Will Guidara

Will Guidara

Keynote Speaker: Restaurateur, Eleven Madison Park, The #1 Restaurant in the World; Entrepreneur & Bestselling Author of "Unreasonable Hospitality"

Will Guidara Biography

Will Guidara, author of the National Bestseller "Unreasonable Hospitality," shares insights on service and leadership from his extensive career in the restaurant industry. As the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, Guidara led the restaurant to earn four stars from the New York Times and three Michelin stars, and in 2017, it was named the #1 restaurant on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Guidara, a native of Sleepy Hollow, New York, began his journey in the restaurant industry at thirteen. After graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration, he trained at Spago Beverly Hills and attended culinary school in Spain. He then held various roles at Union Square Hospitality Group before becoming the general manager of Eleven Madison Park from 2006 to 2012. Guidara also co-founded the Welcome Conference, an annual symposium for hospitality professionals to share ideas and build community.

In 2011, Guidara and chef Daniel Humm purchased Eleven Madison Park, leading it to numerous accolades, including seven James Beard Foundation awards. Guidara's implementation of the concept of "Unreasonable Hospitality" transformed the restaurant into the world's best. The book is mentioned in the TV series "The Bear," which Guidara also features. Furthering his contributions to the show, Guidara received a story credit for the third episode of the third season, working side by side with series creator Christopher Storer. He appeared in the program's third-season finale, where he featured alongside his wife, Christina Tosi.

Guidara's ventures expanded to The NoMad Hotel, where he and Humm earned high praise, including a Michelin star and a spot on the World's Best Bar list. Guidara emphasizes the power of exceeding expectations in hospitality, a principle that helped elevate Eleven Madison Park. He has co-authored several cookbooks and received numerous accolades, including Crain's New York Business's 40 Under 40 and WSJ Magazine's Innovator Award.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Will Guidara and other top speakers and celebrities.

Will Guidara Speaking Topics

How To Build A Brand Centered On Unreasonable Hospitality

For most of America’s history, we functioned as a manufacturing economy; now, we’re a service economy—more than three-quarters of our GDP comes from service. So, whether you’re in retail, finance, education, healthcare, computer services, communications, you are in the business of serving other people. Making good products is no longer enough, serving efficiently is no longer enough – now, it’s how you make the people you work with and those you serve feel that matters most of all. In this talk, Will will share why he believes our world is on the precipice of becoming a hospitality economy, and how every business can choose to be in the business of hospitality, by transforming ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.

Unreasonable Hospitality: How Giving People More Than They Expect Can Get You To #1

Will Guidara took Eleven Madison Park from a middling Brasserie to the best restaurant in the world when he realized something revolutionary – in a restaurant, the food, the service, and the design are simply ingredients in the recipe of human connection. When Will encouraged his team to be present with their guests, take what they do seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and employ a “one size fits one” strategy, magic happened. In this talk, Will shares why these lessons took EMP to #1, and how an unreasonable approach to the pursuit of human connection can help you win – and give people an experience they’ll remember forever.

Will Guidara Videos

Unlocking the Power of Unreasonable Hospitality: Insights from Will ...
Will Guidara SIzzle Reel
The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality | Will Guidara | TED ...

How do I book Will Guidara to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Will Guidara for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Will Guidara, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Will Guidara or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Will Guidara for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Will Guidara, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Will Guidara are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Will Guidara, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Will Guidara speak about?

Will Guidara is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Authors, Celebrity Chef, Entertainers, Entertainment, Sales, Human Resources, Business, Celebrity, Entrepreneurship and Literary.

Where does Will Guidara travel from?

Will Guidara generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Will Guidara?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Will Guidara for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Will Guidara for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Will Guidara or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Will Guidara is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Hospitality, Food & Beverage and Authors. The estimated speaking fee range to book Will Guidara for live events is $50,000 - $100,000, and for virtual events $30,000 - $50,000. Will Guidara generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Daymond John, Jesse Itzler and Danny Meyer. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Will Guidara for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 16/09/2024.

Will Guidara Speaking Topics

  • How To Build A Brand Centered On Unreasonable Hospitality

    For most of America’s history, we functioned as a manufacturing economy; now, we’re a service economy—more than three-quarters of our GDP comes from service. So, whether you’re in retail, finance, education, healthcare, computer services, communications, you are in the business of serving other people. Making good products is no longer enough, serving efficiently is no longer enough – now, it’s how you make the people you work with and those you serve feel that matters most of all. In this talk, Will will share why he believes our world is on the precipice of becoming a hospitality economy, and how every business can choose to be in the business of hospitality, by transforming ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences.

  • Unreasonable Hospitality: How Giving People More Than They Expect Can Get You To #1

    Will Guidara took Eleven Madison Park from a middling Brasserie to the best restaurant in the world when he realized something revolutionary – in a restaurant, the food, the service, and the design are simply ingredients in the recipe of human connection. When Will encouraged his team to be present with their guests, take what they do seriously without taking themselves too seriously, and employ a “one size fits one” strategy, magic happened. In this talk, Will shares why these lessons took EMP to #1, and how an unreasonable approach to the pursuit of human connection can help you win – and give people an experience they’ll remember forever.

Will Guidara Videos

Unlocking the Power of Unreasonable Hospitality: Insights from Will ...
Will Guidara SIzzle Reel
The Secret Ingredients of Great Hospitality | Will Guidara | TED ...
Weekly Specials with Will Guidara - Massimo Bottura on
Will Guidara - Lessons Learned From The #1 Restaurateur In The

Will Guidara Reviews

  • Southwest Airlines Co. - Aug 22 2024

  • We appreciated the AAE team's work to secure the speaker we wanted - even though it looked like it would be impossible given his schedule. Will Guidara was a huge hit and a perfect fit for our Leadership Summit. An excellent team, speaker, and experience. Thank you!
    Starcom Worldwide, Inc. - Feb 12 2024

  • Thanks for all you did in helping us secure Will and making our event a success!
    Engage! - Dec 18 2023

  • Will was incredible, inspiring, and exceeded our expectations.
    Funlab - Sep 14 2023

  • Jamie Belkin Events obo Specialty Networks - May 12 2023

  • How do I book Will Guidara to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Will Guidara for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Will Guidara, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Will Guidara or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Will Guidara for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Will Guidara, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Will Guidara are $50,000 - $100,000 for live events and $30,000 - $50,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Will Guidara, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Will Guidara speak about?

    Will Guidara is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Hospitality, Food & Beverage, Authors, Celebrity Chef, Entertainers, Entertainment, Sales, Human Resources, Business, Celebrity, Entrepreneurship and Literary.
  • Where does Will Guidara travel from?

    Will Guidara generally travels from Nashville, TN, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Will Guidara?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Will Guidara for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Will Guidara for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Will Guidara or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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WILL GUIDARA

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