Jan 30 2012

Hospitality Studies Department Represents NYIT at PCMA Conference

A group of faculty, staff, and students from NYIT's Department of Hospitality Studies attended the Convening Leaders Conference hosted by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), Jan. 8-11 in San Diego, Calif. Attendees included Alan Fairbairn (center), associate professor of hospitality studies; Stephanie Langdon (second from left), staff associate for hospitality studies; and four students (left to right): Sanna Iriti, Tiffany Yang, Asia Tanner, and Mady Silva. They learned from a variety of speakers including Bert Jacobs, co-founder and CEO (chief executive optimist) of The Life is Good Co., and Sally Hogshead, author of FASCINATE: Your 7 Triggers of Persuasion and Captivation. Students networked with more than 3,500 attendees and participated in activities such as the "15-Minute Mentors" program created by Langdon, who serves as the New York PCMA chapter chair of new professional programming. NYIT's Department of Hospitality Studies has the largest PCMA student chapter in the tri-state area.