Back, from left to right: D.C. Becker, Principal – Titan Group of New York, LLC; Christine Toguchi, Managing Director – MacroVision Hospitality & Consultant to the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research at FIU; Karen Wollard, Associate Director – IHTER; Erik McDonald, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing – TPG Hospitality; Caryl Helsel, President & CEO – Dragonfly Hospitality Resources; David Atkins, Principal – Digital DNA Infusion, LLC; Mike Hampton, Dean, FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management; Tim Wiersma, Vice President, Revenue Management – Red Roof Inns; Jessica Conant, Vice President, Revenue Management – Marriott Hotels, Canada; Robert Levine, Director of Hotel Yield & Distribution – Seminole Gaming, Adjunct Faculty at FIU; Pavan Kapur, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Revenue Optimization – Atlantis Paradise; Angel Vazquez, Corporate Director of Revenue – NOBU Hotels; Jia Zhu, Strategic Information Analyst, IHTER; — Photo by FIU

MIAMI -- FIU's Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and its Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research (IHTER) hosted the inaugural U.S. Visionary Leaders Roundtable at its campus in North Miami, FL on April 7, 2016.

FIU launched the Visionary Leaders Roundtable (VLR) in Singapore in 2013 as a high-level think-tank for senior hospitality and tourism leaders to engage in an open-dialogue on persistent issues that have a profound impact on industry's ability to stay competitive, profitable and ahead of market changes.

"FIU's VLR events in Asia have a solid track record for producing tangible outcomes and benefits for participants, partners and the industry at large. The positive outcomes and feedback received from participants in Asia and partners in the U.S. were key in the decision to bring the VLR to Miami. As the effectiveness and popularity of the VLR continues to grow, it will be expanded to other strategic markets across the world," said Mike Hampton, dean of the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at FIU.

Topics Discussed with a focus on "FUTURE GROWTH 2020: Insight to Action":

  • Monetizing Data & Predictive Analytics
  • Beyond CRM – Amplifying the Customer Experience
  • Getting to Grips with Disparate Systems & Fragmented Data

Common threads and key opportunities cited during the roundtable discussion groups:

  • Educating future hospitality talent with relevant knowledge, skills and 'hands-on' practical experience for the modern hospitality industry
  • More focus needed to affiliate STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education with hospitality programs
  • Skilling, Up-Skilling & Re-Skilling are core essentials to ensure organizational agility
  • Attributing and correlating profitability with employee and customer satisfaction
  • Making big data insightful, personal and actionable
  • Leveraging data to personalize customer engagement and experience
  • Using social media tools/techniques to enable customers to capture, share and entice their circle of influence to enjoy the same positive brand experience

Presenting partner, The Rainmaker Group actively engaged participants throughout the day and played a vital role in the program delivery.

Sharing their insight and perspective were:

  • David Atkins, Principal – Digital DNA Infusion, LLC
  • D.C. Becker, Principal - Titan Group of New York, LLC
  • Fran Brasseux, Executive Vice President - HSMAI
  • Jessica Conant, Vice President, Revenue Management – Marriott Hotels, Canada
  • Caryl Helsel, President & CEO – Dragonfly Hospitality Resources
  • Lani Kane-Hanan, Executive Vice President & Chief Inventory & Growth Officer – Marriott Vacations Worldwide
  • Pavan Kapur, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Revenue Optimization – Atlantis Paradise
  • Robert Levine, Director of Hotel Yield & Distribution – Seminole Gaming
  • Erik McDonald, Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing – TPG Hospitality
  • Sofya McIntosh, Director of Sales – The Rainmaker Group
  • Evelyne Oreskovich, President & CEO – Hospitality eResources LLC
  • Christine Toguchi, Managing Director – MacroVision Hospitality & Consultant to the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research at FIU
  • Angel Vazquez, Corporate Director of Revenue – NOBU Hotels
  • Tim Wiersma, Vice President, Revenue Management – Red Roof Inns
  • Karen Wollard, Associate Director - Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Education and Research at FIU

Facilitators guiding the discussion groups were:

  • Angie Dobney, Vice President Pricing & Revenue Management – The Rainmaker Group
  • Mike Hampton, Dean - Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University

A white paper containing key outcomes on the issues and opportunities discussed at IHTER's Visionary Leaders Roundtable Miami will be published and shared with the industry. IHTER will be producing a series of Visionary Leaders Roundtables and Forums with equally provocative themes in Asia Pacific and The Americas in 2016.

About the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management

Florida International University is a Top 50 public university that drives real talent and innovation in Miami and globally. High research (R1) activity and high social mobility come together at FIU to uplift and accelerate learner success in a global city by focusing in the areas of environment, health, innovation, and justice. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers. FIU serves a diverse student body of more than 58,000 and 260,000 Panther alumni. U.S. News and World Report places dozens of FIU programs among the best in the nation, including international business at No. 2. Washington Monthly Magazine ranks FIU among the top 20 public universities contributing to the public good.

Jia Zhu
305-919-4136
FIU