Hospitality Students Meet With Industry Leaders in New York City

Photo Submitted

State hospitality students learn industry first hand from Starwood Hotels Westin Times Square General Manger Sean Verney.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — University of Arkansas hospitality innovation students recently traveled with groups from other universities to New York City to learn more about the large-scale hospitality industry.

The students from the School of Human Environmental Sciences in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences attended a discussion on labor unions and employee relations with the human resources director at the Radisson Martinique, a site visit and dinner with the general manager of Dave and Busters Times Square, got a behind the scenes look at how a management company operates at Denihan Hospitality and visited with the general manager of the Starwood Hotels Westin Times Square.

"Each tour was unique, but there were a few common themes: love what you do, excel at the basics, take good care of your people and understand hospitality is big business with many components from operations to sales to finance," Jack Moyer, vice president and general manager of the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs who traveled with the group.

Bumpers College students in Eta Sigma Delta, an international honor society recognizing exceptional academic and professional achievement in hospitality and tourism, also presented results of a "Little Rock Market Study" at HX: The Hotel Experience Show. They shared findings on a demand analysis for Little Rock and evaluating the impact the renovation of Robinson Theater might have on the city. Results suggest the city could support another 300-plus room hotel with additional recruitment efforts.

"Our students represented the University of Arkansas well and did so in front of industry judges and on the biggest stage in our industry at the hotel show," said Godwin-Charles Ogbeide, associate professor of hospitality and Eta Sigma Delta adviser.

The trip included an overnight stay at the Radisson Martinique, the largest American historic hotel in the state, and a day at the Jacob Javits Center visiting suppliers.

The hospitality industry is the No. 1 employer in Arkansas, but few places are performing at the volume of what students saw in New York City.

"It is one thing to hear lectures and visit Internet sites about New York City, but only in person can you understand the scale of our industry and the impact it has on the economy of the whole," said Jack Moyer, vice president and general manager of the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, who traveled with the group. "By visiting these properties and hearing firsthand accounts, one truly appreciates how hospitality shapes community image and is key to its economic success."

The trip was sponsored by the 1886 Crescent Hotel, the Arkansas Hospitality Association and the U of A Eta Sigma Delta chapter. Hospitality students from Arkansas Tech University and Missouri State University also participated. 

About the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences: Bumpers College provides life-changing opportunities to position and prepare graduates who will be leaders in the businesses associated with foods, family, the environment, agriculture, sustainability and human quality of life; and who will be first-choice candidates of employers looking for leaders, innovators, policy makers and entrepreneurs. The college is named for Dale Bumpers, former Arkansas governor and longtime U.S. senator who made the state prominent in national and international agriculture.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.