The Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GPHCC) will host its Annual Closing the Gap Conference on June 12 at the Community College of Philadelphia, welcoming entrepreneurs, leaders and human resource professionals to a series of sessions on successfully marketing to and engaging Latinos in the food and hospitality industries.

“The conference provides business owners, corporations, and industry professionals the opportunity to learn how to overcome the outcome gaps Latinos face in the food and hospitality industry,” President and CEO of GPHCC Jennifer Rodriguez said in a press release.

The conference, presented by Aramark, will cover inclusive and diverse human resource decision-making, improving restaurant and hospitality business practices, and how to market to Latino audiences with arts and culture. It will provide networking opportunities for professionals, as well as a one-on-one business matchmaking session for entrepreneurs looking to connect with representatives from large corporations.

Like many programs by GPHCC, The conference also has appeal for students emerging in the food and hospitality industries, providing a “valuable and reliable” network of professionals and mentorship opportunities, as well as career and leadership development programs, according to the organization’s website.

Founded in 1990 as a response to the quickly-expanding Hispanic business community in Philadelphia, the nonprofit GPHCC provides educational services to further the economic growth of Latino businesses and professionals while promoting multicultural diversity in corporations by encouraging Latino hires. The organization also advocates to government officials to provide a healthy business environment and adequate resources for budding entrepreneurs in its membership.

GPHCC’s board members include representatives from Santander Bank, Diversity PHL, The Ritz Carlton Philadelphia and Comcast Corporation, some of whom will be leading workshops at Tuesday’s conference. Board Member Natily Santos, Regional Sourcing & Supplier Diversity Director at the Aramark Corporation, is included on a panel set to discuss conducting business with large companies.

Attendees of the Annual Closing the Gap Conference are required to register online. To register, click here. 

The event will be held in Winnet Hall at the Community College of Philadelphia, located at 1700 Spring Garden St. and is expected to run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.