Kelly McGuire, executive director of the hospitality travel and global practice at SAS, has been confirmed to speak on the "Innovation in Hospitality Technology" panel at the 87th Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC 87), a student-run industry conference at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA). McGuire, who earned her Master's of Management in Hospitality and PhD degrees from SHA in 2001 and 2008, respectively, will return to campus during the weekend of April 12-15, 2012 to speak about the impact innovations in technology are having on the hospitality industry and its consumers.

"Things move very fast in the technology world, and it can be difficult to keep up," McGuire said. "Students and industry leaders need to understand and critically evaluate innovations in technology to be certain they understand their role in the business strategy. Some of the most costly mistakes managers make are a result of bad technology decisions–or a lack of a strong technology vision and strategy."

McGuire has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Before joining SAS, she worked in restaurant revenue management consulting with Caesar's Entertainment and was a senior consultant at Radiant Systems. For the past two and a half years, McGuire has been instrumental in the development and progression of SAS's partnership with the Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at SHA. She has been the lead at SAS for the SAS/CHR webcast series as well as a major contributor to the SAS/CHR blog.

"I think right now as technology changes and moves forward, data becomes even more important than we've realized and provides powerful solutions for operators and corporate planners," said Ali Hoyt '12, managing director for HEC 87. "[Technology] opens up doors throughout the industry to improve business."

Hoyt says that the "Innovation in Hospitality Technology" panel also reflects the educational focus and importance SHA is placing on technology and data analysis with its current class offerings such as HADM 4010: Data Driven Analytics.

Other confirmed panelists include Joe Ziskin '81, vice president of corporate strategy at IBM; Neil Schubert, vice president of information resources at Marriott; and Karen Bowman, principal at Deloitte Consulting.

To learn more about the program of events for HEC 87 Life Is Service Innovation and to register for the conference, visit http://register.hotelezracornell.com.

About Hotel Ezra Cornell Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) is an annual student-run hospitality conference that has been an 87-year tradition at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. The conference attracts hospitality industry leaders and school alumni, faculty, and students to the Cornell campus and the Statler Hotel for a weekend of networking, education, entertainment, and culinary experiences. More information about the HEC organization and conference can be found at www.hotelezracornell.com.

About the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration

The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is the premier school for hospitality education in the world. As an integral part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the school is leading the world in teaching and researching the business of hospitality—marketing, finance, real estate, operations, and more, all applied to the world’s largest and most exciting industry. Top faculty, industry leaders, alumni, and students work together to generate new knowledge for the hospitality industry and form the premier network that shapes the industry every day.

Matt Glodz '14
HEC 87 assistant communications director
607.255.3824
Cornell

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