November 2012
Hospitality Hall of Honor Inducts Two, Inspires Many On Oct. 24, Hilton College students once again had the chance to rub elbows with hospitality-industry leaders at the 17th annual Hospitality Industry Hall of Honor induction ceremony and dinner at the Hilton University of Houston. Extended-stay hotel pioneer Jack DeBoer (pictured far left) and the Mariani family of Banfi Vintners were this year's honorees. The Hospitality Hall of Honor, which is housed at Hilton College, was created in 1995 to recognize the contributions of some of the industry's most influential figures. A team of student leaders planned and executed the 2012 event—everything from the induction ceremony and dinner itself, to the reception and VIP dinner preceding the main event, to the two days of industry Think Tank sessions held at the College. The Think Tank topics were chosen in part from students' suggestions and included sessions on luxury marketing—which featured inductee James Mariani (pictured far right) as a panelist—food trucks, vineyard management, organic foods, Texas craft brews, tourism, club management and hospitality finance. Each session was moderated by a Hilton College faculty or staff member and featured a panel of experts, giving students the chance to learn firsthand from professionals in very specific areas of the hospitality industry. Congratulations to these deserving inductees and to the 2012 Hall of Honor student leadership team on a job well done! (Photos: Taylor Wiley) |
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Your Homework, Should You Choose to Accept It ... At Hilton College, we're all about experiential learning, and our students are willing to go above and beyond to educate themselves on the ins and outs of the hospitality industry. Recently, for Su Gibson's Introduction to Spa Management class, that meant going out and getting free massages. Feel sorry for them yet? We don't either. The luxurious learning experience was part of a secret-shopper "quality control audit" for a massage company, which has franchise businesses all over the Greater Houston area. The students' mission was simple: book their appointments, get massages and then fill out a lengthy online form about their experiences. They were looking at everything from the ambiance of the location, to the professionalism of the front-of-house staff, to the quality of the massage itself. The regional director of the massage company came to speak to the class about the project, explaining that the data they collected would be used to ensure the brand standards were being upheld at all of the franchise locations. Gibson also used the surveys as part of her ongoing research into customer satisfaction at spas. Needless to say, there weren't any complaints about this assignment. (Photo illustration: Su Gibson & Taylor Wiley) |
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Welcome to the Club, Ricki! "Eric's Club" is proud to welcome their newest member—Ricki R. Oberoi ('86)—to the Eric Hilton Distinguished Alumni Club. Ricki is the president of Oberoi Holdings, Inc., a company that owns multiple Houston-area Wendy's restaurants. After graduating with a BS in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Hilton College, Ricki entered the management training program at Taco Bell, and later joined his parents in opening Shiva Indian Restaurant, a popular and successful eatery and catering business. But it was after he acquired his first Wendy's franchise in 1996 that Ricki found his true passion. Now, he owns seven area Wendy's restaurants, with plans for two more locations to open in 2013. On Nov. 8, Ricki returned to Hilton College as the featured speaker for the 23rd Annual Eric Hilton Distinguished Chair Alumni Lecture Series. The lecture series was established in 1999 by Dr. Clinton L. Rappole, former Eric Hilton Distinguished Chair and Professor Emeritus, with the goal of bringing accomplished alumni back into the classroom to discuss their career paths with students. After his lecture, Ricki (pictured sitting center) was presented with an Eric's Club chair by fellow members of Eric's Club. Pictured standing left to right are: Dr. Clinton Rappole, Al Gallo ('82), Steve Goodman ('83), Nick Massad ('73), Dorothy Nicholson ('77), Marty Breverman ('74), Gregg Rockett ('86), Alphy Johnson ('76), Dave Smalley ('79), Jonathan Shear ('80) and Bob Planck ('71). Congrats, Ricki, and welcome to the club! (Photo: Michael Scott) |
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Uncorking the Possibilities |
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First-Time CMAA Hosts Make Lasting Impressions |
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And the Scholarship Winners Are ... |