Dukes Take-On Vegas!

Laura Wong, an HTM Senior, had an incredible experience visiting Las Vegas with Tassie Pippert and 4 other HTM students over Spring Break. Please take a look at what wonderful opportunities Las Vegas offered for these traveling Seniors!

As a senior in the hospitality and tourism management program it’s great to finally be able to be given the opportunity to take a variety of different hospitality electives where we can apply what we have learned in our introductory classes.  The HTM451 course is an entertainment management course where we have learned about the different aspects of the gaming industry; specifically rules and etiquette when gaming at casinos.  It was so much fun to take what we learned in the class room out to the casinos of Las Vegas.  As one of the top destinations for hospitality, Las Vegas did not disappoint.  Whether one is interested in hotel management, food and beverage, clubs, or events management, Las Vegas has it all.  As a group we were lucky enough to be given a tour of one of the newest Las Vegas hotel properties: The Cosmopolitan.  On the tour, we learned about the various VIP services that were offered through the hotel for their high end clientele and high rollers.  We even got to see one of the penthouse rooms and a three story bungalow!  We also had the opportunity to learn how The Cosmopolitan is differentiating itself from some of the other well-known hotels and casinos through their Identity Membership Card.  Because The Cosmopolitan is a newer property in Las Vegas, and does not have an infamous name, it is able to bring in new guests through its stellar guest services and high quality food establishments.  My personal favorite was Holstein’s Burger and Shakes.  There I tasted the Rising Sun Burger that was marinated with teriyaki sauce, spicy mayo, and a tempura avocado.  If that doesn’t sound delicious enough, they also have a variety of milkshakes ranging from the classic cookies and cream to a cereal flavored shake!  Although there was so much to do, my favorite part of the trip would probably be walking around all the different hotel properties.  I almost felt star struck by the establishments because they are all so high profile and talked about.  It was so interesting to finally see each hotel in person and how not only the different themes of each hotel differed but also how they utilized entertainment to draw in guests. -Laura Wong, 2013

SHSRM SEMI-FORMAL!

Attention all Hospitality and Sports & Rec Majors! 

PCMA, CMAA, NSMH, and SLAM will be hosting the SHSRM Semi-Formal this Friday, March 22 from 8-10pm in the 865 East Game Room (basement). Please make sure you “Join” our event on Facebook for more information. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Recruiting

Attention all Juniors and Seniors!

Four Seasons will be on campus Friday, March 29th interviewing SENIORS for MIT positions and JUNIORS for internship opportunities. Please send your resume to Michael O’Fallon by Monday, March 18th if you are interested in being considered for an interview.

Hyatt Information Session

Monday, February 25th 2013
6:30pm
Showker G5
Learn about all of the internship and career opportunities that Hyatt has to offer! 

Student Spotlight: Shon Ford “Cruiseman 3000”

Shon Ford developed a remarkable fascination for “cruising” ever since his very first cruise trip at the young age of 11 with his mother. It just took that one trip to know that cruising would be something of great influence throughout his lifetime. In high school,  a media specialist encouraged him to learn more about the cruise line industry and ultimately he started his very own cruise blog: The Ocean Escape which launched in 2010. He continued venturing on numerous cruises and began typing up reviews about his trips and different cruise lines. He even created video tours on youtube which gives travelers a better feel for each cruise and the various cruise lines offered. His focus is primarily on the American cruise market but his blog attracts travelers from all around the word interested in cruise vacations.

Favorite Cruise Ship- tie between Norwegian Epic and Carnival Breeze

Favorite Cruise Line- Norwegian

Favorite Port to Leave From- Baltimore

Favorite Destination- Bermuda

Favorite Thing About Cruise Lines- the whole travel aspect and that it is very global. Sometimes there are 70 countries represented on just one cruise. He enjoys talking to different crew members and the members of the different departments. He loves being able to entertain through blogging and achieving the notoriety in what “Cruiseman 3000” represents.

No. One Destination- 3 way tie between: Norwegian Fjords, Australia and new Zealand, and traveling the southern tip of South America

No. of Cruises Taken- Just got back from cruise number 29, will be a little over 30 by the end of this year!

