Tuesday, February 27, 2007
82nd HEC Program
Here is the program for the 82nd HEC weekend!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
5:30AM – 7:30PM
Welcome Cocktail
For the first time, Dean Michael Johnson, along with Managing Director Arthur Chang, will be kicking off the Hotel Ezra Cornell weekend. Opening remarks by the Dean and Managing Director complement a cocktail that honors our 82-year history. Be sure to take a look at the archive display in the first floor conference foyer while enjoying a light dinner option in the ballroom.
Friday, April 13, 2007
7:00AM – 8:45AM
Opening Breakfast
Oh my, this is the best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had! Breakfast this morning features the best of classic breakfast foods like you have never had them before. Whether you want a full breakfast or just a cup of coffee to start your busy day, you will be pleased with this fresh breakfast.
8:45AM – 10:15AM
Innovating an Empire
Mr. Leland Pillsbury ’69, Chairman and CEO of Thayer Lodging Group, will draw on his vast experiences to describe the relationship between HEC’s theme of “Sustainability Through Innovation” and his own concept of “Entrepreneurship as a State of Mind.” As an audience member, you will learn why you should embrace uncertainty, disruption, and risk when the world (and perhaps your boss) prizes confidence, calmness, and security. You will leave feeing inspired and ready to act!
10:15AM – 10:45AM
Coffee Break
Timed throughout the educational sessions, the coffee breaks will be a perfect chance for you to re-energize with some caffeine and tasty house-made snacks.
11:15AM – 12:45PM
Student Business Concept Fair
The Student Business Concept Fair will showcase business concepts that have been developed throughout the year by select teams of undergraduate and graduate Hotel School students enrolled in the Marketing and Restaurant Development courses. We invite you to visit the exhibition and get to know the teams as they share their ideas with you. Then, “write a check” to invest in your favorites! The winning teams will be rewarded for their hard work and ingenuity.
12:30PM – 01:30PM
Power Lunch
Olive oil, fresh seafood, mozzarella cheese, ripe tomatoes, and roasted garlic – the only thing missing from this Mediterranean menu is the smell of the sea. Our lavish lunch buffet will make you think that you have traded Ithaca for Italy. And with plenty of space in the ballroom to mingle with other guests, the Power Lunch is not to be missed.
1:30PM – 3:30PM
Interactive Lessons (Ongoing)
Stop by for a 30-minute tutorial, and leave with up-to-date Microsoft Office skills. Current Hotel School teaching assistants will lead these interactive drop-in lessons, which will provide an excellent opportunity to improve your computer literacy. Two labs will be available: one for beginners looking to learn a few shortcuts and another providing more advanced lessons in Excel business modeling.
1:30PM – 2:30PM
Connecting with the Culture: A Case Study in Sustainable Tourism
By Ethan Hawkes ‘07 and Professor Robert J. Kwortnik
In a destination dominated by all-inclusive resorts, a different tourism venture seeks to offer guests a genuine connection to the community. "VillageLife Tourism" and its associated "Okra Inn" demonstrate how tourism can be sustainable and can benefit both tourists and local purveyors. This message has so far gone largely unheard in a market that celebrates sand, sun, and service-in resorts that operate in fenced-off compounds. This case study analyzes VillageLife's challenges and prospects, the most promising of which is partnering with the all-inclusive properties.
2:45PM – 3:45PM
Student/Business Collaboration: Darden Restaurants
In October, MMH students participated in a weekend-long supply chain management case study, sponsored by Darden Restaurants. Our first Student/Business Collaboration will start with a presentation by the winning team, followed by relevant comments from Darden representatives. At the end of the presentation, you will have time to ask questions, and before the weekend event begins, you’ll receive a copy of the case study as “homework”!
