Our Wonderful Industry
One of HSMAI Europe`s main focus areas for the coming years will be on how to make hospitality attractive for talents, and to help retain great people in our industry. We will bring the industry together and discuss how, together with the hospitality schools, students and others, we can make our industry a “love to work for” industry again. We will do this in a way that has not been done before, in close cooperation with our members representing commercial leaders, CEOs and GMs and also from HR and Talent Development.
The HSMAI Europe Spring Curate will take place at one of the leading hotel schools in Switzerland. The kick-off for our student project will be in London at our Commercial Strategy Summit on January 25th and 26th, where two students from each hotel school that are involved with the project will be invited to join us. We believe this will strongly benefit the hotel schools also, as this initiative has a bigger purpose than just one individual hotel school or one hotel chain.
HSMAIs vision globally is as follow: To be the information resource for hospitality, travel, tourism, sales and marketing professionals at all stages of their career.
Knowing that more than 60% of students at hotel schools leave the industry after graduating, underlines the necessity for us all to support this initiative. To succeed we need to assist the students in building a network beyond their usual scope, stimulate their professional growth, and create a sense of belonging within our wonderful hospitality industry. Therefore, HSMAI Europe has started this new initiative, the HSMAI Europe Student Council.
The Savoy in London is wonderfully decorated for Christmas
Over the last few weeks I have spoken to many members in different countries, and I have listened to where they see their opportunities and challenges. Amongst others I met Franck Arnold, the Managing Director & Regional Vice President at the Savoy Hotel in London last week. We had a very interesting discussion about staff challenges. He will join us and share his views at our events in London in January. I hope you will be there too.
This week I have been working at our office in London and attended many meetings. It is good to be back at the office again. Digital meetings will never replace meeting people in person.
The new chairs for our different Advisory Boards will join us for 2022, and others will continue. This week I also spent time with Eric Brun and Monna Nordhagen in London. Eric will be replacing Monna as the chair of the HSMAI Europe Marketing & Branding Advisory Board. Eric is the former Senior Vice President Commercial at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and is now the Executive Director at Polypol. Eric is elected for two years. We are very excited to start working with Eric, as he brings a wealth of competence that he will share with our members at our meetings and conferences. In addition, I am pleased that Monna will continue on the Advisory Board, and she will join us again in London in January.
In addition to our digital meetings, I am glad to share with you that from February 2022 we will start with local HSMAI events in our key markets in Europe. These will take place every other month in the afternoons in some markets and as breakfast meetings in other markets.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Best Regards,
Ingunn Hofseth
President & CEO
HSMAI Europe
Top photo: Perry (Andrew’s dog, the Finance Director for HSMAI Europe) taking care of me at the HSMAI Europe office in London.
Get to know: Emile Schelfhout
Emile Schelfhout is a 23-year-old ambitious hotel & hospitality professional who recently graduated from Hotelschool The Hague with an MBA in International Hospitality Management. He is currently completing his MSc in Corporate Finance & Banking at EDHEC Business School in Nice.
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