Awards, Reviews, Rankings, and Accomplishments: Cruiseman 3000 has been featured on Cruise Law News‘ site as a trust-worthy cruise/travel writer/blogger (July 2011). And in 2012, Cruise Law News ranked his blog, The Ocean Escape, as a must read cruise site for 2012. On their Top 12 Blogs & Websites for Cruise News in 2012 list, he was ranked #10 (on the same list with Cruise Radio, USA Today Travel, and other notable travel writing veterans). Also, Travel TV producer Marianne Schwab listed him second (#2) on her Cruise Experts and Bloggers list to follow on Twitter. On RCI Fans website (a cruise blog totally devoted to writing about Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line), Shon is ranked as the third (#3) recommended blog to follow/read; Cruise Currents, ranks his blog #9 on a recommended cruise blog-reading list. Shon is also listed on a recommended cruise list according to Cruise News with Jennifer Stern.
In 2011, The Ocean Escape (Shon’s cruise review site) was a nominee for a Shorty Award for best short social media content usage in the cruise industry from his usage of Twitter (@CruiseMan3000). Most recently in 2012, his blog has been nominated for “Best Travel Blog” at the 2012 Black Weblog Awards. Cruiseman 3000 contributes to cruise and travel sites all across the world including multiple States in the U.S. (California, Ohio and Florida being the most popular), the UK, and even Australia. In 2013, he will be expanding his career as a travel writer, for he just signed a contract with Onboard Media, LLC (Miami-based) to sail on various ships to conduct cruise reviews. He was recently just announced as the newest cruise writer for CruiseCrazies sharing his 10 years of cruise industry insight on a new blog that actually launches this week (making this the second blog Shon will author). He has also been featured on Cruise Radio and online podcast, Cruize Cast. In July of this year, he will be the co-host of the biggest cruise industry gathering ever on the high seas on Norwegian Sky for a 4 day/3 night cruise. Shon is also finishing up his first book on cruise travel which he started writing in March 2011 and is hoping to release in the Fall of 2014 (right before graduation in December of that year).

Internship Opportunity Advice- Shon made note that internships are extremely competitive because cruise ship contracts are 6-8 months long, making them reluctant to have students for only a few months of employment. The best thing is to know one other or at least 2 other languages. This puts your resume at the top of the pile during the recruitment process. Shon reiterated that people apply from all over the world, setting you up on a global competitive scale. He suggests to look at cruise consultaion firms that specialize in cruises because they usually take in interns interested in the industry. You should learn about all the ins and out  before you even interview for a cruise line internship.

You can find more Cruiseman 3000’s social media presence through Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube all using /cruiseman3000.

Join CMAA, NSMH, PCMA, and SLAM at their Hot Chocolate Social!

Come out to the Godwin Study Lounge on Tuesday, February 26th between 12- 4pm to enjoy some delicious hot chocolate, delectable treats, and lots of great hospitality information! The best part of all? It’s all FREE!
Come speak to different members from CMAA, NSMH, PCMA, and SLAM to learn more about our organizations and why YOU should join! 

The Latest Programs AHA is Now Offering!

The American Hospitality Academy’s internship program is one of the world’s most well-known and respected providers of hospitality training and cultural exchange programs. Since 1986, AHA has been providing training programs for 1000’s of students worldwide in the USA.

AHA is now bringing their years of experience to provide the same quality programs to countries around the world.

AHA is very happy to announce they are now offering Internships in the followings countries:-

• New Zealand
• Australia
• Canada

For full information on each of these programs please visit their website at
http://americanhospitalityacademy.com/internship_programe_overview.php

If  students are looking to see what is going on the AHA World or would like to speak to a past student, sign up for the AHA Facebook page which has over 3,500 past and current students happy to share their success stories at AHA.
Here is their Facebook link http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Hospitality-Academy/282469633148?fref=ts

Should students have any direct questions please do not hesitate to contact the Director of Recruitment & Intl Placements, Richard Skinner on Skype at aha_europe or feel free to email him at richard@americanhospitalityacademy.com

Summer Employment Opportunity at Chevy Chase Country Club

A message from Chevy Chase Country Club:

As we have done in the past, we are reaching out to local colleges and universities to see if any first year students within the hospitality programs would be interested in taking a server position for the summer as our internship spaces are limited. This is a great way to get their foot in the door at a large club with a proven internship program. Our desire is to have some students come in for the summer in a line level capacity in hopes they excel and enjoy the club environment and thus apply for internship positions the following year. We have seen some recent success with this venture. We will expose these students to some limited amount of educational opportunities that are normally afforded to interns and will provide as much career development and support as we can to round out their summer.

Applications can be faxed to the attention Greg Sheara or Laura Stevenson, Manager of Clubhouse Dining at 240-395-2107

Below is a PDF attachment of the application.

Application for Employment

Internship Opportunity: Black Horse Inn

SPECIAL EVENT INTERNSHIP for nationally recognized, award-winning inn and special event facility. Located in Warrenton, VA, in the heart of hunt-country, just one mile from historic Old Town Warrenton, and 45 minutes from Washington, D.C. The ideal person will assume responsibility in assisting the Manager with event management. Position requires an organized, mature, detail oriented professional to coordinate and execute weddings, social events, meetings, event planning and hospitality. Flexibility in schedule and weekend work required. Must have reliable transportation. E-mail resume and cover letter. Location:Warrenton, VA

Contact: Lynn Pirozzoli , CEO and Owner
Cell 540 270-4885
Black Horse Inn
8393 Meetze Road
Warrenton, VA 20187
relax@blackhorsienn.com
http://www.blackhorseinn.com
Inn 540 349-4020

Hospitality Student Conference

Save the Date!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
10 am-2 pm

 Hospitality Student Conference

Interested in learning more about events, hospitality and tourism, and recreation management?  Come meet industry professionals at our annual Hospitality Student Conference planned by the Professional Convention Management Association.  Registration includes breakfast, lunch, and many networking opportunities.  We will keep you updated with more information about registration and speakers.  You do not want to miss it!

Before March 31st:
Members: $10
Nonmembers: $15

After March 31st:
Registration is $20 for everyone.