Administrator, Author at Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Dean Hampton Talks Millenials Aboard the Carnival Victory

Dean Hampton recently sat on a panel that was comprised of representatives from the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Florida Atlantic University, and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Regional. Nearly 80 business professionals enjoyed a panel discussion aboard the Carnival Victory that was planned by the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism and Hospitality Council. Guests were treated to a powerful and insightful discussion about millennials that was led by Chamber Board Member and Executive Vice President of Mango’s Tropical Cafe, Ceci Velasco. The panel was comprised of Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau Chief Marketing Officer Rolando Aedo, Florida Atlantic University Instructor/Special Projects Coordinator Stella Quintero, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Regional Director Lynne Hernandez, and Dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University, Dr. Mike Hampton. In addition, the Carnival Corporation received a special award from the Chamber for their sustainable efforts, which was given by the Chamber’s Sustainable Council Chair Brian Scheinblum and received by the Cruise Lines’ Sustainability Director Elaine Heldewier.

Hotel Schools of Distinction Members Get Up Close to the Chaplin School

The Chaplin School recently had the honor of hosting representatives from the Hotel Schools of Distinction (HSD), a global network of premier hotel schools. Representatives from the following member schools attended the meeting and had the opportunity to interact with Chaplin faculty and tour the School’s state of the art facilities. Visiting Schools Niagara University (New York, United States) Haaga-Helia School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management (Finland) Hotelschool The Hague (The Netherlands) Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne (Indiana, United States) Institut de tourisme et d'hôtellerie du Québec (Canada) Internationale Hochschule Bad Honnef (Germany) University of Stavanger (Norway) Escuela Universitaria de Hotelería y Turismo de Sant Pol de Mar (Spain) The Chaplin School is a founding member of HSD. Photo (left to right): Truls Engstrom, University of Stavanger; Mihaela Plugarasu, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University; Mohammad Qureshi, FIU; Chang Huh, Niagara University; Shivani Joshi, FIU; Martha A. Coussement, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne; Mike Hampton, FIU; Diann Newman, FIU; Lluis Sera, Escuela Universitaria de Hotelería y Turismo de Sant Pol de Mar; Peter Thuy, Internationale Hochschule Bad Honnef; Sander Allegro, Hotelschool The Hague; Ari Byorkqvist, Haaga-Helia School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management; John Niser, Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne

Hospitality Professor and FIU Students Recognized for Community Hunger-Relief Work

Feeding South Florida, a leading domestic hunger relief organization, has named John Buschman, a Chaplin adjunct professor, the Ultimate Hunger Hero for 2015. Professor Buschman accepted the award on behalf of all FIU students enrolled in the Social Responsibility in the Hospitality Industry course, who collectively contributed more than 1,200 hours of community volunteer service this past year, largely dedicated to reducing food insecurity in our community. In addition to helping at the regional food bank’s warehouse, the students also assisted with packaging and handing out food to those in need at community distribution sites across South Florida. According to Feeding South Florida, this award is given to volunteers who have "shown exemplary commitment to ending hunger in their community" and have "gone above and beyond the call of service". Photo (left to right): Professor Buschman and students: Laura Delgado, Yasmin Johnson, Danny Ferman, and Stephanie Salazar.

Hospitality Student Hits the NSMH National Stage

Hospitality Management student, Yolanda Suarez, continues to do big things. As the National Programs Director for the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, Suarez attended a retreat in Washington D.C. last June along with the national board of student members. The group of leaders quickly rolled up their sleeves and managed to draw up plans for workshops, marketing, and the themes for upcoming regional and national conferences. As if that wasn’t enough, they also took time to sharpen their skills by attending professional development workshops and public speaking seminars. Suarez got involved with NSMH during her freshman year at FIU. “NSMH is a nationwide student run organization, recognized as the premier professional organization for developing exceptional minority student talent and leadership,” said Suarez. Before reaching the national level, she was appointed to Hospitality Week Chair, where she planned a week of events with assistance from the e-board. The following year, she served as Vice President for FIU’s NSMH chapter, and later as a junior, she served as President of FIU NSMH. “It’s a dream come true,” she said. “I could not be prouder to serve as National Programs Director, but none of it would be possible without my years spent with our chapter [at FIU] and our amazing adviser Dr. [Miranda] Kitterlin.” FIU NSMH is currently looking for e-board and general members. Membership is open to all hospitality students. You can e-mail mkitterl@fiu.edu for more information on how to join and represent FIU at regional and national conferences.

