Spring is an exciting time for Hospitality in Healthcare as we continue to provide professional development opportunities for our members, recognise excellence across the industry and prepare for our 2026 National Conference in Hobart.

Leadership Webinar

We recently welcomed Jodie Cranham from Cranham & Co, who delivered an engaging and practical webinar on effective delegation.

Jodie explored why delegation can be challenging, particularly when leaders are under pressure and feel it may be quicker or easier to complete tasks themselves. She shared practical strategies to help leaders delegate with greater clarity, confidence and trust.

The session reinforced that effective delegation is about much more than reducing a leader’s workload. When done well it develops people, strengthens teams, improves outcomes and allows leaders to focus on higher-value responsibilities.

2026 National Conference – Tasmania

Planning is progressing well for the 2026 National Conference, which will be held at Wrest Point in Hobart from 12–14 October. This year’s theme “Smart Hospitality: Redefining Service in Healthcare” reflects the changing nature of our industry and the importance of innovation, technology and collaboration.

The Conference program is taking shape, with an exciting range of keynote speakers, industry presentations, workshops, site tours and networking opportunities planned. The program will showcase the excellent work occurring across our industry and provide delegates with practical ideas they can take back to their workplaces.

Excellence Awards

The 2026 Excellence Awards have once again highlighted the exceptional people, teams and projects working across healthcare hospitality services.

This year we received an outstanding 113 nominations and I personally had the privilege of reading and judging 76 of them. While this was a major task, it was also incredibly rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the wonderful people in our industry who work hard every day to make a genuine difference to their patients, residents, colleagues and communities.

Due to popular demand, the Project of the Year Award was reintroduced this year. The nominations showcased some truly impressive projects and demonstrated the innovation, passion and commitment found throughout our industry.

Congratulations to every nominee, finalist and state award recipient. Being nominated is a significant achievement and recognition of the positive contribution you make within your organisation and the wider healthcare community. You should all feel extremely proud.

Our state winners will now progress to the national judging process, with the national award recipients announced at the Conference Gala Dinner in Hobart. I look forward to celebrating their achievements and recognising some of the very best people and projects in our industry.

Thank you to our Board, committees, members and supporters for your continued commitment to Hospitality in Healthcare. I am incredibly proud of what we are achieving together and look forward to seeing many of you in Hobart.

LISA CRANHAM National President