Cergy Pontoise - Paris, France, 29 May  2002 � IMHI will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on 20- 22 June 2002. Created as a joint venture between Cornell University�s School of Hotel Administration and ESSEC Business School, IMHI (Institut de Management Hôtelier International) educates managers with an international experience and outlook to lead companies in the growing and dynamic hospitality sector. Over the last twenty years IMHI has evolved from a diploma based program with 40 graduates, to a fully-fledged MBA in International Hospitality Management, with over 900 alumni worldwide. 

This event will be a great networking forum for hospitality professionals from around the world. Industry professionals, partners and IMHI and Cornell Hotel School Alumni will participate in a high-level conference and special events highlighting the best of Parisian cultural and gastronomic pleasures, and an gala evening worthy of IMHI�s 20th birthday. Networking events include the Get-Together Cocktail on Thursday, 20 June, a dinner cruise on the Seine on the 21st June, and the Gala Evening on the 22 June at the historic Salon Gabriel, Potel & Chabot.

The conference on the 21 June will be launched with the keynote session �Globalisation � Where are we heading?� Jean-Marc Espalioux, Chairman of the Management Board, ACCOR and Marie-Laure Djelic, Professor, Department of Human Sciences, ESSEC will share their thoughts on the impact of globablisation on organisations and their strategies.  What are the implications of the 11th of September for the future of globalisation? What long-term competitive strategic responses should the hospitality industry be looking at? 

Moving on from the wider impacts of globalisation, the panel session �Leaders in Innovation� will focus on what it takes to stand out in niche markets in an increasingly globalised world with mega brands. Ajay Bakaya, partner and Executive Director of Sarovar Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts (Winner of FHRAI Young Hotel Entrepreneur of the Year, 2000-2001), Grace Leo-Andrieu, highly successful management consultant specialising in small independent luxury hotels, Philippe Bloch, Co-President of Columbus Café,  and Professor Hamid Bouchikhi, Professor and Director of the New Business Center, ESSEC, will be among the leaders in innovative concepts sharing their success stories and challenges in creating new products and concepts in today�s challenging environment

Underlining their support for quality managerial initiatives are key event sponsors ACCOR, Elior and Euro Disney S.C.A.  All sponsor acknowledgements and registration details are on www.imhi20.com.