HOSPITALITY THAT WOWs

How Brains, Brands, and Behavior Create Unforgettable Guest Experiences

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Before your guest tastes the food, checks in, or hears a greeting—their brain is already making judgments. Do I feel welcome? Safe? Seen? Valued? These snap perceptions shape the emotional arc of the entire experience—and ultimately determine whether they’ll rave, return, or regret.

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In this high-impact keynote, Dr. Melissa Hughes takes hospitality leaders behind the scenes of the guest brain to uncover how subconscious cues, sensory signals, and brand behaviors shape how people feel—and what they remember. Combining neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and practical brand strategy, she delivers the science behind creating emotionally resonant, neurologically sticky guest journeys.

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This isn’t about good service—it’s about designing for delight, engineering trust, and choreographing guest interactions in ways that create loyalty at the level of the nervous system. Attendees will walk away with a new lens on experience design and a toolbox for building moments that move people.