RO2Win Launched: Revenue Optimization E-Course

The Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research (IHTER) at FIU and the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) have announced RO2Win, an online revenue optimization course for hospitality professionals, that trains a team to optimize every opportunity to increase hotel revenue. RO2Win presents concepts and tactics in an innovative and engaging format, using animations and in-depth interviews with experts. From sales and marketing to the on-property guest experience, RO2Win teaches each and every team member the power of revenue optimization, cross selling and upselling. "This program is the result of a very unique partnership between FIU and HSMAI, and it was developed to fill a critical need in the industry. Revenue optimization is everyone’s business, but in too many instances potential revenue-generating opportunities are overlooked,” said Mike Hampton, dean of FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. The multimedia online course engages participants with the essential concepts of revenue optimization and demonstrates how everyone in a hotel contributes to profitability. It can help anyone in sales and marketing obtain a better understanding of the fundamentals of revenue management. RO2Win can help hotel companies develop their revenue management pipeline, inexpensively introducing high-performing individuals, managers-in-training, or department heads to the fundamentals of revenue optimization in a self-paced, affordable program that can be used before, during or after other development programs. “Revenue optimization has been one of the biggest areas where people have asked for additional training opportunities, so this online tool was built with that in mind. This class will help everyone on your staff understand how they contribute to the bottom line,” added Fran Brasseux, executive vice president of HSMAI. The RO2Win certificate course consists of five online modules and a simulation, [...]

Hospitality Professor Joins Researchers to Examine Attitudes Toward Genetically Modified Crops in New Study

Chaplin School professor Dr. Miranda Kitterlin, in collaboration with a global team of researchers, has recently published a study analyzing the predictors that influence agricultural experts’ attitudes toward the development of and policies related to genetically modified (GM) crops. Major findings in the study, entitled Attitudes of Agricultural Experts Toward Genetically Modified Crops: A Case Study in Southwest Iran, indicated that agricultural experts were aware of the environmental benefits and possible risks associated with GM crops. The majority of participants agreed that GM crops could improve food security and accelerate rural development, and were proponents of labeling practices for GM crops. Finally, there was a positive correlation between the perception of benefits and attitudes towards GM crops. With the growing popularity of GM crop production around the world, it is vital to have an understanding of the attitudes of all parties involved, as this trend will certainly impact food service operations, a sector that makes up a significant portion of the hospitality and tourism industry. The study was published in the June 2015 issue of the Science and Engineering Ethics multidisciplinary journal. Learn More

RECAP: 2015 Revenue Management Conference Recap

The third annual revenue management conference, Revenue Management and Your Hotel in 2020 – The Complete Picture, presented by the Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research, took place on Friday, May 15 at FIU's Kovens Conference Center.

Badia Spices Names FIU Chaplin School’s Food Production Laboratory

The advanced food production laboratory at FIU’s Chaplin School has a new name, thanks to a $500,000 gift from Badia Spices, Inc. Read More

Hospitality Professor Talks Sustainability at Summit

Dr. Nancy Scanlon recently represented the Chaplin School and the Greater Miami and the Beaches Hotel Association’s Sustainability Council at the Miami Beach Community Resiliency Summit. As a panelist, she joined the conversation on the impact of sea level rise to the Miami Beach tourism industry alongside local business leaders and government officials. Photo: Panelists at the summit. Nancy Scanlon pictured seated (center) on stage.

RECAP: Revenue Management and Your Hotel in 2020 – The Complete Picture Conference

The third annual revenue management conference, Revenue Management and Your Hotel in 2020 – The Complete Picture, took place on Friday, May 15 at FIU's Kovens Conference Center. The event was presented by the Chaplin School's Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research. The third and last conference of the 2020 series ended with rave reviews from the roughly 100 attendees who represented various brands, properties, and hospitality organizations from all over the world. Invited speakers and panelists included representatives from Expedia, Trip Advisor, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Smith Travel Research (STR), and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) among others. Participants challenged the status quo with thought-provoking questions and future strategies as the industry and revenue managers discussed coping with the challenges caused by increasing demands from new generations and evolving technologies. The conference was also an enlightening experience for the FIU Hospitality Management students who had the opportunity to participate, contribute, and network with some of the top industry leaders. Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, opened the session with an assessment of the challenges and opportunities in hospitality today. David Adkins, Principal of DNA Infusion was the moderator. Visit ihter.fiu.edu/seminars for a complete list of speakers. Save the date for next year’s conference, which has been scheduled for May 13, 2016. Video Conference Photos Top photo (left to right) Dr. Karen Wollard, Associate Director, IHTER; Krista McDougal, Senior Director of Market Management for the Eastern U.S. Lodging Partner Services, Expedia, Inc.; Jamie, Bruce, Vice President Sales and Marketing, Trump National Doral; Chris Crenshaw, Vice President, Strategic Development, Smith Travel Research; Fran Brasseux, Executive Vice President, [...]

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