Can U-Tube It Better?—EI Contest Seeks Video Spoofs to Promote New Line-Level Training Program

Orlando, Florida, The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (EI) is reaching out to hospitality and restaurant employees, and hospitality students, to harness their creativity and energy to produce short, amateur videos that help promote line-level training.

EI and the FreemanGroup have partnered to create three new line-level training packages for front desk agents, guestroom attendants, and restaurant servers. Known as TRAC (Train, Retain, Assess, and Certify), each program includes a trainer’s guide, five employee reference guides, training DVD, and five line-level certification vouchers.

Contestants are asked to submit brief minute-or-under videos shot on camcorders, cell phones, digital camcorders, or other recording media that feature spoof examples of how NOT to provide good service in any of the three featured training areas. These videos should be funny and are designed to focus attention on why ongoing training is essential to quality service.

The winning video earns the creator $200, plus bragging rights and online immortality, as their video will be included in EI’s viral online marketing campaign to promote the TRAC system. Videos will play on the EI website, YouTube, Facebook, and other social networking websites.

EI hopes to increase awareness of the TRAC program though this contest, as well as engage and involve hospitality employees in a bolder, more interactive, and entertaining marketing strategy that speaks directly to their needs and interests.

The contest deadline is May 29, 2009. Videos should be uploaded as a video response in YouTube. For more information, including complete contest rules, visit , or call 800-349-0299.

Established in 1953 as a nonprofit educational foundation of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the Educational Institute’s mission is to support AH&LA by becoming the preferred provider to the lodging industry, hospitality schools, and related hospitality industries both domestically and internationally by developing and providing quality resources to train, educate, and certify hospitality professionals.

Elizabeth Johnson
Marketing and Communications Manager
517-318-2359
Educational Institute