MPIKC Times

 

           

 

 

 

 

Mary Kay Keating, Revenue Optimization Specialist for Carlson Rezidor Hotels – Americas, provided an overall view of this relatively new discipline to the meetings and events industry. She explained how a meeting is evaluated from a revenue management standpoint to determine if a group, or which group, if there were more than one vying for the same dates and space, would prove to be more profitable for the hotel to award its space to based on the venue’s revenue goals for the timeframe in question.

To illustrate, two different RFPs over the same time period were evaluated and the anticipated revenues from each RFP’s specifics were compared. Audience opinion was then asked as to which group would make more sense for the hotel to book. A lively exchange between planners and suppliers also followed on important information (such as history, deal-breaker concessions, F&B budgets, etc.) that could be included in the RFPs or RFIs that will give hotels a clearer picture of the group’s event requirements, which in turn could facilitate a shorter response time to benefit planners.

Four key points were highlighted during the presentation:

1. Being flexible on your meeting dates can help create a win-win for planner and supplier.

2. Understand that there are numerous channels that a hotel may receive a request for availability.

3. Be familiar with Average Daily Rate (ADR) and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) acronyms and how they could be used during negotiations.

4. Know the total value of your meeting when negotiating with hotel partners.

Mary Kay ended the program with a quote from Matt Schalk: "If they pick the dates, we pick the rates. If they pick the rates, we pick the space. If they pick the space, we go case by case."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Missouri State University – Springfield, MO

 

 

As we all know, the hospitality industry is dynamic, exciting and full of opportunities. To succeed in the industry, one has to be willing to adapt and balance a myriad of demands to keep up with customer and investors’ desires. Similarly, hospitality programs in colleges and universities across the country must also adapt and balance industry demands in order to adequately prepare graduates for the ebbs and flows of the marketplace. Some of the trends we are seeing on our campus include:

Emphasis on business skills. Success in the hospitality industry requires a strong set of business skills. In the hospitality curriculum, this translates into honing our students’ human resource, finance, marketing, strategy, and leadership skills. It is not only enough to teach these skills, educators are feeling more pressure from accrediting agencies and governing bodies to assess students’ mastery of learning objectives. This has resulted in an increased focus on certifications offered through organizations such as CVENT, Smith Travel Research, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association. As I speak with alumni, it appears as though the certification trend is carrying over into the professional community as we are experiencing increased interest CMP, CHA, CHIA and graduate certifications.

Experiential and team-based learning. The way we teach students continues to evolve. While the traditional lecture courses still exist, we are seeing a shift away from the traditional "sage on the stage" approach to teaching. Throughout the curriculum, it is important to incorporate experiential learning opportunities. Hands-on learning is essential to students’ mastery of material. To support the experiential learning process, programs across the country have incorporated student-operated restaurants into the curriculum. More recently, a growing number of schools are partnering with lodging entities to operate hotel facilities on campus.

To complement the experiential learning process, we are placing greater emphasis on team-based learning. The focus on team-based learning to some extent is in response to the demands of hospitality recruiters who repeatedly stress the importance of effectively working on a team. Research shows that peer-to-peer interaction is one of the most influential factors in student learning. Typically, team-based learning involves completing a team project, paper, case or event. In team-based learning, students have the chance to learn and share the content together. Additionally, team-based learning allows students the opportunity to learn how to navigate the intricacies of team dynamics.

Focus on graduation and job placement rates. In business, revenue growth does not necessarily translate into financial success as it is only one piece of the puzzle. In hospitality education, we face a similar situation. Increases in student enrollment, do not automatically translate into student success. The current environment requires that we not only increase our student enrollment, but do so while also increasing the graduation and job placement rates of our student. This means offering a relevant, industry-driven curriculum, streamlining students’ progression through the educational process, and working with two-year institutions to ensure a seamless transfer of credits into four-year institutions. Most importantly, it means educators must be in constant communication with industry professionals to ensure we are providing students with the knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed.

How can KCMPI help? While each of the trends noted are individually important, their true power is when they work together. This is where you can help as industry professionals. The industry knowledge you provide to academia is invaluable as it helps us gage that we are staying current with the demands of the market. Additionally, the internship opportunities you provide to our students are a critical component of the experiential learning process and allow students to apply the business skills learned in class to a real-world setting. The bottom line is when academia and industry combine hospitality education thrives.

Dr. Stephanie Hein is the Interim Department Head of the Hospitality & Restaurant Administration in Missouri State University. She can be reached at 417-836-5159 or StephanieHein@missouristate.edu.

