Source: Les Roches
Chip Conley — Source: Les Roches

Crans-Montana (Switzerland) - Les Roches, the highly regarded hospitality business school recently ranked third for Employer Reputation by the QS World University Rankings 2021 is launching the second edition of "The Next Disruptor", a scholarship competition seeking ideas for positive disruption in hospitality, travel, and tourism.

With the changing expectations of consumers and technology continuously reshaping the workplace, being connected to the evolving needs of the industry is a key factor for career success. As a business school dedicated to the hospitality industry, doing so right at the start and throughout a student learning journey is the cornerstone of Les Roches' approach.

Innovation and entrepreneurship are the core of Les Roches' very DNA. Through "The Next Disruptor" contest open to high school students worldwide, Les Roches wants the minds of tomorrow to think of disruptive ideas that will positively impact the environment, culture, customer experience/employee satisfaction, and/or profitability. Despite the challenges, there is opportunity for players in the industry to learn and review the hospitality economic and strategic models.

Selection in partnership with "The Growth Works"

The contest includes three rounds at the end of which three finalists are invited to pitch their service or product to a judging panel of industry experts, faculty members, investors, start-up owners, and CEOs at Les Roches Campus in Crans-Montana (Switzerland).

Contestants will be judged based on their creativity, the commercial feasibility of their idea and its potential to disrupt, as well as their ability to deliver their idea through different means. The selection will be done in partnership with "The Growth works", a company that specialises in hospitality recovery planning and is designed to assist institutions and private actors in supercharging their growth with the right people, processes and products.

Student Mentoring by Airbnb Hospitality Guru

This year the global winner will also win an exclusive coaching session with Chip Conley, the boutique hotel entrepreneur who helped Airbnb's founders turn their fast-growing tech start-up into a global hospitality brand. For Chip: "A heart for hospitality is deeply rooted and lifelong. Shared wisdom in this constantly evolving field is more important now than ever. I am thrilled to partner with Les Roches to help share the wisdom I have gained through the years with the bright minds of tomorrow's leaders."

The most innovative entrepreneur will win a full scholarship for a Bachelor's degree in Global Hospitality Management at either the Les Roches Crans-Montana in Switzerland or Marbella in Spain Campus.

Through this Next Disruptor Competition, the higher education institution wants to attract the best global talents and give them the opportunity to prepare themselves to be the visionary founders of tomorrow.

More information and participation: lesroches.edu/nextdisruptor.

About Les Roches

Les Roches is a bespoke experience to educate tomorrow's leaders in hospitality. Founded in 1954 in Switzerland, Les Roches offers undergraduate, graduate degrees and executive programs in Luxury, Hospitality and Tourism Management. Les Roches has campuses across Switzerland, Spain, UAE, and China, as well as a partner campus near New Delhi. Les Roches ranks 4th in the world's higher education institutions for hospitality and leisure management (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023).

Part of Sommet Education, worldwide leader in hospitality education, Les Roches is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

For more information, visit Les Roches.

About WE TANGIBLE

WE TANGIBLE is an anti-consultancy specialized in Innovation, Product Development, Entrepreneurship, and the Startup ecosystem. They work with the entire Innovation Ecosystem, promoting an innovative culture within organizations through Open Innovation projects, incubation and acceleration programs for projects, or by bringing basic innovation closer to the company. Their goal is to make innovation a reality within organizations.

Founded by Salva Ferri and Benjamín Lorente, both with extensive and in-depth knowledge of the innovative ecosystem, WE TANGIBLE relies on solid methodologies and talent as the driving force of innovation. From identifying the right challenges for each organization and the necessary talent to carry them out, to validating new concepts with the market.

WE TANGIBLE is involved throughout the entire process to ensure that innovation becomes a reality and remains a replicable model autonomously by the company. To date, they have participated in more than 50 national and international projects and accelerated over 40 Startups to date, in diverse sectors such as industry, tourism, education, and sports. FORD, ECOEMBES, STADLER RAIL, SIMON, AUTOLIV, or entities like LES ROCHES, VALENCIAPORT, ESIC, or UPV are among their clients, among others.

For more information, visit We Tangible

Anouck Weiss
Chief Communication Officer, Sommet Education
Les Roches