LAUSANNE, Switzerland – For the second time, SGS and Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne have joined forces in a capstone project, this time to help take SGS's Hospitality Experience to market.

SGS and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne have joined forces in a capstone project, aimed at taking SGS's Hospitality Experience (HX) to market. HX is a program consisting of four modules: risk management, sustainability, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and mystery guest experience. In this new project, three Masters in Global Hospitality Business students will work with SGS teams to fine tune HX in its testing phase and define a regional launch strategy.

The students will act as consultants for a global company. Coached by academic experts, they will perform extensive research and develop solutions for the business, spending three months at company headquarters. The students will obtain real world experience to further them in their careers, while SGS will gain valuable insights from future leaders in the hospitality industry.

Peter Hvidberg, Global Head of Travel and Hospitality at SGS, says, "The collaboration between EHL and SGS provides the students with an even broader understanding of the industry that they will lead in the future. Such projects should be a must for coming industry leaders".

This is the second time that SGS and EHL have collaborated on a capstone project. In 2015, an international team of Masters students worked to develop SGS's value proposition for the hospitality industry, devising tailored products and services that meet industry needs. The 2017 project is meant to build on the past successes of that partnership.

"We work closely with students to provide work that adds value for our industry partners. We are pleased to see the positive results of the project collaboration and look forward to supporting SGS in the development of products that serve the global hospitality industry," says Achim Schmitt, Associate Dean Graduate Studies at EHL.

The global hospitality industry is growing rapidly. Large global and regional hotel companies, tour operators, online travel agencies (OTAs) and meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) companies look to SGS for help with auditing, inspection, certification, verification, training and consultancy. SGS performs more than 10,000 audits a year.

About EHL Group

EHL Group is the global reference in education, innovation and consulting for the hospitality and service sector.
With expertise dating back to 1893, EHL Group now offers a wide range of leading educational programs from apprenticeships to master's degrees, as well as professional and executive education, on three campuses in Switzerland and Singapore. EHL Group also offers consulting and certification services to companies and learning centers around the world. True to its values and committed to building a sustainable world, EHL Group's purpose is to provide education, services and working environments that are people-centered and open to the world. www.ehlgroup.com

Achim Schmitt
Associate Dean, Graduate Studies - Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne
+41 21 785 13 53
EHL