Summer Time Homework

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The season between commencement and back-to-school is one of those perks enjoyed by some college and university faculty members (myself included) and allows for a little relaxing, recharging and perhaps some preparation for the coming semesters.

This Missouri summer was a little different in that a major hospitality education event came to St. Louis in July. The "2013 Annual Conference of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education" chose the Doubletree Union Station Hotel as the site for its major professional worldwide get-together.

With 400 leading hospitality academics and professionals sharing their ideas and research, the conference is an extraordinary learning opportunity, and I hope some of my observations from the gathering will be informative.

• Student interest in the meeting and events industry has exploded on campuses across the globe. Enrollments are way up in programs with a major or emphasis in event planning, in many cases with double digit percentage annual growth in numbers of students.

On the surface, this certainly looks like a positive indicator for both industry and schools but there is a challenging aspect. One college recruiter from a major hotel chain said she has 500 requests for event planning internships/employment for perhaps five openings in the company. This will make for some interesting times in selecting college grads for your organization.

• Top executives from Sodexo, Inc., the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, and Cheddar’s restaurant chain shared industry keynote duties and their message was clear. Hospitality organizations need more than textbook understanding from their college grad job hopefuls. Candidates need demonstrated experience, passion and team leadership abilities for success.

They might have been preaching to the choir because I was excited by the number and types of meeting and event experiential learning opportunities already in college programs.

Internships, community celebrations, on-campus meetings and banquets, and event planning/support for not-for-profit organizations are just some examples of learning tools and activities used by faculty (again, me included) everywhere to make it "real" for students.

• More and more schools are stressing awareness and the importance of professional certifications for graduates. All the industry professional association programs (including the CMM and CMP credentials) are being examined and utilized in classes. In many cases, the content of the certification is woven into the curriculum.

"Cvent University" has also taken hold in many programs. Professors are adding the online learning opportunity, which results in students becoming "Cvent Certified" and you will see it on their resume.

I believe these efforts are examples of the "first wave" as higher education joins industry in the move towards "learn anytime-anywhere" in an online delivery model. While these changes have profound implications for schools, it is an exciting time for everyone who values life-long learning.

Now for me, I’m going to try and sort out four days of professional conference information overload but I guess it’s all part of that most exciting season ... "back-to-school".

Right now I’m thinking I want to see who wins on "America's Got Talent," but I better follow my own advice. Go do your homework!

Jerry Shackette is associate professor and the Walter L. Green Chair of Hotel & Restaurant Management at College of the Ozarks, Point Lookout, Missouri just south of Branson.

He can be reached at 417-690-2119 or shackette@cofo.edu.