Conference Speakers
Keynote Speakers

Jim Knight
Culture That Rocks: Set List on How to Amp Up the Company’s Culture (to Eleven) and Deliver Sustainable Results
This high-energy, impactful and interactive keynote presentation focuses on individuals, departments and entire companies who are charged with creating, maintaining, or revolutionizing an organization’s culture, ensuring it stays relevant in the 21st century. The session delves into every area of a company’s environment and reveals realistic solutions for systemic change.
Keynote speaker and best-selling author, Jim Knight will act as a thought-starter for the session. He will use the visceral backdrop of Rock ‘n Roll and several well-known brands, including Hard Rock International—via his 21-year run with that brand as the head of Global Training & Development—to discuss key strategies to transform any organization’s culture, regardless of the company’s cultural history or status
Biography
With his energetic rock ‘n roll spirit and key business insights drawn from his decades as a Hard Rock International executive, Jim Knight shares strategies for developing leadership, transforming corporate cultures, and amping up customer service to achieve exceptional and sustainable results.
Although his illustrious career started at Gatorland Zoo in Florida (he has scars to prove it), Jim cut his teeth in the hospitality training industry and eventually led Global Training for Hard Rock International for two decades. Jim’s customized programs show how to amp up organizational culture, deliver world-class differentiated service, and build rock star teams and leaders.
Jim’s role at Hard Rock involved many facets of organizational training including creating and managing all staff and management training materials and programs; facilitating Hard Rock’s Corporate University; overseeing management training locations; producing training videos; directing company e-Learning initiatives; facilitating leadership transitions; and traveling to properties to deliver onsite classes and measure company standards.
Jim has a music degree in Vocal Performance and Education, and taught in the Florida public school system for 6 years. His bestseller Culture That Rocks highlights how organizations can stand out in a competitive marketplace by making sure their work cultures are “in tune” and “working off the same song sheet.”
Jim was recognized by Training Magazine as representing one of the top 125 training companies in the world out of all industries and businesses. He has since been featured in Forbes Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, Nation’s Restaurant News, Business News Daily and Fox Business News.