Az Business Magazine March/April 2013
Retrieved from: http://issuu.com/azbigmedia/docs/2_ab_ma2013_digitalissue#print
HSMAI
CLASS ACT
HSMAI partners with colleges and
universities to prepare the next
generation of hospitality leaders
By Michael Gossie
T
o create the perfect meal,
preparation is key. The same
might be said for creating
the perfect employee in the
hospitality industry.
“Though some things like
a friendly smile and a wellprepared meal will never change, the hospitality
industry has gone through major changes
in the last few years,” says David R. Landau,
program chair for Hospitality and Restaurant
Management at Le Cordon Bleu College in
Culinary Arts in Scottsdale. “Guest expectations
have changed. We are seeing more food
knowledgeable and casual-minded guests. The
industry has changed and hospitality education
has changed along with it.”
Landau says today’s hospitality industry
workers need to be comfortable with
technology, from creating a profit and loss
statement in Excel or creating a training
program in PowerPoint to being familiar with
point-of-sale cash registers. To prepare the next
generation of hospitality industry leaders, the
Arizona chapter of the Hospitality Sales and
Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
is partnering with colleges and universities to
stress the importance of education and training
for the future of the industry. HSMAI’s impact
is already being fealt. Arizona State University,
Northern Arizona University and Scottsdale
Community College are all offering classes in
hospitality sales.
96 AB | January-February 2013
“Our core curriculum focuses on a
diverse range of topics in hospitality; guest
services management, marketing, information
systems, human resources, accounting, food
production and beverage management, property
management and industry law,” says Janelle
Hoffman, professor in the Hospitality &
Tourism Management Program at Scottsdale
Community College.
Hoffman says changes in hospitality
educations have been influenced by
technological advancements, the evolution of
customer relationship management programs,
societal marketing approaches, sustainability
issues and international growth.
“I stay current in my research area of
hospitality group sales,” says Richard
McNeill. a professor at the School of
Hotel & Restaurant Management at
Northern Arizona University. “Just
this semester, I have integrated new
research findings into my classes
— for example, the rising power
of third-party intermediaries and
disruption on traditional selling
methodologies. My sales classes
involve B2B selling since group
salespeople are involved with
big-ticket items. It’s not unusual
for a meeting or group to bring
$300K revenue to a hotel.”
In addition to keeping a
eye on the pulse of current
Az Business Magazine March/April 2013
Retrieved from: http://issuu.com/azbigmedia/docs/2_ab_ma2013_digitalissue#print
HSMAI
David R. Landau
Janelle Hoffman
trends like McNeill does, Hoffman says
the changes in the hospitality industry
that have had the biggest impact on
education include:
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upon the efficient use of technology.
Reservation systems, point of sale,
property management and in-room
technology are just a few areas in which
the implementation and effective use of
both custom and pre-designed software
make a vital contribution to customer
service, employee satisfaction and
monetary success.
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management (CRM) programs that add
value to the product and service are
extremely beneficial to cultivating the lifetime value of our patrons.
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in areas of societal marketing and
sustainability are trending in a response
Lynne Wellish
Richard McNeill
to customer demands and how these
efforts assist us in differentiating our
products and services.
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a global environment. In the last 10
years, new places have opened up to
travel and development, providing
new opportunities to international
employment and community growth.
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one of the world’s largest employers.
“Many years ago, if you worked hard,
you could work your way up in this
industry, but times have changed,”
Hoffman says. “Everyone is still working
hard, but education has assisted in
professionalizing the service industry.
An individual’s education is something
that can never be taken away and helps
differentiate them in a competitive
professional environment.”
Hoffman advises today’s aspiring
hospitality industry to try to understand
how diverse the industry has become and
identify their specific areas of interest.
Also, it’s important for students to
have real work experience in the area of
customer service to balance the concepts
and skills they will be exposed to in the
education experience.
“Work experience is what employers
are looking for,” says Lynne Wellish, an
adjunct faculty member in the Hospitality
College at Scottsdale Community College.
“Find a mentor in the industry and
start building a network of contacts.
Meet other students in your classes and
nurture your relationships.”
As hospitality education grows and is
offered as a program of study by more
schools, educators say the bar for the
industry’s workforce will be raised.
“The hospitality profession will grow in
respectability as more individuals see it
as a career choice not just a job,” Landau
says. “I also believe for those looking to
enter the industry or for professionals
who are already there, online education
will provide the pacing and flexibility
to meet the needs of these learners. At
Le Cordon Bleu, we work closely with
our advisory boards on the local and
national level to identify what skills
employers want our graduates to have. So
it works both ways: the industry informs
education and vice versa.”
LOOKING TO HIRE?
Az Business magazine asked
Arizona educators what advice they
would give to hospitality industry
employers who are looking to hire
new workers.
Jessica Shipley, academic
advisor in the School of Hotel and
Restaurant Management, Northern
Arizona University: “Take chances
on students. If employers took more
risks in hiring someone who didn’t
necessarily have a lot of experience,
but the student showed the employer
that they were outstanding in other
98 AB | January-February 2013
areas, they might be surprised by how
well that student ended up being a
good fit for their company.”
David R. Landau, program chair,
Le Cordon Bleu College in Culinary
Arts in Scottsdale: “Don’t wait for
graduates to knock on your door. Go
to the source; contact an accredited
culinary and hospitality school. We
have a career services office that
exists for employers to reach our
student and graduates. Put new hires
at ease; help that recent graduate
see how their entry-level position is
part of the overall mission. In order to
be motivated to succeed, Gen Y and
Millennial workers need to know how
their job is important.”
Janelle Hoffman, hospitality
program advisor, Scottsdale
Community College: “Look to hire a
hospitality student, someone who has
already made a commitment to the
industry. Also, take good care of your
team members. Word of mouth in our
industry is strong. Happy employees
create happy customers.”