July 21, 2026

12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Manor Room - The Virgin Hotel, 550 Baronne St, New Orleans, LA 70113, United States

Special Programming Seminar: any Tales Wristband Entry allowed; first come, first served. Doors open 12:00pm.

Since 2023, Mob of Mentors has amplified the voices of over 50+ global hospitality professionals on Tales stages and beyond... many for the first time. In 2026, we return with a bold new mission: to ensure that history doesn’t fade into obscurity, but instead becomes a catalyst for the future of our industry. We spent 18 months discussing the future of hospitality around the world, and how we are thrilled to launch this year’s theme asks: “Why does history inspire the present, and what happens if we lose it?” As new bartenders leap into creativity without foundational knowledge of cocktail culture, we risk severing ties to the very people, places, and practices that made our craft possible. Through 6-8 dynamic PechaKucha talks (20 slides x 20 seconds), speakers will resurface untold stories and overlooked legends, reviving industry memory, pride, and legacy. Backed by CGA x Bacardi research and real-time polling from 1,000+ global bartenders, this session blends fast-paced storytelling with deep insight. Attendees will leave with a renewed sense of purpose, ready to honour the past as they build the future. This is history in motion: a call to learn it, share it, and never forget it.

July 20, 2026

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Education, Seminar Pass Required

Algiers, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA

Hotels have always shaped cocktail history, helping cocktail culture to spread across the US, and spreading that around the world. From the Bloody Mary to the Pina Colada, from the Blue Blazer to the Blue Hawaiian, their impact on our industry is unparalled. But what does the future hold, and how will the boom in tourism and travel shape the industry? We are on the cusp of an unprecedented boom in hotel openings in both the US and internationally. And at the premium end, hotels are making sure their bars and beverages are getting an upgrade. This session explores why bartenders, bar managers, operators, and brand partners should care. We’ll look at how hotel openings across the country and the globe are changing the dynamics of hiring, concept creation, and beverage leadership at scale. If you are a bartender we’ll look at the incredible opportunity this provides, and why you should have no reservations about getting involved. And we’ll unpack how hotels are competing for top talent, leveling up guest expectations, and creating new avenues for long-term career growth.

July 20, 2026

 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM

Education, Seminar Pass Required

Lafayette East, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA

Leadership in hospitality is at a pivotal moment. Historically centred on operations and service delivery, it must now evolve to shape culture, grow talent, communicate meaning, and give both teams and guests a reason to care. Today’s hospitality leaders are no longer just managing venues; they are designing relevance, emotional connection, and purpose. By 2030, Gen Y and Gen Z will hold over 60% of leadership roles in hospitality, yet 88% say they would leave an organisation if leadership values did not reflect their own. Experience-led venues outperform transactional ones by 2.3 times, and employee belonging now outranks salary as the strongest retention driver. We are not facing a skills shortage. We are facing a values shift. This session explores how leadership must transform for 2026, 2030, and 2036. Using insights from INSEAD, CGA, MPI, industry white papers, and global interviews, we unpack four future-focused leadership behaviours: Sensemaking, Talent Cultivation, Adaptive Influence, and Future-Creating Leadership. This is not a toolkit. It is a research-driven, commercially relevant, human-centred conversation about how we lead, grow, and build hospitality’s future.

July 20, 2026

3:30 PM-4:30 PM

Education, Seminar Pass Required

Audubon, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA

Filtration is one of the most overlooked yet defining steps in how spirits are made. Join David Rodriguez (Master Distiller of PATRÓN), Rob McCaughey (WSET Global), and Mary Allison Wright (Yacht Club, Denver) for a conversation exploring how filtration shapes aroma, texture, stability, and flavor across spirits and cocktails. Expanding on today’s growing interest in production transparency and flavor design, this seminar will reveal what filtration removes, what it protects, and why those choices matter. Guests will leave with a deeper understanding of filtration techniques, their sensory impact, and how to turn technical production details into engaging storytelling and elevated cocktails.