2026 Virginia Political Outlook Luncheon
Friday, January 9, 2026
Omni Richmond Hotel
Registration is now closed. Contact VSAE at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Kick off the new year with VSAE’s most popular seminar featuring renowned political analyst Dr. Bob Holsworth of DecideSmart. Gain exclusive insights into the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session and a forward-looking analysis of the 2025 statewide elections. Dr. Holsworth will explore how legislative developments and political shifts could affect Virginia’s associations and their members.

New this year, VSAE will also host an optional pre-event book club from 10:00–11:00 a.m. led by VSAE President Abby Tammen and fellow members. January’s selection is Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara, a powerful look at how any organization can elevate ordinary interactions into extraordinary experiences. All VSAE members are welcome to participate.

Format: In-person Only
Domain: 7 - Advocacy

 0.50 CAE Credits

Presenters

Dr. Bob Holsworth is a Managing Partner at DecideSmart, a company that focuses on enabling innovation to succeed. His observations on national and Virginia politics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and numerous other papers and news magazines. Dr. Holsworth was the founding Director of both the Center for Public Policy and the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University. He was the Executive Director of the Governor’s Commission on Efficiency and Effectiveness. He has been the Director of the Virginia Executive Institute and Co-Staff Director of the Commission on the Future of Virginia’s Urban Areas, a gubernatorial commission that examined how Virginia’s urban areas could become flourishing parts of regional economies.

Schedule
Book Club Discussion: 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Registration Opens: 10:30 am
Reception: 11:00 - 11:45 am
Luncheon: 11:45 am -1:15 pm   

ALL NEW: VSAE Book Club!

Whether you've read the book cover to cover or are just curious about the reinvention of hospitality, please join fellow VSAE members for a lively book discussion.

Book: Unreasonable Hospitality, by Will Guidara

Facilitators: Carter Lyons, Amy Hewett, Debbie Smith, and Abby Tammen

Book Synopsis: Will Guidara was twenty-six when he took the helm of Eleven Madison Park, a struggling two-star brasserie that had never quite lived up to its majestic room. Eleven years later, EMP was named the best restaurant in the world.

How did Guidara pull off this unprecedented transformation? Radical reinvention, a true partnership between the kitchen and the dining room--and memorable, over-the-top, bespoke hospitality. Guidara's team surprised a family who had never seen snow with a magical sledding trip to Central Park after their dinner; they filled a private dining room with sand, complete with mai-tais and beach chairs, to console a couple with a cancelled vacation. And his hospitality extended beyond those dining at the restaurant to his own team, who learned to deliver praise and criticism with intention; why the answer to some of the most pernicious business dilemmas is to give more--not less; and the magic that can happen when a busser starts thinking like an owner.

Today, every business can choose to be a hospitality business--and we can all transform ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. Featuring sparkling stories of his journey through restaurants, with the industry's most famous players like Daniel Boulud and Danny Meyer, Guidara urges us all to find the magic in what we do--for ourselves, the people we work with, and the people we serve.

 Reception/Luncheon Pricing

**Registration closes Friday, January 2 at Noon**

* Apply Discount Code StaffMem26 on the Summary page of the online registration form. 
No refunds for cancellations. Substitutions encouraged.  

2026 SEMINAR & LUNCHEON REGISTRATION POLICY

Hotel Accommodations

Omni Richmond Hotel
100 S. 12th Street
Richmond, VA  23219
(804) 344-7000

Charity

The VSAE Community Service Committee has selected Forward Foundation as this month's charity recipient. Forward Foundation VA is unique in that it serves a very niched demographic of single parents who typically cannot receive help from the state due to earning too high of an income. Through our 12-18 month program, we empower single parent families to move forward beyond their current hardship.