 

PROPER TABLE SETTINGS
(Reprinted from www.didyouknow.org)

What goes where on the table and which glasses go with what drinks?

Real easy to remember, the etiquette experts tell us. The general rule with utensils is to start from the outside of your place setting, and work your way toward the service plate (the main meal plate): soup spoon first, then fish knife and fork, then service knife and fork.

When to start eating:

Despite what mother told you, culinary experts say you do not always have to wait for everyone to begin – start eating hot food when it is served. For cold foods or buffets, wait for the host to announce dinner and wait until the head guest starts dishing.

The correct table settings

Foods you can get by hand:

1. Bread: Break slices of bread, rolls and muffins in half or into small pieces by hand before buttering.

2. Bacon: If there’s fat on it, eat it with a knife and fork. If it is crisp, crumble it with a fork and eat with your fingers.

3. Finger meals: Follow the cue of your host. If finger meals are offered on a platter, place them on your plate before putting them into your mouth.

4. Foods meant to be eaten by hand: Corn on the cob, spareribs, lobster, clams and oysters on the half shell, chicken wings and bones (in informal situations), sandwiches, certain fruits, olives, celery, dry cakes and cookies.

Removing inedible items from your mouth:

1. Olive pits: Drop delicately into your palm before putting them onto your plate.

2. Chicken bone: Use your fork to return it to the plate.

3. Fish bones: Remove with your fingers.

4. Bigger pieces: Bigger bones or food you don’t appreciate you should surreptitiously spit into your serviette (napkin), so that you can keep it out of sight.

Which glasses go with what drinks?

Wine connoisseurs agree that each type of wine needs a particular type of glass to bring out the distinctive bouquet. Using a narrow glass for a rich Burgundy, for example, won’t allow enough room to swirl it around in, and it’s the swirl that brings out its bouquet. The glass also needs to taper properly toward the top so that it captures the bouquet yet allows for sipping. In general, the stem of a glass should be long enough to keep hands from touching the bowl, which can affect the wine’s temperature, and therefor its bouquet.

Water | Brandy | White wine | Pinor Noir/Burgundy | Sparkling wine | Red wine

a. Water: Full body glass with short stem. Hold the glass by the stem to preserve its chill.

b. Brandy: Brandy snifter. Roll the snifter between both hands and then cup it in one hand – warming the glass brings out the bouquet in brandy.

c. White wine: Slightly smaller glass with wider bowl to capture the bouquet. Hold the glass by the stem to preserve its chill.

d. Burgundy Reds and Pinot Noirs: A wide bowl to bring out their complexity. The glass is slightly taller than the white wine glass.

e. Champagne: A narrow fluted glass, which reduces the wine’s surface area and keep the bubbles from dissipating.

f. Red wine: The bigger of the wine glasses. Hold the glass at the bottom of the bowl where it meets the stem.

Bon appetit!

Now that you have the correct table setting and the proper wine glasses, see which wines go best with what food, and then make sure you have the right person to share it with!

Did you know?

Wine is sold in tinted bottles because wine spoils when exposed to light. And the indentation at the bottom of the bottle strengthens the structure of the bottle but also is there to trap the sediments.

 

 Click here for the link to the full article

 

 

Congratulations to Maria R. Davis, CMP, Sales Manager for the Embassy Suites KCI, for completing her very first Rock N’ Roll Half-Marathon (13.1 miles) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 17.

"It was such a unique and wonderful experience since it was a night marathon on The Strip.

There was a band or DJ in every mile to keep all the runners energized matched with The Strips’ night lights, so you can just imagine what an enjoyable run it was with the view. There were a lot of bystanders cheering the runners as well. My favorite bystander signage was at Mile 12 – "The end is near."      

 

 

Congratulations to Susie Muchow, Sr. Sales Manager for the Embassy Suites KCI, on her upcoming retirement on January 31, 2014.

After 40 years in the Hotel Industry, 27 of which is with the Embassy Suites KCI, Susie is looking forward to a variety of new ventures.

She initially worked for the Radisson Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis which is the very first Radisson Hotel in the U.S. Then, Susie worked for The Muehlbach Tower in Kansas City, which was a former Radisson Hotel. In all her 40 years in the industry, she has only worked for two management companies – Radisson Hotels and John Q. Hammons Hotels and Resorts.

Susie has been a member of KCMPI for the past 25 years. She will be greatly missed by her clients and fellow industry professionals but we all wish her the very best on this new chapter in her life. Good luck, Susie!