HEAT - Hospitality Educators Association of Texas

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 2026 HEAT Professional Development Conference! 🌴✨

📍 Corpus Christi, Texas
📅 November 1–4, 2026

Save the date and get ready for great connections, collaboration, and hospitality education across Texas!

🎤 CALL FOR SPEAKERS
Interested in presenting at the 2026 HEAT Conference? Selected speakers will receive a 50% discount on conference registration.

We can’t wait to connect, collaborate, and elevate hospitality education together!

A huge THANK YOU to our incredible 2025 HEAT Professional Development Conference sponsors! ❤️

Your support helps strengthen hospitality education programs, empower educators, and create opportunities for students across Texas.

Interested in partnering with HEAT for 2026? We’d love to connect with new sponsors who are passionate about supporting the future of hospitality education! Please contact us at [email protected] for more information on how to get involved!

Today, we honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. 🇺🇸

This Memorial Day, HEAT extends our gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice and to the families who carry their legacy forward.

Wishing everyone a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

Happy Holidays to our incredible members of HEAT! 🎄

As we close out another year, we're grateful for each of you who shapes the future of hospitality in Texas. Your dedication to mentoring the next generation of hospitality professionals makes our industry stronger and brighter.

May your holiday season be filled with rest, joy, and time with loved ones. Here's to the impact you've made in 2024 and the opportunities ahead in 2025!

Wishing our incredible HEAT family a warm and joyful Thanksgiving! We’re grateful for the passion you pour into your classrooms, kitchens, and programs. Your impact reaches far beyond the holiday season.

May your day be filled with good food, good company, and moments that truly fill your cup.

We’d love to hear from you: share something you’re thankful for this year, or give us a peek at your holiday creations and celebrations in the comments!

We’re so excited to introduce our 2025–2026 HEAT Board of Directors! 🍍

A huge congratulations to this amazing group of educators and industry leaders who will be guiding HEAT through another fantastic year of hospitality education in Texas. 🎓✨

👏 Meet our new officers and directors — from high schools and colleges to hotels and industry partners, these passionate professionals are helping shape the future of hospitality!

Please join us in giving them a big HEAT welcome and lots of support for the year ahead! 💙

We are still looking for 2 High School Educators to join our Board! If you are interested in joining, please email your resume and letter of interest to [email protected]

As we look back on HEAT 2025, we’re filled with gratitude for our amazing sponsors. Your support made this event possible and helped us create meaningful connections, inspiring conversations, and a lasting impact. Thank you for helping us bring this vision to life!

What an amazing week it’s been at the 29th Annual HEAT Conference! From hands-on workshops to inspiring keynotes, every moment has reminded us why we love what we do. The learning, laughter, and friendships made this year truly unforgettable.

A huge thank-you to our sponsors, presenters, and attendees for bringing your energy, creativity, and passion for hospitality education. HEAT wouldn’t be where it is today without your support!

Until next time, keep teaching, creating, and sharing the spirit of hospitality wherever you go. Amarillo, you’ve been an incredible host! 🌟

We are SO EXCITED to announce our Teacher of the Year for 2025-2026, Janice Randolph from Quanah ISD! Janice has been teaching Family and Consumer Science for 43 years and has made an impact on so many students throughout her time. Janice, thank you for dedication!

Tuesday was another incredible day at the 29th Annual HEAT Conference! Attendees kicked off the morning by diving into sessions on AI literacy with Dr. Cristian Morosan, food safety and lab management with Dr. Karen Alexander, and a creative look at teaching hospitality history through Route 66.

In the afternoon, everyone got to experience the best of the Texas Panhandle with visits to Palo Duro Canyon, Creek House Honey Farm & Winery, and Sad Monkey Mercantile, a perfect mix of learning and local flavor. The day wrapped up with our Denim & Pearls Awards Dinner, sponsored by our friends at Reed Distributing, where attendees celebrated connection, collaboration, and the heart of hospitality education.

A huge thank-you to our amazing hotel partners for providing gift certificates for our attendees: Westin Downtown Houston, Home2 Suites College Station, Holiday Inn Galveston, SpringHill Suites Dallas, Westin Memorial City, Dalwadi Hospitality, Best Western Dinosaur Valley, Cotton Gin Fredericksburg, Hilton Austin, and Hyatt Regency Lost Pines. Your generosity helps make this event unforgettable!

We can’t wait to see what the final day of HEAT has in store! The inspiration, ideas, and friendships built here will carry on long after we head home. 🤠✨