Cornell University Hotel School to boost executive skills for Australian hoteliers

A ?who?s who? of Australian and world hoteliers have attended Cornell?s Hotel School, which was the first collegiate program of its kind when it was established in?1922, and now the School will come to Australia? to offer local hotel executives the opportunity to hone their skills in the industry.

Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) in partnership with Tourism Training Australia (TTA) secured the agreement for Cornell to conduct their Senior Executive Development and Food and Beverage Executive Development programs in Australia. They will be held in Sydney between?26 ? 29 May 2014.

The Senior Executive Development Program will focus on the application of financial management concepts useful in analysing hospitality operations. Emphasis will be on communicating and interpreting financial data from a General Manager perspective so they can deal more effectively with the business. The format involves lectures, case studies and problem sets.

The Food and Beverage Executive Development Program is designed for the Food and Beverage or Restaurant Manager seeking to gain a competitive advantage for their business. The course will develop abilities to identify and integrate trends in the industry, using operations based marketing, sales promotion, creating customer value through staff training and motivation strategies, menu development, forecasting, budgeting, labour scheduling and food production.

Managing Director of TAA, Rodger Powell said that bringing the Cornell Hotel School would offer a global perspective to the hotel industry?s most pressing issues.

?A great deal has been said in recent years about the need to elevate the skills base of the Australian hospitality industry and Cornell has both the attributes and the track record to deliver an exceptional experience for hotel executives,? said Mr Powell.

?The last time it was held in Australia ? some 25 years ago thanks to the initiative of industry stalwarts Bill Galvin, Tony South and Peter Barge ? the industry was building its international credentials. Since then, globalism and the online economy, plus the emergence of Asia as a dominant growth force for the world?s tourism industry, has completely changed our industry, so to get the fresh insights from the world-renowned Cornell Hotel School offers enormous potential for Australian hotel executives .

?Both courses are practical and will be overseen by the industry?s leading trainer, Tourism Training Australia. Bill Galvin, OAM, of TTA was involved in the first Cornell Hotel School visit to Australia, and said that the alumni of?1988?went on to become the industry?s leaders, so he believes that the 2014 school will have a similar influence on delegates attending.?

The Cornell opportunity builds on Tourism Accommodation Australia?s existing Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) program, which is offered to members in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute. The TAA Education & Training Program provides members with globally recognised, on-line training programs and qualifications designed for accommodation and hospitality executives, senior and supervisory management and tailored programs for front line staff.