| Ithaca, N.Y., March 3, 2008 �Three hundred hospitality
industry leaders will converge on Cornell University�s campus in April
for Hotel Ezra Cornell, a weekend of hospitality, education, and collaboration
held at the School of Hotel Administration� a conference unlike any other.
The students planning this year�s conference, to be held April 3-6,
are committed to delivering on their mission of �Showcasing Hospitality
Education Through Student Leadership.? The highlights of this 83rd annual
event are:
-
An industry update entitled Setting the Hospitality Scene (Friday, April
4, 2008) will open the weekend with a grand overview of the current state
of the hospitality industry, presented by Mark Woodworth �77, Executive
Vice President of PKF Consulting; Mark Lomanno, President of Smith
Travel Research; and Peter Yesawich �72, Chairman & Chief Executive
Officer of Y Partnership. These leaders will share their expert opinions
on the industry�s present state and explore future trends we can expect
to see.
-
Equity in Hospitality (Friday, April 4, 2008) is a panel discussion that
will take a look inside of private equity�s current place in the hospitality
industry featuring Michael Cahill �84, President & Founder of
Hospitality Real Estate Counselors; Robert Kline �84, President
& Co-Founder of Chartres Lodging Group, Inc.; Joy Hou �98, Director
of Barclays Capital; Allen Smith �80, Managing Director & Senior
Portfolio Manager of Prudential Real Estate Investors; and Simon Turner
�83, Principal of Hotel Capital Advisors.
-
With the Games of the XXIX Olympiad right around the corner, HEC will explore
the impact of such a large-scale sporting event on the local economic climate
at the Hospitality and the Olympics panel discussion. Guests will see how
the Olympics has affected host cities: After the crowds have disappeared,
are they left in a dire economic situation with far too much room supply,
or does their tourism industry boom long after the flame goes out? Ira
Cohn, President of ARAMARK; and others will address this very question
and explore other issues relating to how the Olympics and other widely-attended
events impact our industry.
-
Hospitality in Emerging Markets will take an in-depth look at hospitality
development around the world. Featured panelists are James Chappell,
Managing Director of The Bench; Vincent Joyner, CEO of Accor Southern
Africa; and Paul Sistare, CEO & President of Atlantica International
Hotels.
As a new addition to program items this year, two top seniors from the
Class of 2008 will deliver their year�s worth of research and analysis
and will defend their thesis in front of a live audience during the Latin
Honors Thesis Defense�Student Research Symposium. These presentations are
sure to be attention-grabbers as they will address the Global Affect of
ADR and Terrorism Reactions to the Hospitality Industry.
In addition to the more formal educational events, throughout the weekend
guests are encouraged to stop in on the many information technology-related
Interactive Lessons that will be offered by Hotel School students. With
the recent release of Microsoft® Office 2007, guests will have a chance
to interact with current students and brush up on their Microsoft Office
skills, as well as learn about how they can use these applications to enhance
the efficiency of their own operations.
While HEC is educationally-rich for both students and guests, numerous
food & beverage and leisure events accent the weekend and set this
conference apart from others. Some weekend highlights to look forward to
include, the Welcome Cocktail, the HEC Afterglow, a Power Lunch, the Dean�s
Brunch hosted by Dean Michael Johnson, The 5th Annual Culinary Mystery
Box: Jimmy Buffet�s Margaritaville®, a wine tasting, a honey tasting,
and an extravagant Gala Dinner.
|
Bees & Teas: A Sweet Tasting
The newest addition to this year�s line-up will be something a bit sweeter:
a Honey Tasting. On Saturday, April 5, 2008, at 4:15 pm in the Amphitheatre
of the Statler Hotel beekeeper Glenn Card will give guests an exclusive
look at the mysterious world of beekeeping and honey making. Card is a
professional beekeeper whose family has been in the industry for fifty
years. His family founded Merrimack Valley Apiaries, which provides a honeybee
pollination service and raises bees to supply beekeepers nationwide. The
company operates over 12,000 colonies.
Guests will taste different honey varietals harvested by Merrimack Valley
Apiaries. The honey will also be paired with a variety of teas from Harney
& Sons. Harney has been a generous donor to Hotel Ezra Cornell for
over five years and will be featured at several events throughout the weekend. |
"We are a world-class school with world-class students, and I guarantee
you a world-class experience," stated Managing Director Geoffrey Gray �08,
For additional information on The 83rd Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell or
to reserve your place, please contact Brett Rubin �08 at [email protected].
Hotel Ezra
Cornell is an annual, weekend-long educational conference hosted by
the students of Cornell University�s School of Hotel Administration for
leaders of the hospitality industry. Comprised of educational seminars,
leisure activities, and food and beverage events, the weekend strikes a
thoughtful balance between education and entertainment. The purpose of
the weekend is for students to practice the skills they have learned in
the classroom and to showcase their talents to industry professionals.
This year�s overarching objective is �Showcasing Hospitality Education
Through Student Leadership.� |
