Fenway Park Hosts Foodservice & Hospitality Stars
Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance Opens Doors to Students
PROVIDENCW, RI, April 12, 2006. The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA), a non-profit organization promoting the economic and social benefits of diversity in the industry, will engage the next generation of foodservice and hospitality leaders in cities across the country at its Showcase of the Stars events. Showcase of the Stars is MFHA's nationwide dynamic and interactive school-to-career program that introduces high school students from urban and diverse communities to the wide range of career opportunities that are available in the hospitality industry.
On Wednesday, May 10, 2006, MFHA, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, and its corporate partners ARAMARK, Cargill, Coca-Cola Company, Dunkin' Brands and the Massachusetts Restaurant Association bring the Showcase to Boston's famed Fenway Park. The event runs from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will connect local vocational high school students with New England's "star" foodservice and hospitality industry professionals.
"Exposure to career options is often all a young person needs to determine his or her professional direction," says Gerry Fernandez, MFHA's founder and president. "And real-life role models and personal success stories deliver the strongest message to our youth, particularly minority youth."
Over 100 students from the City of Boston's Madison Park Technical Vocational High School and Muriel S. Snowden International School will be in attendance. Industry attendees include Massachusetts Restaurant Association president and CEO Peter Christie, Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants director of restaurant operations Scott Cronin, Onyx Hotel general manager Mark Fischer and South Kitchen and Wine Bar chef and co-owner Jerome Watkins. Executives and chefs from ARAMARK, Advertising Ventures, Ember Media, Johnson & Wales University and Marriot Copley Boston will also be in attendance.
Students can look forward to a tour of Fenway Park, a "game day barbeque" at the Home Plate Pavilion Club and a sundae station to enjoy in the grandstands. Lunch will be more intimate with an industry "star" sitting with no more than eight students to share his or her experiences and answer questions. Fernandez will emcee the event and keep things exciting with fun trivia and stories. Once the students depart, the event will conclude with an open forum debriefing between the industry professionals led by Fernandez.
MFHA has also chosen the Boston area to host its annual three-day Leadership Conference, the only diversity event in the country focused solely on the foodservice and lodging industry. This year's conference, entitled "Celebrating a Decade of Diversity," will serve as the highlight of MFHA's 10-year anniversary celebrations, when multicultural community leaders and industry members gather at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, Mass., August 6-8, 2006. Topics for discussion include immigration policy and implications for the workforce, the role of the white male in diversity discussions, and the new agenda for minority businesses. For more information on the 2006 Leadership Conference, visit www.MFHA.net.
Other Showcase of the Stars sessions occur throughout the year in urban and diverse communities across the country: Chicago (September 29), New Orleans (October 3), Baton Rouge (October 6), Dallas (October 17) and Washington, D.C. (October 25). For a complete list of dates and locations, visit www.MFHAShowcase.net.
About the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance
Headquartered in Providence, R.I., the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) is a non-profit organization that promotes the economic and social benefits of diversity and inclusion in the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industry. Founded by Gerry Fernandez in 1996, MFHA's business model centers around the image of a Dinner Table of Opportunity with four seats, each representing an industry component: workforce, customers, community and suppliers. MFHA's goal is to create programs and develop strategies for the needs and challenges of each "seat," allowing the diversity of cultures, ideas and perspectives from each component to provide the industry with the richest resources to advance, remain competitive and attract the best talent. To learn more about this inspiring organization, visit www.mfha.net.
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