Ashlyn Toledo, Author at Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Seth Bramson, MS ’92, gives speech about the history of discrimination in South Florida

Chaplin alumnus, Seth Bramson MS '92, was honored at the home of FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg on March 8, where he gave a speech about the history of discrimination in South Florida. Bramson is a generous donor to the FIU Libraries, as well as a noted South Florida historian and author. Other guests in attendance included faculty members from the history department, FIU Library staff and community members. Photo caption (left to right): Dean of the FIU Libraries, Anne Prestamo, Phil Spool, Seth Bramson, President Mark Rosenberg, and Loucee Spool.

Quirch Foods names facility at Chaplin School and establishes first-generation scholarship

Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and Quirch Foods, a wholesale food distributor with distribution centers in the continental U.S. and Puerto Rico, will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Quirch Foods Hub, a newly branded space within the school’s food production laboratories. Quirch Foods also will establish the Quirch Foods First-Generation Scholarship to support undergraduate students at the Chaplin School who demonstrate exceptional academic merit and passion for the food and beverage industry. The strategic partnership between FIU and Quirch Foods also will provide students with opportunities to work on innovative projects with Quirch Foods and participate in management-level internship and mentoring programs. WHEN: 12–2 p.m. on Monday, March 27, 2017 WHERE: FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151st St., North Miami, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, First Floor WHO: Mark B. Rosenberg, president, FIU Frank Grande, president, Quirch Foods Mike Hampton, dean, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Carmen Sabater, CFO, Quirch Foods Ralph Perez, vice president of sales, Quirch Foods Managing partners and founders of Quirch Foods Guillermo Quirch, his three sons Guillermo, Ignacio and Mauricio, and his grandson Guillermo IV.

Dr. Nancy Scanlon moderates panel at the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women

Chaplin Associate Professor, Dr. Nancy Scanlon, moderated a panel of tourism industry leaders at the 61st session of the United Nations Commision on the Status of Women on March 22. Tourism, as one of the largest industries in the world, offers economic opportunities for women and girls from indigenous groups in least developed countries, to hourly and daily work, to lifelong careers. Representatives of international hotel and cruise companies - including Faith Taylor, Senior Vice President of Global Social Resposibility at Wyndham Worldwide; Tara Russell, President and Founder of Fathom Travel; Matt Turner, Manager of Corporate Responsibility at IHG; Mellissa Gabillon, Regional Leader Women at Accor Generations for North America, Central America and Caribbean and Eddie Bergman, Co-Founder and President of MCW Global - shared their best practices and policies toward women’s rights to decent work and full and productive employment as a critical means of achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls throughout the world in this important panel discussion. Photo caption (from left to right): Eddie Bergman, Mellissa Gabillon, Tara Russell, Nancy Scanlon, Matt Turner, Faith Taylor

Dean’s Advisory Council members participate in CHRIE’s Southeast, Central and South American Annual Conference panel

Members of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management Dean’s Advisory Council, Sergio Rivera, Wendy Kallergis, Jerry Montgomery and newly appointed Council Chair, Lani Kane-Hanan, participated in an Industry Panel Session at the Southeast, Central & South American Federation of the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education's annual conference. The conference, which was held at the Chaplin School on March 9 and 10, brought together hospitality educators and industry experts to highlight research and innovation in hospitality education, and gave students and faculty from hospitality management programs across the region the opportunity to present their research and receive feedback from peers. For Kallergis, current President and CEO of the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, hospitality management education has increasingly become a focus. “I probably spend about 35 to 45 percent of my time getting involved with education now,” she said. “I think that the whole mission of this conference is so interesting - getting everyone together to just talk. It was a wonderful mix of both faculty and students.” Kane-Hanan was a member of the Dean’s council for several years before her recent appointment as Chair. In her current role as Executive Vice President of Resort Development, Revenue and Inventory Management and Product Innovation at Marriott Vacations Worldwide, she keeps a finger on the pulse of new technologies in the hotel industry. “Today, the curriculum [at Chaplin] is so rich in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills, as the school continues to enhance their STEM offerings.” said Kane-Hanan. “ I think our programs are impressive in this area, and getting better all the time. Innovation is born when awareness is matched with curiosity and the ability to view challenges as opportunities.” [...]

Chaplin School Appoints Distinguished Alumna as Chair of Dean’s Advisory Council; Welcomes New Members

Lani Kane-Hanan '87 Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has appointed Lizabeth Kane-Hanan ’87 MS ’04 as the Chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, effective February 23, 2017. “We are very proud to welcome Mrs. Kane- Hanan to the helm of the Dean’s Advisory Council”, said Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School. “An alumna of our program, she represents the embodiment of executive leadership, global vision and innovative thinking.” Kane-Hanan is the Executive Vice President and Chief Growth and Inventory Officer, as well as Executive Officer for Marriott Vacations Worldwide (MVW). Her team’s efforts support Marriott Vacation Club, the Ritz-Carlton Destination Club and Grand Residences by Marriott brands worldwide. Prior to joining MVW in 2000, Kane-Hanan was part of the senior leadership team of the real estate consulting practices of Arthur Andersen and Horwath Hospitality in Miami, where she specialized in development, acquisitions, and strategic planning for mixed-use real estate projects and companies. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in hospitality management from the Chaplin School at Florida International University, where she served as a member of the dean’s advisory council for the last six years. “I am honored to give back to my alma-mater, and help the school advance its goal of raising 150 million to make its vision a reality,” Kane- Hanan said. “Our prestigious council will leverage its industry acumen and unparalleled leadership skills to help the school achieve its mission of preparing the leaders who will create, develop and deliver the customer experiences of the future, Kane- Hanan added. Phil Goldfarb’79, President and Chief Operating Officer at Fontainebleau Miami Beach, the immediate past chair of the Dean’s Advisory Council, will continue [...]

