the summit is simple, though, as the summit’s Facebook page says, ambitious. “Henderson is setting an ambitious goal to become one of the most hospitable places in the world, and this summit marks the beginning of that vision,” according to the Facebook page.
“Hospitality is in everything,” Vanderpool said.
Dixon, as tourist commission director, agrees that Henderson is already known as a hospitable town. She points to a story that recently occurred in Henderson as an example.
She said this past summer a couple from Oregon were guests on one of the Viking riverboats that stopped in Henderson. They spent a day in Henderson, attended a local garden party and experienced all the acts of hospitality, she said.
In September, that couple came back to Henderson because of little gestures that they were shown on their first trip. Dixon reported that the couple said “they loved this place because we felt so good.”
It continued on their September visit when, according to Dixon, they sat down next to Henderson residents at the Hometown Roots bar, where they struck up a conversation and soon were being treated to another round and the assurance of a ride to their hotel.
She said the Oregon couple could have picked any dot on the map to re-visit but they came back to Henderson, and Dixon said it’s because of the people.
She added that she’s well aware of what Henderson doesn’t have, especially in comparison to the well-known tourist destinations around the country. But “I’m also very proud of what we do have,” she said, adding Henderson’s people are extraordinary.
Guidara, who is also an executive producer and hospitality consultant on the FX and Hulu series “The Bear,” challenges leaders to rethink how intentional, people-first service can create “meaningful and lasting impact,” according to a release from the Henderson Hospitality Summit.
“What grabbed me right away was the intention behind this summit,” he said in the release. “You can feel that the team is treating hospitality as something bigger than a theme…they’re asking how it can shape the way a community shows up for one another, and how it can become part of the place itself. That kind of curiosity is how you build something people don’t just attend, but carry with them.”
Other guest speakers at the summit are:
- Brent Bruner, principal at Champlin | EOP, whose leadership includes nationally recognized hospitality and cultural projects.
- Kathleen Driskell, the 2025-2026 Kentucky Poet Laureate. Her work explores place, voice and human experience.
- Brooks Reitz, a Henderson native who is a writer and entrepreneur, owner of four restaurants, founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. and publisher of “A Small and Simple Thing,” a newsletter celebrating food, travel and culture.
Tickets for the summit are $50 and can be purchased at hcpl.org.
