|
News for the Hospitality Executive |
| MIAMI (Feb. 17, 2011) – After
weeks of preparing with faculty and one another, a team of 1,000
students from
Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism
Management
will take part in a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience at this
year’s Food
Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival, presented by Food &
Wine.
The event – celebrating its 10th year since being transformed by
Founder and Director Lee Brian Schrager – takes place Feb. 24-27. “Our involvement in the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival exemplifies Florida International University’s Worlds Ahead mission, encouraging students to go beyond what is expected, today and in their future careers,” said Dr. Mike Hampton, dean of Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. “Together with our exceptional faculty, curriculum, Miami location and alumni, this event is part of what keeps us a front-runner in the hospitality management arena.” Festival Participation Provides Real-Life Experiential Learning Each year, the Festival serves as a hands-on, experiential learning opportunity for rising stars from the school’s Hospitality Management Degree Program and Certificate Programs in Restaurant Foodservice Management, Wine and Beverage Management, and Special Event Management, as they serve on the prep teams for the Festival’s featured chefs. Once chosen, students undergo weeks of training under the direction of instructors Chef Michael Moran and Chef Roger Probst, as well as Adjunct Instructor for Event Management Susan Gladstone, activation director for the Festival. Throughout the four-day Festival this year, students will log more than 30,000 hours combined throughout their pre- and on-site involvement, including the following areas of responsibility:
There are several standout stories of students participating in this year’s Festival, including:
Funds Raised Create Exceptional Learning Opportunities for Students As a founding partner in the Festival, alongside Southern Wine & Spirits, monies raised annually – more than $12 million to date – have been re-invested in the industry’s future via scholarships and programs to enhance the school’s infrastructure. For example, funds raised from the Festival have supported the expansion of FIU’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s dining room into a full-service Teaching Restaurant. Other revenue from the Festival supports beverage management classes and maintenance of the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center, a 4,500 square-foot facility that features the latest technology for beverage tasting and analysis. About Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management: Florida International University's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is one of the highest rated hospitality and tourism programs in the United States. Each year, over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States and around the world choose FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus locations, expert faculty, rich curriculum, and fast-track career advantages in the international hotel, foodservice and tourism industries. In August 2006 FIU unveiled the first US School of Hospitality and Tourism in Tianjin, China. The Marriott Tianjin China Program is FIU’s largest international program, with a capacity for up to 2,000 students. For more information about Florida International University’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, visit http://hospitality.fiu.edu/. About FIU: Florida International University is one of the 25 largest universities in the nation, with more than 42,000 students. Nearly 130,000 FIU alumni live and work in South Florida. Its colleges and schools offer more than 200 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations and law. As one of South Florida’s anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. The opening of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in August 2009 has enhanced the university’s ability to create lasting positive change in our community. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/. About the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine: All proceeds of the Festival benefit the students of the Florida International University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management who also assist Festival organizers with sponsorship fulfillment, restaurant and exhibitor recruitment, logistics, and inventory as well as working alongside some of the world’s greatest celebrity chefs and winemakers. The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food &Wine is produced by Florida International University and Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida with the support of the Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority and the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information about the Festival, visit www.sobewineandfoodfest.com or call 877-762-3933. For more information about Florida International University visit www.fiu.edu, for the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management visit www.hospitality.fiu.edu and for more information about Southern Wine & Spirits visit www.southernwine.com. |
| Contact: Rebecca Rakitin M. Silver Associates 954-765-3636 |