Posted on: March 27, 2017
By: Allen Wallace, wallacej7@mailbox.sc.edu, 803-777-5667
Spring break opportunities took students from the University of South Carolina’s College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management (HRSM) all over the world, including two students who were selected to attend the eighth annual Young Hoteliers Summit (YHS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The prestigious event drew top students from more than 40 hospitality schools from North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. USC was represented by Tayler Metivier and Jessica Muscella, both hospitality management majors, who were joined by Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Professor Scott Smith.
"It was an incredible experience,” Muscella said. “It allowed hospitality students to connect from across the globe, not only to network, but also to collaborate and work together in a professional environment. The summit gave me the opportunity to experience new cultures from all over the world, and to expand my knowledge about the global hospitality industry."
The summit serves as a communication platform for leading hospitality firms, their leaders, and talented students. Through keynote speeches, panel discussions, the YHS Challenge and workshops, the three-day summit aims to shape the future of the industry. The YHS Challenge asks the delegates to come up with new, questioning and innovative approaches for industry challenges to foster drive, multi-generational collaboration and thought leadership.
The eighth edition of YHS, hosted by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland, focused on evaluating, assessing and adapting the traditional hospitality business model.
Metivier said the summit was “an eye-opening experience into what hospitality is and means to different cultures from around the world.”
“Myself and the other delegates were challenged mentally, academically, and professionally,” she added. “My favorite part was meeting and networking with over 70 other top hospitality students from around the world. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and am beyond grateful for the opportunity."
More information on study abroad experiences with HRSM is available here.