Your team already knows how to run activities.
Teach them how to lead a room.
Fred Patak brings a keynote that shifts how care teams think about their role — from activity facilitators to room leaders. The result is less burnout, more confidence, and residents who feel genuinely seen.
"People First — Why Connection Outlasts Every Activity You'll Ever Plan"
A keynote by Fred Patak
The signature talk.
Most care teams have been taught to solve engagement problems by finding better activities. Better games. Bigger calendars. More supplies. But when a room falls flat — and every room does — no activity solves what's actually missing.
This talk reframes everything.
Fred Patak draws on 15 years in memory care and activity programming to make one thing undeniable: it was never the activity that brought people to life. It was the person running it. Through real stories, a simple framework, and an identity shift that sticks long after the talk ends, Fred gives care teams a new way to see their role — and the confidence to lead from it.
After this talk, your team will:
→ Understand why activities fail even when everything is planned perfectly — and what to do instead.
→ Have a simple, repeatable framework (the CARE model) for leading any room with confidence.
→ See themselves differently — not as activity facilitators, but as leaders of human experience.
Who books this talk.
Activity director conferences
State and regional AD conferences, NAAP events, and professional association gatherings looking for a keynote that energizes and reframes.
Healthcare leadership summits
Events for directors of nursing, administrators, and care leadership teams focused on staff retention, wellbeing, and resident experience.
Senior living facility trainings
In-service trainings, team professional development days, and all-staff events at memory care and assisted living facilities.
Continuing education events
CEU-eligible professional development programs for activity professionals, social workers, and care coordinators.
Demo reel coming soon.
In the meantime, I'd love to connect directly about your event. Every talk is customized to the team, the moment, and what your people most need to hear. The best way to get a feel for the talk is a short conversation.
→ Fill out the form below and I'll be in touch within 48 hours.
What People Are Saying
"Fred has a way of making you feel like everything you already believed — but were afraid to say out loud — is exactly right. This talk doesn't just teach you something. It reminds you of who you already are."
Let's talk about your event.
Every event is different. Fill out the short form below and I'll be back in touch within 48 hours to learn more about your team, your event, and what would make this the talk they're still thinking about a month later.
Not ready to book yet? Get the free People First Framework and stay connected through the weekly email — one idea, one story, one tool from the field every week.