7:00PM – 9:30PM
Gala Banquet
The Gala Banquet will honor the past, present, and future of Hotel Ezra Cornell and its mission of “Showcasing Hospitality Education Through Student Leadership.” The interactive menu, designed by Hotel School senior Bradlee Hancock, is inspired by American and French cuisines and will perfectly reflect this year’s Board of Directors’ passion for innovating old traditions.
9:30PM – 11:30PM
Johnson Art Museum Cocktail
When the Gala Banquet ends, you can pick up the shuttle from the Statler Hotel and join us at the Herbert F. Johnson Art Museum for a night to remember. You will have a chance to visit all of the museum exhibit floors while you are enchanted with the live classical music, rich desserts, and your favorite cocktails. And just when you think the evening is over, our Managing Director Arthur Chang, will unveil a big surprise!
Saturday, April 14, 2007
7:30AM – 9:30AM
Continental Breakfast
This morning’s light and airy breakfast is a collaboration of food and tea. Each menu item will be paired with one of Harney and Sons exquisite teas: for example orange poppyseed muffins and Classic Earl Grey. Coffee drinkers, don’t despair, you will find plenty of Starbucks Coffee to enjoy with your breakfast.
9:30AM – 11:00AM
Student/Business Collaboration: Westin Resorts
Our second Student/Business Collaboration will showcase student research from Professor Chekitan S. Dev’s Brand Management course. You will have the opportunity to discuss a stimulating Westin Hotels & Resorts case study and learn how Sue Brush, SVP of Westin Resorts, partnered with Hotel School students to develop new ways to brand the company.
10:00AM – 12:00PM
Student Showcase
The Student Showcase will feature a wide variety of projects from talented Hotel School students. As you meander into the Dean’s Brunch, you will be able to talk with students in a relaxed atmosphere, then listen and watch as they demonstrate their best work from Hotel School classes and activities.
10:30AM – 12:00PM
Dean’s Brunch
You will have to save your appetite for Dean Johnson’s Brunch because the menu will have all of your breakfast staples, as well as some delicious lunch items. Whether you are in the mood for eggs and Applewood smoked bacon or leg of lamb and watercress soup, you will certainly want to come hungry.
12:15PM – 01:45PM
Sustaining the Environment
Listen to a panel of experts tackle the critical question of what businesses must do in order to be environmentally sustainable. Featuring:
▪ Mark WuttkePrincipal of Wuttke Group
▪ Ted NingExecutive Director of the LOHAS Conference
▪ Sandra TaylorSenior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility of Starbucks Coffee
▪ Mark MilsteinDirector of the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Johnson
School of Management
▪ Stefan MuhleGeneral Manager of Orchard Garden
2:15PM – 5:15PM
4th Annual Culinary Mystery Box
Calling all gods and goddesses of the kitchen! The 4th annual Culinary Mystery Box Competition invites you to show off your culinary skills in an “Iron Chef” style competition. Teams of four will create a 3-course meal using pre-selected “mystery” ingredients, which will not be revealed until the start of the event. This year’s theme will be Greek food, although you need not have prior experience with Greek cooking (or with cooking in general). If you want to have a shot at the gold medal, then you’ll have to sign up for the Culinary Mystery Box and be ready for a competition of Olympic proportions!
2:15PM – 3:30PM
Chocolate Event
Hotel School Professor Jordan LeBel, resident chocolate expert, will lead guests through a two part lesson on the world of chocolate. Follow the history of chocolate from its beginning as the favorite drink of the Aztec emperor Montezuma to its newest incarnation as solid bars sourcing beans from single countries or even single plantations. Like fine wine, fine chocolate is an experience that is enhanced through side by side comparisons of different chocolate bars. At this event guests will have the opportunity to sample several different types provided by HEC 82’s exclusive chocolate donor, Dagoba Organic Chocolate.
3:45PM – 5:15PM
Banfi Wine Tasting
Join us for an unparalleled barrel tasting of Poggio alle Mura featuring Sharron McCarthy, Vice President of wine education for Banfi Vintners: discover how the wine’s three grapes—clones BF 30, Janus 10, and Janus 50—contribute their individual character to the final blend. In addition, we will titillate your palate with the captivating Principessa Perlante, the alluring Riserva Brunello di Montalcino ‘Poggio All’Oro’, and the romantic Rosa Regale.
