Orlando, Florida, June 2012—International hospitality executives will have the opportunity to explore leadership strategies, global trends, and challenges facing the hospitality industry, while networking with peers at the inaugural Global Hospitality Leadership Academy in Orlando, Florida, this December.  The Global Hospitality Leadership Academy is a joint venture between the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) and the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, which will host the Academy December 17-21, 2012.

The five-day Leadership Academy will feature a series of workshops focused on cultivating global leadership excellence by developing executive lodging potential for practical and professional application. The vision of the program is to develop and provide global leadership talent for the hospitality industry. Sessions will be facilitated by Rosen College of Hospitality Management professors and internationally-recognized industry experts and will include discussions about strategic growth, global leadership trends, social responsibility, change management, finance and revenue growth, and human resource development. Participants will have the opportunity to share best practices and to engage in discussions about current challenges and future trends in the hospitality industry. There will also be field experiences to many of the attractions in Orlando, the number-one hospitality market in the United States.

“The Rosen College and the Educational Institute have partnered to offer today’s hotel executives a thought-provoking and innovative approach to better equip themselves in this competitive environment,” said Robert L. Steele III, CHA, EI’s president and chief operating officer. “Our teams have been working for approximately 10 months to develop this exciting, interactive program that will appeal to our global audience.”

Qualified candidates for this program are general managers of full-service hotels exceeding 400 rooms and executive-level hospitality leaders (owners, management company executives, regional directors) from countries outside the United States. 

“This wonderful leadership program developed out of a true partnership of two prominent hospitality education leaders will provide wonderful opportunities for hospitality leadership development. We are glad that we are in a position to serve the industry’s needs and look forward to the successful offerings of the program for many years to come,” stated Youcheng Wang, Ph.D., associate dean of academic affairs and research, Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

Registration for the Global Hospitality Leadership Academy is $7,490 before August 15, and $7,990 after August 15. This fee includes four-star hotel accommodations (6 days/5 nights) at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, tuition, seminar materials, lunches, refreshment breaks, opening and closing dinners, and a certificate of completion issued jointly by EI and the Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

For further information and inquiries, e-mail the Academy Concierge at [email protected] or visit the Global Hospitality Leadership Academy website.

About the Educational Institute
Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute’s mission is to continue being the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality schools, and related hospitality industries by developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and certify hospitality professionals worldwide. Please visit http://www.ahlei.org 
 
About UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management
Located in the heart of the tourism and hospitality industry, Orlando, the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management is dedicated to the values of professionalism, leadership and service.  The mission of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management is to develop future generations of global hospitality and tourism leaders representing all industry segments in the hospitality capital of the world, through innovative academic programs, cutting edge research and strong industry and community partnerships.  For more information, visit www.hospitality.ucf.edu.