MFHA Hits a Milestone With a $500,000 Pledge From Pepsi-Cola to Create the MFHA Business Development Institute
PROVIDENCE, R.I.--The MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), announced today the largest single financial commitment since its inception in 1997. The pledge was announced at the MFHA third national conference --"Diversity Economics: Turning Difference Into Dollars"-- held recently in San Diego, California. The conference drew more than 500 senior-level business leaders, a 40 percent increase over MFHA's last conference.
Pepsi-Cola announced that it would increase its annual support to $100,000 annually, for a total of $500,000, over a five-year period. This additional financial support, beginning in 2003, will be earmarked in part, to create a Multicultural Business Development Institute at Johnson & Wales University. The institute will support the following initial activities across all hospitality segments:
- Development of a diversity best-practices model;
- Multicultural education programs and publications for human resources managers;
- Development of successful multicultural business-case studies; and
- Multicultural consumer research for restaurant and hotel operators.
"Pepsi's increased financial commitment will help the MFHA to stimulate and sustain the growth of multiculturalism and its economic benefits for the entire hospitality industry," said Steve Caldeira, vice president of industry relations for Pepsi-Cola North America and MFHA development chair. "If companies do not begin to market effectively to the rapidly-growing minority markets and do not have workforces that mirror these shifting demographics, they will not last over time."
"The mission of the MFHA is clearly gaining momentum. Everyday, more and more companies are realizing the business case for diversity is powerful and real," said Gerald Fernandez, MFHA's president. "In addition to developing proactive multicultural marketing campaigns, companies are also recognizing that their future will depend on the successful hiring, training, and retention of diverse talent." Other current multi-year commitments to MFHA include $60,000 over a three-year period from Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, which was also announced at the conference.
Based in Providence, RI, MFHA partners with a broad array of organizations to promote diversity and its economic benefits in the foodservice, hospitality and lodging industries. As the industry's diversity think tank, MFHA conducts benchmarking research, consults with companies on how to win diverse customers and helps to enhance the image of the industry. The organization also works with business leaders, suppliers, community organizations and educators throughout the U.S.
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