FAB Workshop 2026
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FAB Workshop 2026
FAB is a workshop for women, by women in the food & beverage industry
June 7 - 9, 2026  ·  William Aiken House

We call FAB a business workshop because that’s precisely what it is, purposeful work. FAB welcomes women at every stage of their career to come together to elevate their business acumen, acquire vital skills, and take home actionable insights over the course of 3 days in Charleston, SC.

Agenda
Sunday, June 7
11:00 AM
11:00 AM
Event Start
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Badge Pickup
Get your FAB badge and event packet.
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Optional: Ask an Employment Lawyer Anything
This session is for business owners and managers who have workplace law questions.
[ Registration Required ]
Optional: Building a Confidence Practice
Chef Anna Gordon of The Good Batch will help you to build tools and structure for staying grounded, motivated, and inspired.
[ Registration Required ]
Optional: Conflict Resolution
This session equips participants with the awareness, language, and practical skills to navigate conflict constructively.
[ Registration Required ]
Optional: Finance Bootcamp
All things accounting, tax and financial planning. From starting your business to prepping it for sale and everything in between. Bring your questions!
[ Registration Required ]
Optional: Passing the Ball: Effective Delegation
This session focuses on the barriers that leaders hold on to and walks participants through a fool-proof method for delegation that will help them grow their own skills while empowering and strengthening their team.
[ Registration Required ]
Optional: The Rundown: Pitch Decks, Funding + Seed Money
A brain-trust of funding experts will lead you through how to present your business + how to get the capital you need to start.
[ Registration Required ]
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
4:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Opening Night Reception + Keynote
Meet your fellow attendees, catch up with old friends, and enjoy passed hors d'oeuvres and fun cocktails. If you were unable to make it to badge pick-up earlier in the day, you can get your badge here.
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
No Reservations Required
After the Opening Reception gather with your fellow attendees at a local Charleston locale to continue the conversation.
Monday, June 8
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Optional: Coffee with a Speaker
[ Registration Required ]
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Breakfast
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Auditing Your Virtual Presence
Evaluate your online persona and strengthen your virtual footprint.
[ Registration Required ]
Burnout
We can all feel it, but recognizing the early signs of burnout will help create a healthier work culture.
[ Registration Required ]
Communication with Your Team
How to work as a team and get all departments to be on the same page, as well as facilitate good communication practices and skills within your team.
[ Registration Required ]
Content Creation + Marketing Trends
Why blogging and newsletters are still relevant and still powerful tools for engagement for your audience. How to leverage old tools and new to your benefit.
[ Registration Required ]
From Blueprint to Opening Day
This conversation will explore what it takes to bring a new foodservice concept to life, from early planning and kitchen layout to equipment selection and product decisions.
[ Registration Required ]
Grace Under Pressure: Cultivate Your Leadership Presence
This interactive mini-workshop will help you ID the behaviors to reach for so you can stand in your power and authenticity as a leader.
[ Registration Required ]
How to Build a Meaningful Community with Your Brand
Authenticity matters more than even in today's world. How do you align your business values with the community you serve? How can you go beyond and create loyalty and trust for both you and your customer?
[ Registration Required ]
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Break
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
Breaking the Mold
Just because a business has been run one way, doesn't mean it's the only way. A discussion and lessons learned around how to run things differently.
[ Registration Required ]
Don't Just Solve Problems - Build Systems
Time is money, but building systems lets you stop solving the same problems over and over again and actually get some work done​. How to identify which systems you need, how to create them and implement them.
[ Registration Required ]
From Washington to the Walk-In: How Federal Policy Works
Federal policy feels far away until it hits your payroll, teams or costs.
[ Registration Required ]
Hospitality Hype
How to build buzz for your food & beverage business when you can’t afford PR or marketing representation. Learn strategies to craft your story, grow your audience and stand out.
[ Registration Required ]
HR
This discussion will explore some of hospitality's most pressing HR challenges, from navigating accommodations to handling sexual harassment complaints with rigor and care.
[ Registration Required ]
I Don't Own It, But I Run It
Not in a position of ownership, but yet you run the business? How to ensure that your voice, ideas and initiatives are being heard and how to have those conversations that can empower you in your position.
[ Registration Required ]
Licensing, Location, Strategy and Financing