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Sustainable Dinner
Inspired by the theme of this year’s Hotel Ezra Cornell conference, the Sustainable Dinner exposes our guests to the best and freshest products that sustainable farming has to offer. Each of the menu’s five courses, designed by Hotel School senior Sarah Yardeni, will highlight ingredients from a local organic producer. Attendees will enjoy the finest food and wine that New York State has to offer.
7:00PM – 9:00PM
Tapas Dinner
Hotel Ezra Cornell and the Statler Hotel will excitedly feature the newly renovated Taverna Banfi during this special tapas dinner. Hotel School juniors Kirk Kelewae and Scott Westerman have worked closely with Castello Banfi and the Mariani family to create a unique dining experience that reflects the cuisine and atmosphere of Montalcino, Italy. The four-course menu will be served family or tapas style and will be paired exclusively with Castello Banfi wines.
9:00PM – 11:00PM
Closing Cocktail
The perfect ending to another best ever Hotel Ezra Cornell weekend, the Closing Cocktail will bring together guests, faculty, and students to enjoy dessert and music. You will want to pack early, so you do not have to miss a single minute of our farewell festivities.
9:36 AM | 0 comments
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Creative Mission and Vision!
Hotelies! I am back for yet another blog entry this week. Anyway, I spent my Valentine’s Day snowed in, catching up on some industry reading. I came across one particular article which sparked my interest – “What a Resort Experience Can Become When You Have a Daring Mission and Vision Statement,” posted on Hotel Online. I, personally, have a strong interest in marketing – especially for the hospitality industry. In addition, I found the message of this article relative to this year’s HEC.
The goal of HEC 82 is to discover “what innovative hospitality organizations [must] do in order to survive and to thrive.” In other words, the world changes quickly – the needs of customers are easily offset, especially by the availability of pioneering technology. As a result, hospitality organizations must keep up with the changing needs of the market through innovation to maintain the sustainability of its customers – but the question is, how?
The article I came across on Valentine’s Day offers a unique perspective that correlates with HEC 82’s goal. The overall message of this article is that hospitality companies should focus on creating unique mission and vision statements that aim to provide guests with the most distinctive experience possible. In addition, the author indicates that mission and vision statements should not be mainstream (i.e. to maximize efficiency or increase shareholder value); instead, such statements should serve to reflect the creativity of the business and provide the most sentimental experience to the guest.
So, how does HEC 82 fit into this? Easy. Creating mission and vision statements that eschew conventionalism and instead focus on maximizing the guest’s overall experience is part of sustaining long term customer relationships through innovation. This is, after all, one answer to HEC 82’s goal.
Read the article for yourself: http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2007_1st/Feb07_ResortExperience.html
What are your thoughts? I would love to hear them. Leave me a bearable comment below.
Beary Good Wishes for Spring,
Ellsworth
9:01 PM | 0 comments
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Happy Snow and Valentine's Day!
Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day fellow Hotelies! Well, it certainly was a fantastic surprise to wake up this morning to a world of white bliss; no other location could possibly be more peaceful than Ithaca in the snow. What is it about snow that makes it like a red light – forcing even the most industrious worker to hinder his craft and take notice of the enchantment and simplicity of a white milieu? Well, okay. Maybe not every worker halts his job; I know we Hotelies are notorious for being hard workers. However, I hope you at least enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate during this eleventh snow day in Cornell history.
