Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) centers on an industry theme that ties together its student-run, weekend-long hospitality conference.
This
year, the students refocused the event instead on HEC’s mission:
showcasing hospitality education through student leadership. “Our goal
was for each aspect of the weekend to highlight student talent in the
most genuine way possible. HEC is such a unique event, with students at
the core of what differentiates it from other hospitality conferences,”
said managing director Chad Wemischner ’13.
HEC, an annual
tradition since 1925, took place April 4-7 at the Statler Hotel. More
than 150 students at the School of Hotel Administration (SHA) had worked
since last fall to pull off the conference for leaders of the
hospitality industry. Comprising educational seminars, leisure
activities, and food and beverage events, the weekend strikes a balance
between education and entertainment. During the weekend, SHA students
practiced skills they have learned in the classroom and showcased their
talents to industry professionals.
The importance of being able to
think on his feet was the biggest lesson for conference director Sam
Eisenman ’13. “So many things will change at just a moment’s notice and
you have to be able to go with it, make it work and not show any signs
of stress,” he said.
Ted Teng ’79, president and CEO of The
Leading Hotels of the World, opened the weekend with a talk about
innovation in the hospitality industry and delivering superior customer
service. Teng also brought his executive board to Ithaca for their
annual meeting at the conference. HEC partnered with Cornell’s Survey
Research Institute to host a talk by Nate Silver, statistician and
author of the New York Times political blog FiveThirtyEight, on how to
improve predicting power.
Other events highlighted industry trends
and innovations. A discussion on women in hospitality leadership
included panelists Lisa Holladay, Ritz-Carlton’s vice president of brand
and guest experience. The panel “Emerging Markets Development: Building
Business Deals Abroad” brought together speakers including Jim
Abrahamson, CEO of Interstate Hotels and Resorts, and Mark Woodworth
’77, president of PKF Hospitality Research.
The conference also
featured tastings of extra virgin olive oils and wines, dinners based on
the natural world and the work of artist M.C. Escher, a student
business plan competition and research showcase, and visits to local
makers of craft beers and cheeses.
In keeping the focus on
students, the HEC board made some “radical changes” to the hiring
process to create experiential learning opportunities for the student
managers, said communications director Aanchal Suri ’14. “We tried to
make HEC more open and approachable for any and all students who had an
interest in being a part of the oldest Hotelie tradition. The goal was
to allow students who have varied interests to find their space and get
an opportunity to expand their skills through the HEC experience,” Suri
said.
The board also worked hard throughout the year to engage
students in creative ways that allowed them to showcase their talents
and interests to their peers, said Wemischner. “For example, we hosted a
pancake party to celebrate the end of the fall semester, which, beyond
bringing smiles to many faces, allowed our food and beverage teams to
practice their skills,” he said.
One of the greatest challenges
was simply finding time to sleep, said Eisenman. “You give 110 percent
to ensure that everything you have put so much time and effort into
throughout the year goes smoothly and that you put together ‘the best
ever’ for our guests,” he said.
Source : http://chronicle.cornell.edu/stories/2013/04/88th-hotel-ezra-cornell-refocuses-student-leadership
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