Understand why all of these matter when starting a business and how to navigate it all.
[ Registration Required ]
Women in Agriculture + Agrobiodiversity
Preserving agrobiodiversity is the root of driving innovation on farms and in supply chains. The goal? Championing diverse crops and practices and to strengthen sourcing strategies that benefit people, communities and the planet
[ Registration Required ]
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
LUNCH
Lunch is served in the William Aiken Courtyard.
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
2036 - Hospitality in 10 Years
In a decade that will either flatten the industry or free it, this talk explores how independent hospitality can be built with infrastructure and instinct.
[ Registration Required ]
Aging, Menopause & “What’s Next?”
There is literally no pill that will wipe it all away, so lets have an open, honest conversation to discuss how aging and menopause impact work, leadership and our well-being. We'll discuss how to handle what comes next both personally and professionally.
[ Registration Required ]
eCommerce + Software Integration
Whether you're looking to expand your brick + mortar or if you are fully an online storefront, hear how to successfully integrate and run eCommerce as part of your business.
[ Registration Required ]
Ending a Business: How to Close it Down Properly
Understand the importance to following the legal steps it takes to close down a business and the repercussions that can happen if you don't.
[ Registration Required ]
Imposter Syndrome
Imposter syndrome can F you up! It's more common than you realize. Let's get real and unpack those feelings and share real experiences.
[ Registration Required ]
Mental Health
Mental health is real and meeting it head on is critical for your well-being. Engage in a conversation that will have practical suggestions on the steps you or those around you need to balance between awareness and practicality.
[ Registration Required ]
Publishing a Book
From concept to completion and all the steps in between.
[ Registration Required ]
Purpose-Driven Hospitality
This conversation explores how industry leaders can lead with heart by using food, service and influence to drive positive change in their communities.
[ Registration Required ]
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Break
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Building a Business with an Exit Strategy
Did you open your business to eventually sell it? Was that even on your radar?
[ Registration Required ]
Empowering the Next Generation
Learn how leaders can create pathways for growth, foster inclusive workplaces and empower the next generation with the skills, confidence and opportunities needed to thrive and lead in an evolving industry.
[ Registration Required ]
Financial Literacy and Planning
Understand cash flow, budgeting, debt and long-term planning in order to make informed financial decisions, protect your business and plan for growth with confidence
[ Registration Required ]
Rethinking Non-Alcoholic Beverages
How to move beyond “mocktails” and design drinks that have their own identity. How to shape people's perception around drinking N/A, pricing and how to deliver on a quality experience.
[ Registration Required ]
Strategic Growth
What does smart growth look like? We will focus on the thought process that goes into making growth decisions covering topics like: real estate, geography, staffing, finance and operations.
[ Registration Required ]
The Value of Customer Service
How consistency in service and values, from purveyors through the entire operation to the guest, creates trust, strengthens relationships, and inspires lasting loyalty.
[ Registration Required ]
Vulnerability in Leadership
Strong leadership starts with trust and how leading with honesty, empathy and accountability can strengthen teams, improve culture and ultimately enhance the guest experience. Vulnerability is a powerful leadership skill and not a weakness!
[ Registration Required ]
4:45 PM - 6:30 PM
4:45 PM - 6:30 PM
Impact Hub
The Impact Hub will bring together over 14 critical resources needed for your business and team members.
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Optional: Dinner with a Speaker
Enjoy dinner + conversation with a speaker and your fellow attendees. All who register are responsible for paying for their own meal. Space is limited.
[ Registration Required ]
Tuesday, June 9
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Optional: Coffee with a Speaker
[ Registration Required ]
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM
Breakfast
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
9:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Finding Your Girl Gang
Listen to how Dana and Christa have relied on their girl gang to help them through the day.
[ Registration Required ]
How to Delegate
How to let go, when to let go and how to delegate. Hear how to empower and entrust tasks and roles to your team that help to take you out of the day-to-day so that you can focus on the big picture of overseeing your business.
[ Registration Required ]
How to Determine In Which Events Your Business Should Participate
It's easy to say "yes" to more than your bandwidth allows or that makes financial sense. This discussion will cover how to evaluate which events are right for your business to participate.
[ Registration Required ]
How to Navigate Change
Successes, failures and rebounding from unexpected and planned changes.
[ Registration Required ]
Leadership That Lasts
Wellness, Mental Health & Non-Negotiables for Women in Industry.