This past weekend, HEC held its Function Flow for the upcoming Hotel Ezra Cornell weekend. It was quite an exciting event! Not only were all board members, board assistants, and function managers photographed, but Function Flow outlined what we can expect for the weekend of April 13th. I am overly excited about this year’s HEC; you should be, too! Here is some insider information about Function Flow, just in case you missed out:
Liz Longstreet, the Executive Chef, remarked, “for Function Flow, the Back-of-House team had the opportunity to test some of our recipes and present menu items to our advisors. I was really impressed by my Function Managers, who prepared dish after dish of amazing food.” Wow, that sounds terrific! “If HEC weekend goes as well as Function Flow, there's no doubt in my mind that the food for HEC 82 will be the best ever.” Food? I know I’m excited to see what is in store! I am sure the Back-of-House team will not fail to create additional culinary masterpieces for HEC 82.
Our Conference Services Director, Jennifer Jeng, reported, “Function flow was a great chance for us to gain new perspectives on events we have been planning and re-planning for the past 5 months. Our advisors' instrumental feedback helps HEC overcome obstacles as we count down to the best HEC ever.” It certainly is necessary to look ahead, especially for an elaborate event like HEC; good thinking, Jen!
Justin Sun, Human Resources Director, had much to remark about Function Flow. For starters, “Function Flow was very successful this year; I was pleased with the attendance of function managers and board assistants during the event. Although I was not involved with the actual Function Flow presentation, I helped coordinate the photo shoot for function managers in the Guest Guide, and I am very appreciative that everyone showed up at the times that they were expected to show up.” The photos are great; everyone looked so professional with their dark business suits and traditional HEC pins!
Furthermore, Mr. Sun was “was impressed with how positive everyone was about waking up as early as 7 a.m. to prepare for the event. I know that a lot of people were tired and busy, and that they would have rather been anywhere else but Statler on a Saturday morning, but everyone stuck together through the event together as a team. I am grateful for their dedication.” Go teamwork!
As for me, this Valentine’s Day is not proceeding as expected. The snow delayed dinner plans with my Valentine. I think I will instead spend my night inside watching some good movies in accompaniment with some delicious chocolates, hot tea, flannel pajamas, and bear slippers. Tomorrow looks like a great day to go sledding, though!
Have a Beary Happy Valentine’s Day,
Ellsworth
10:49 PM | 0 comments
Friday, February 09, 2007
Welcome Back!
Hello fellow Hotelies! Ellsworth here, updating for the first time during this new and exciting year. I hope you all had an enjoyable time over winter break. My externship in the Caribbean proved to be rewarding! Not only was I able to obtain some time under warm sunrays (despite some painful sunburns!), but I exercised all of my Hotelie knowledge in real industry situations. If any of you Hotelies have not had the opportunity to intern in your projected field of interest, I highly encourage you do so! I was able to make some fantastic friends, many of whom I spoke to about our Hotel Ezra Cornell.
But, alas, I am back in snowy Ithaca. This semester, HEC has a lot in store for all of us Hotelies. The 82nd Hotel Ezra Cornell will take place during the second weekend in April. All Hotelies are invited (and encouraged!) to take part in this memorable experience. Whether you choose to join Jackie Quinlan’s Culinary Team or become a personal concierge, your time commitment is extremely valuable to all attendees of HEC. I am excited about becoming a personal concierge this year because my good friend Alice will be training me. Imagine, meeting industry leaders and Hotel School alumni amongst the brilliant coordination of Hotel School students! I cannot wait for HEC.
On a lighter note, Valentine’s Day is coming up next week. Ordinarily, I am not a big fan of the holiday… It comes across to me as a corny event. However, my viewpoint has changed this year; everything changes when you find someone special with whom you can spend Valentine’s Day. This is my first year I am planning on a Valentine! She is a very dear friend of mine, and I certainly hope she feels the same. I don’t want to mention any names as of right now – I don’t know exactly who may be reading this – but I will tell you I am planning on having a classy dinner at Taverna Banfi to celebrate Valentine’s Day (… as well as the reopening of Taverna Banfi!).
Take care all and I will be in touch.
Bearfully Yours,
Ellsworth
6:04 PM | 0 comments