Editorial Board   Guest Author

Dr. Erdem

Mehmet Erdem

Associate Professor of Hotel Operations & Technology, Hotel College, UNLV

Dr. Mehmet Erdem is an Associate Professor of Hotel Operations and Technology at the Hotel College of University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) as well as the President of International Hospitality Information Technology Association (iHITA). Prior to UNLV, he taught in the College of Business at University of New Orleans and in the School of Learning Design and Technology at Purdue University. He is the recipient of the 2011 International CHRIE Innovation in Teaching Award. Dr. Erdem has over 10 years of domestic and international lodging operations experience. As part of his industry tenure, he was responsible for training and development, rooms division, and information systems. A technology and instructional design consultant, he also serves as an executive program trainer for the International Gaming Institute (IGI) in Las Vegas. Dr. Erdem is actively involved as a board and council member in several industry and academic associations. In 2011, he was recognized with the Organizational Leadership Award by Global Information Technology Management Association (GITMA). As a hospitality scholar, Dr. Erdem has authored over sixty research articles and conference proceedings. In the past five years, he has been awarded over $800K in research grants and projects. He regularly presents his research findings at professional and academic conferences in the US and abroad.

Dr. Erdem can be contacted at 702-895-5811 or mehmet.erdem@unlv.edu

Coming up in May 2019...

Eco-Friendly Practices: Corporate Social Responsibility

The hotel industry has undertaken a long-term effort to build more responsible and socially conscious businesses. What began with small efforts to reduce waste - such as paperless checkouts and refillable soap dispensers - has evolved into an international movement toward implementing sustainable development practices. In addition to establishing themselves as good corporate citizens, adopting eco-friendly practices is sound business for hotels. According to a recent report from Deloitte, 95% of business travelers believe the hotel industry should be undertaking “green” initiatives, and Millennials are twice as likely to support brands with strong management of environmental and social issues. Given these conclusions, hotels are continuing to innovate in the areas of environmental sustainability. For example, one leading hotel chain has designed special elevators that collect kinetic energy from the moving lift and in the process, they have reduced their energy consumption by 50%  over conventional elevators. Also, they installed an advanced air conditioning system which employs a magnetic mechanical system that makes them more energy efficient. Other hotels are installing Intelligent Building Systems which monitor and control temperatures in rooms, common areas and swimming pools, as well as ventilation and cold water systems. Some hotels are installing Electric Vehicle charging stations, planting rooftop gardens, implementing stringent recycling programs, and insisting on the use of biodegradable materials. Another trend is the creation of Green Teams within a hotel's operation that are tasked to implement earth-friendly practices and manage budgets for green projects. Some hotels have even gone so far as to curtail or eliminate room service, believing that keeping the kitchen open 24/7 isn't terribly sustainable. The May issue of the Hotel Business Review will document what some hotels are doing to integrate sustainable practices into their operations and how they are benefiting from them.

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