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Relais & Châteaux invites Retensa as a Keynote Speaker to Annual Executive Chef’s Event

Retensa keynote at Relais & Châteaux Chefs’ Club on employee turnover issues and retention solutions
Retensa keynote at Relais & Châteaux Chefs’ Club on employee turnover issues and retention solutions

Relais & Châteaux, a global association of independent luxury hotels and restaurants, invites Chason Hecht, Founder and CEO of Retensa, as Keynote Speaker at the Chefs’ Club event in the Dominican Republic on September 4, 2026. Chason will lead an interactive session to deliver modern employee retention strategies for the executive chefs and restaurateurs who attend.

Every open kitchen role costs a restaurant in service quality and labor budget. Turnover in key positions disrupts kitchens that depend on tight teams and consistent standards. The session addresses retention challenges facing casual and fine dining restaurants today.

Workforce Pressure in Luxury Properties

Relais & Châteaux properties often operate in destinations where luxury standards demand highly specialized culinary talent, and the Chefs’ Club event brings together chefs and hospitality leaders from across the Americas. Recruitment and retention rank among each attendee’s top concerns. This session extends that focus into a practical plan to predict and prevent costly staff turnover and attract, motivate and retain restaurant workers long-term.

An Employee Lifecycle Framework Built for Action

The workshop centers on the proven Emergent Employee Lifecycle (“ELC”) framework, which maps seven stages, from attraction and recruitment through onboarding, engagement, and exit. The ELC views the employee experience a continuum of intersections to build connectedness, trust, and loyalty, rather than a single decision to join, stay or quit. The session will place cutting-edge AI technology in the hands-on learning style of a chef audience, and simultaneous English-to-Spanish translation to support attendees from across Latin America.

“Turnover rarely comes down to one bad day. It builds up over a series of breakdowns in needs, wants or expectations. From a rushed onboarding to a manager who never checks…the new line cook never had a chance” said Hecht, CEO of Retensa.“ The right AI tools provide executive chefs a way to catch those breaks early, at every stage from recruitment to exit, before they turn into someone walking out the door.”

Properties that apply the ELC framework can expect to fill open chef roles faster and keep skilled staff longer. Every attendee will also receive free access to Raeya, Retensa’s interactive voice agent, which operates in 22 languages across 59 countries and helps leaders unlock the insights hidden in workforce data to take action.

Event Details

Relais & Châteaux Chefs Club Event

Date: September 4, 2026

Location: Eden Roc Cap Cana – Dominican Republic

About Relais & Châteaux

Relais & Châteaux is an exceptional worldwide collection of 580 unique, independently operated hotels and restaurants, united by strong values and a devotion to excellence across every aspect of hospitality. Originating in France in 1954, and now present in 65 countries, the Association works to celebrate the distinct art de vivre of every global destination. Led by passionate hoteliers, chefs and restaurateurs, each of its properties cultivates a meaningful sense of place by nurturing its individual cultural, gastronomic and environmental heritage and collaborating with local artisans. With many of its properties run by families, who pass their savoir-faire down from one generation to the next, Relais & Châteaux represents an evolving legacy of memorable travel experiences, in harmony with all life on Earth.  www.relaischateaux.com

About Retensa

Employers in 59 countries and 22 languages trust Retensa to create workplaces where employees want to stay. Retensa increases employee retention by transforming workforce data into actionable insights. Using predictive analytics and the most advanced talent-focused AI tools, Retensa enables leaders to identify attrition risk, increase engagement, and retain top talent. Predict turnover at https://ExitPro.com, and get retention resources at https://retensa.com.

“Our chefs run kitchens with the same intensity every night, and we cannot afford to lose them to turnover. Retensa’s workshop will provide a framework we can actually use, not another session that stays theoretical.”

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