HOSPA ‘Career Investment Development Scholarships 2011’ Announced

Deadline for entries: 4 November 2011

Following the success of last year's launch of the 'Career Investment Development Scholarships', HOSPA – the UK's leading educational organisation for hospitality professionals involved in financial management, revenue management and IT – is not only inviting senior hospitality industry practitioners to nominate outstanding young employees working in Finance, Revenue Management or IT for a 2011 'HOSPA Career Development Investment Scholarship', but also hospitality university and college course leaders to nominate aspiring hospitality students – who have excelled in their current studies – for a 2011 'Future Career Investment Development Scholarship'.

Another first for the Association is that all of this year's 'HOSPA Career Development Scholarships' are being sponsored by HOSPA's strategic partner – Texas-based Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP). The awards have been designed to provide career development and recognition for upcoming young people currently working in the hospitality industry; and hospitality students showing great promise in their course studies.

There are a total of ten scholarships (five in each category) to be awarded. The 'Career Development Investment Scholarships' category will afford the five lucky winners – who must be 30 years-old or under on 4 November 2011 (the deadline date for applications), and do not need to be HOSPA members – an unique opportunity to learn from, be noticed and publicly recognised at, the forthcoming one-day HOSPACE 2011 Annual Conference and IT Exhibition, to be held on 24 November 2011 at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5. The same applies to the five fortunate HOSPA 'Future Career Investment Development Scholarship' winners who will have the chance at HOSPACE 2011 to be recognised for their outstanding achievements by a potential future employer.

Commenting on the awards, HOSPA Chief Executive Carl Weldon said: "At HOSPA, we believe passionately in nurturing future finance, revenue management and IT talented people in the UK hospitality industry; and we are greatly indebted to HFTP and its Chief Executive Frank Wolfe for offering to sponsor the 2011 'HOSPA Career Investment Development Scholarships'. Both award categories offer the winning candidates an unrivalled chance to enhance their continuing professional development (CPD) at the Conference through networking and attending a comprehensive programme of highly topical 'best-practice' educational workshops and presentations led by a distinguished array of speakers – all experts in their own fields – who will be addressing the most pressing current issues in hospitality finance, revenue management and IT.

"The prize for winning each of the Scholarships in the two award categories is full-day attendance at the HOSPACE 2011 Conference and IT Exhibition entitled 'New Approaches to a Bright Future'; as well as a place that evening at the HOSPACE Gala Dinner – one of the traditional social networking highlights of the hospitality industry year – where the candidates' outstanding achievements will be officially and publicly recognised. And that's not all – all scholarship recipients will be featured in HOSPA's monthly magazine 'The Overview'!"

Describing the value of winning a HOSPA scholarship is a 2010 recipient – Chantal Marass, Business Development Executive/Pipeline Coordinator, STR Global, who said: "It was great to be given an opportunity to attend what was then the BAHA Annual Conference (now HOSPACE), mainly because I got to meet key people in the UK hospitality industry. As a student working in the industry and having conversations with people with such vast experience, helped provide me with some clarity on what I would like to do in future."

The criteria for application for 'HOSPA Career Investment Development Scholarships':

• Candidates must be 30 years-old or younger on 4 November.
• Candidates must be employed in a hospitality organisation and working in Finance, Revenue Management or IT
• Candidates must have been working in the hospitality industry for a minimum of 12 months
• Nominators must be senior members of staff and understand that there is only ONE application allowed per company/independently owned business
• Nominators must accompany their candidate's application with a CV and letter outlining why the candidate should be considered.

The criteria for application for 'HOSPA Future Career Investment Development Scholarships':

• Candidates must be 30 years-old or younger on 4 November
• Candidates must be enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course related to hospitality at a UK university or college
• Candidates must be nominated by their course leader, and a course leader can only nominate one student
• Applications must be accompanied by a CV and letter outlining why the candidate should be considered

The deadline date for receiving HOSPA scholarship applications is 4 November 2011. Nomination forms and further information can be obtained electronically from: Martina Ertlmeier, HOSPA Membership Services and Events Marketing Assistant – email: [email protected] . Completed nominations should then be sent to Martina Ertlmeier at the above email address or fax: 01202 887967.

1. About HOSPA ('Hospitality Professionals Association' for Finance, Revenue Management and IT) – BAHA moving forward | HOSPA is a non-profit educational organisation which has evolved from BAHA (British Association of Hospitality Accountants) which was formed in 1969. The aim of HOSPA is to bring together those hospitality industry professionals involved in Financial Management, Revenue Management and IT. Whereas BAHA has been recognised as the UK's authoritative voice in the hospitality industry on financial management, technical accounting issues, taxation, and hotel valuation, HOSPA now is additionally the leading arena for debate on hotel systems and Revenue Management topics through their annual Conference and meetings programmes. The membership has expanded to over 1,000 members. HOSPA, which provides industry specific hospitality focused qualifications in Financial Management and IT, is currently developing a similar qualification for Revenue Management. For more information, visit: www.hospa.org

2. Background to decision to change from BAHA to HOSPA and HOSPACE 2011 | Following a specially convened BAHA Extraordinary General Meeting in May 2011, BAHA members overwhelmingly voted and approved the name change to 'HOSPA' – the Hospitality Professionals Association. The new name is accompanied by a flexible strap-line that defines the membership – comprising the three HOSPA Communities for Finance, Revenue Management and IT professionals. On 19 September 2011, HOSPA was formally launched in London, as was the new name for its highly acclaimed Annual Conference and IT Exhibition which is now known as 'HOSPACE' (HOSPA plus CE for Conference and Exhibition). 'HOSPACE 2011'is to be held on 24 November at the Sofitel Hotel, London Heathrow at Terminal 5.

HOSPA Chairman Paul Dukes explained why the then BAHA Council took the decision to give the Association a new identity. "Finance in the UK hospitality industry has changed markedly since BAHA was formed over 40 years ago," he said. "It is not only the sector that has changed, but also the way it functions – from the emergence of IT in hotel management, guest services, administration, and guest-room technology, to raising finance and the new approach to maximising room revenues – to name but a few examples. BAHA has developed accordingly – continually seeking to provide cutting-edge knowledge; and greater opportunities for personal development, education, meetings, debates and special events for its membership, helping them to enhance skills, networking and employment potential. In 2009, recognising the increasing inter-dependence of finance, revenue management and IT professionals, the then BAHA Council and members took the decision to enable revenue management and IT professionals to become full members of BAHA. Already this has had a positive impact on our membership, as highlighted at the highly successful 2010 BAHA Annual Conference and IT Exhibition which attracted a record attendance. Now, the Association would like to encourage much wider membership and professional opportunities for all; and the BAHA Council believes that the change in the Association's name to 'HOSPA' – together with a new distinctive logo and flexible strap-line – will more accurately reflect our rapidly growing membership and their professionalism within the hospitality industry."