The Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research (IHTER) team led by Dean Hampton and Dr. Karen Wollard held the first-ever Regional Training Forum event for the Council of Hotel & Restaurant Trainers (CHART) on campus on Thursday January 14. Dean Hampton, himself a past president of CHART, welcomed 33 area training professionals from all sectors of the hospitality industry. Ruth Spiegel, president of Cold Stone Creamery and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, addressed the attendees on the subject of turnover and employee retention and presented her home-grown, innovative solution for capturing instant customer experience feedback. Attendees also had the opportunity to introduce themselves and voted unanimously to continue meeting to discuss and share best practices. Photo: FIU hospitality management Dean Mike Hampton speaking at the first-ever regional training forum for the Council of Hotel and Restaurant Trainers (CHART).