[ Registration Required ]
Recruitment + Retention
Hiring and developing the next generation of restaurant leaders, Performance accountability, Coaching vs. correcting (and how to actually mentor on the floor).
[ Registration Required ]
The Greater Role of Business Owners
This conversation explores the broader responsibilities of ownership, including setting values, how best and the tools needed to support teams, and using influence to create positive, lasting impact that reaches beyond the bottom line.
[ Registration Required ]
What Taking On Investors Means
What do you get and what are you giving up?
[ Registration Required ]
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM
Break
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
11:15 AM - 12:30 PM
AI 202
This session will talk about how AI can improve business, what the challenges are and how AI continues to change. Learn how AI can make your business more efficient.
[ Registration Required ]
Conflict Resolution
Conflict is a natural part of working together. How it’s handled determines whether it becomes a source of tension or a catalyst for growth.
[ Registration Required ]
Creativity Beyond The Plate
Using design and a fresh perspective to spark new ideas and reframe problem-solving, purpose, and vision through cross-disciplinary inspiration.
[ Registration Required ]
Defining Your Path in This Industry
How to determine your path forward and resist limiting industry stereotypes and expectations.
[ Registration Required ]
Digital Marketing Metrics That Matter For Small Business Owners
Let's talk about how to measure what matters instead of spending your precious time tracking vanity numbers that don’t tell a revenue story.
[ Registration Required ]
Profit and Loss 101
For those looking to better understand and analyze their P&L and how it affects the bottom line.
[ Registration Required ]
Strategies for Boundary + Value Setting
In order to have sustainable leadership, you need to create clear boundaries and strong values.
[ Registration Required ]
Taking a Less Traditional Growth Track in Business
There is no direct route in this industry. Know your options and how to personally dig deep within yourself to explore them and create a growth path that's right for you.
[ Registration Required ]
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Lunch
Lunch is served in the William Aiken Courtyard.
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
1:45 PM - 3:00 PM
Creating the Culture You Want in Your Business
Vision, action and leadership all play into creating a culture. Hear how to identify and create an environment that that reflects your brand values.
[ Registration Required ]
Cultivating Gen Z
Sometimes generations speak different languages and have different expectations. As leaders, learn how to cultivate, retain, and better understand Gen Z as they can provide powerful insights and input to reaching younger customers.
[ Registration Required ]
Getting Coverage That Counts
With fewer outlets covering restaurants, what is the best path forward? What actually gets butts in seats? This conversation will focus on how to get media coverage that counts.
[ Registration Required ]
How to Best Advocate at a Local, State and National Level
A clear and accurate guide with who, why and when to engage that would be most effective and have your voice heard.
[ Registration Required ]
Navigating Post-Award/Accolade Hype
Congratulations, you've won an award or received a major accolade! Now what?
[ Registration Required ]
Photography for Social Media
Bring your smartphones and learn how to create photos that will best showcase your food & beverage program on social media.
[ Registration Required ]
The Progression of the Partnership Agreement
As your business changes, so should your business agreement. It's important to treat your business agreement as a live, fluid document. How to recognize when and how you should make updates.
[ Registration Required ]
Why the Details Matter When it Comes to Guest Experience
Creating a memorable experience doesn't have to break your budget, nor should it.
[ Registration Required ]
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Break
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
AI 101
How to get started using AI and automation tools for your business. What to use and best practices.
[ Registration Required ]
Giving + Receiving Feedback
This conversation will focus on how to give clear, constructive feedback and how to receive it with openness and professionalism.
[ Registration Required ]
Influencers + Your Business
How have things changed working with influencers and how to identify if collaborating is right for your business.
[ Registration Required ]
The Current State of Beverage
How to drive sales when people are drinking and spending less. This conversation will cover the current state of the beverage industry (wine/beer/spirits) and how it's evolving.
[ Registration Required ]
The Politics of Immigration
How to keep your business going and employees safe while still being a responsible employer.
[ Registration Required ]
4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
4:45 PM - 6:00 PM
Closing Reception
6:00 PM
6:00 PM
Event End
Speakers

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Hotels
LOCATION
William Aiken House, 456 King St, Charleston, SC
Location: William Aiken House, 456 King St, Charleston, SC

DATE

June 7 - 9, 2026

LOCATION

William Aiken House
Charleston, SC
William Aiken House, 456 King St, Charleston, SC

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