FIU Hosts Visionary Leaders Roundtable in Hong Kong

Florida International University ( FIU)’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (CSHTM) and its Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research (IHTER) brought together senior leaders from Asia’s most valued hospitality brands for the 5th Annual Visionary Leaders Roundtable in Hong Kong. Held on February 9, 2017 at Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel, this exclusive ‘invitation-only’ event welcomed a select group of prominent hospitality thought leaders from Asia to address pertinent issues that have a profound impact on future growth of the hospitality industry. “As the global business environment is facing constant and rapid transformation, hospitality industry leaders must be prepared to innovate and manage change at a faster pace,” said Mike Hampton, dean, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University. With a focus on Foresight to Action: Tools, Talent and Tenacity, the two session topics were: Planning for the Unpredictable Future Proofing Your Technology Presenting partners, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) Asia, MacroVision Network Pte. Ltd., Rainmaker Group and Sabre Hospitality Solutions actively engaged participants throughout the day and played a vital role in the program delivery. Executives sharing their insight and perspective at this roundtable were: Tejveer Singh Bedi, Group Director of Revenue Management, Park Hotel Group Jennifer Cronin, President, Marco Polo Hotels Siv Forlie, Vice President, Revenue Management, Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. Michael Hobson, Chief Marketing Officer, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group Joey Kang, Senior Director Asia Pacific – Operations, Rainmaker Group James Lee, Director of Finance, Sofitel Singapore City Centre & Chapter President, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) Asia Simon Manning, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Langham Hotels & Resorts Philip Schaetz, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Marco Polo Hotels Tan Yi [...]

Hospitality Real Estate Development & Revenue Management specializations now available for online master’s degree

Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management has added new specializations in revenue management and hospitality real estate development to its 12-month online Master of Science in Hospitality Management degree. The Chaplin School’s graduate program prepares students with a comprehensive core curriculum covering key areas of the industry, including law, finance, management and marketing. The introduction of the new specializations reflects increasing industry demand for students with focused knowledge and a solid foundation in the business of hospitality. “Students who aspire to follow a career path in these growing fields will now be positioned for greater opportunities. Employers will find them prepared to hit the ground running after graduation. It also reflects a commitment to the school’s core vision to become a leading global resource for creating and cultivating innovative management talent and solutions for the hospitality and tourism industry,” said Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School. The new specializations are: Hospitality Real Estate Development Students will learn to bridge the gap between development and real estate to accomplish a company’s expansion goals. They will be prepared to become an integral part of teams focused on research, analysis, site selection and development. Revenue Management As critical thinkers and strategists with the goal of maximizing revenue, students in this specialization will sharpen their data-gathering, analytical and decision-making skills. Using advanced techniques and modern tools, they will be prepared to devise comprehensive, company-wide revenue management strategies. For more information, please visit hospitality.fiu.edu/online.

Mike Leven imparts wisdom, career advice to Chaplin students

On Monday, March 6, hospitality management students had the great opportunity to meet and learn from one of the most successful hoteliers of his generation. Mike Leven, who doesn’t abide by the concept of retirement, is now CEO of the Georgia Aquarium. He started his career in 1963 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. Through the years, he climbed to the highest executive levels, ran the franchising business of companies like Days Inn and Holiday Inn, turned around the Las Vegas Sands, and founded his own successful hotel franchising business. “Don’t be afraid to take risks,” he told students, and “don’t stay at a place for too long. You need to ask yourselves, what’s in it for me?” Recounting the story of when he took a pay cut by accepting a job offer in the Bahamas and left New York City with his wife, a baby and a toddler, he encouraged students to focus on developing diverse skills and knowledge about different areas of the industry. “In the early part of your careers, you need to move for the experience, not for the money,” he said. Read more about Mike Leven.

Chaplin alumni reunion hosts classes of ’90, ’91 and ’92

BENCHMARK properties named to U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Hotels List’ for 2017

BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company founded by Chaplin alumnus, Humberto "Burt" Cabanas '76, has announced that three of its luxury hotels and resorts have been named to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report “Best Hotels” list for 2017. Included were Villas of Grand Cypress, located in Orlando, Florida, and a member of Benchmark's Gemstone Collection brand, which placed in the Gold Badge Winners category as a Best Hotel in the United States. Also included were Mosaic Hotel, a Gemstone Collection-brand property located in Beverly Hills, California, that placed in the Silver Badge Category as a Best Hotel within its market, and Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort of the Caribbean island, Curacao, a member of the Benchmark Resorts & Hotels brand, which placed in the Silver Badge category as a Best Hotel within its region.

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