Recipients of HOSPA’s ‘2016 Hospitality Career Investment Development Scholarships’, sponsored by BT, announced and recognised at HOSPACE2016

The winners of its 2016 'Hospitality Career Investment Development Scholarships', sponsored by BT, were announced on Thursday (10 November) by HOSPA – the UK's leading educational organisation for hospitality professionals involved in Financial Management, Revenue Management and IT – at its Annual HOSPACE2016 Conference and Exhibition, held at the Sofitel London Heathrow, Terminal 5.

The 2016 HOSPA Career Investment Development Scholarship winners are:

• Aileen McKenna, Credit Manager, The Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow, who won a special HIT Scotland/HOSPA Scholarship – open to applicants from all levels and sectors of Scotland's hospitality industry, offering learning experiences for career development;
• Eleni Michael, a BSc (Hons) undergraduate in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Surrey;
• Imogen Goodgame, studying for a BSc (Hons) in International Hospitality Management, The Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Oxford Brookes University;
• Harry Davis, a BSc (Hons) undergraduate in Hospitality Management, School of Tourism and Hospitality, Plymouth University;
• Alice Desplancke, studying for a BA (Hons) in International Hospitality Management, School of Sport and Service Management, Brighton University;
• Grant Sired-Hutson, a BA (Hons) undergraduate in International Hospitality Management, Faculty of Management, Bournemouth University; and
• Alice Warner, studying for a BA (Hons) in Hotel Management at the Edge Hotel School, University of Essex/Wivenhoe House.

Pictured from left to right at HOSPACE2016 on 10 November were HOSPA Chairman Chris Upton with 2016 HOSPA Career Investment Scholarship recipients: Aileen McKenna, Credit Manager, The Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow; Harry Davis, Plymouth University; Imogen Goodgame, Oxford Brookes University; Alice Desplancke, Brighton University; Alice Warner, Edge Hotel School; Eleni Michael, University of Surrey; and Grant Sired-Hutson, Bournemouth University. Also in attendance were: HOSPA Chief Executive Jane Pendlebury; and HOSPA Head of Professional Development Debra Adams.

The scholarship winners – all under 30 years of age – were nominated by: Dr Leon Van Achterbergh, Senior Teaching Fellow, University of Surrey, responsible for coordinating the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management's professional training, lecturing and tutoring; Dr Cathy Burgess, Senior Lecturer in Financial Management, The Oxford School of Hospitality Management, Oxford Brookes University; Dr Susan Horner, Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer) in Hospitality, Events & Tourism, School of Tourism & Hospitality (Faculty of Business), Plymouth University; Helen Atkinson, Principal Lecturer, School of Sport and Service Management, University of Brighton; Dr Philippa Hudson, Senior Lecturer, Bournemouth University; and Andrew Boer, Principal, The Edge Hotel School, University of Essex/Wivenhoe House.

All the 2016 HOSPA Scholarship winners won the opportunity to learn from, be noticed and publicly recognised at Thursday's prestigious annual HOSPACE2016 Conference and Exhibition. In addition that evening, they attended the HOSPA Gala Awards Dinner and will be profiled in the Association's monthly magazine 'The Overview'.

Commenting on the scholarship winners, HOSPA Chief Executive Jane Pendlebury said: "We were delighted to welcome to HOSPACE2016 our second ever winner of our special joint HOSPA/HIT Scotland Career Investment Development Scholarship – Aileen McKenna, Credit Manager at The Grand Central Hotel, Glasgow. We look forward very much to welcoming more HIT Scotland hospitality industry scholars from north of the border to future annual HOSPA conferences and exhibitions.

"Huge congratulations go to all our 2016 HOSPA Career Investment Development Scholarship winners. I am confident that HOSPACE2016 will have proved extremely beneficial to Aileen and the six talented university and hotel school students, who could well pursue future careers in hospitality finance, revenue management and IT.

Head of Professional Development Debra Adams added: "HOSPACE2016 will have given all our scholarship winners an invaluable platform for enhancing learning and networking with top industry experts, whilst gaining recognition from the hospitality profession at large. The awards underpin HOSPA's commitment to the future of the industry through the ongoing provision of professional development."

Media Contact

Jane Pendlebury

Chief Executive [email protected] + 44 (0) 203 418 8196