Cornell Hospitality Research Summit Announces Keynote Speakers

October 2010 conference will feature diverse service industry presentations

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. April 06, 2010

April 5, 2010 - Five keynote speakers will headline the inaugural Cornell Hospitality Research Summit, scheduled for October 6-8, 2010, at the School of Hotel Administration on the beautiful Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York. Registration is now open for the conference, which is being developed by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research. Faculty, corporate partners, and other industry leaders will work together to develop new ideas, theories, and models that improve strategic, managerial, and operating practices.

“This conference represents another way for the CHR to connect industry practitioners with active researchers, with a goal of creating new knowledge and developing improved operating processes,” said Professor Rohit Verma, CHR executive director. “Not only do we want to have top-level presentations, but we want to develop new research questions for future studies.”

The keynote speakers for this “thought leadership” summit are:

• Christine Duffy, President and CEO, Maritz Travel Company,

• Frances Frei, UPS Foundation Professor of Service Management, Harvard Business School,

• Adam Goldstein, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International,

• Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman, Jumeirah Group, and

• Randell Smith, CEO and Co-founder, STR.

In addition to the keynotes, the conference will offer numerous research presentations by academic and industry experts, and will present the first Hospitality in Research Practice Award, created to recognize and reward outstanding examples of rigorous analysis and research practiced in business organizations.

About the Speakers
As president and CEO of Maritz Travel, Christine Duffy oversees one of the largest meeting and incentive-travel management companies in the world—managing over $700 million in revenue. Active in the meetings industry, she will share her knowledge and experience regarding trends in the meeting and incentive industry, meeting effectiveness, outsourcing, and strategic meetings management.

With a focus on designing service excellence, Frances Frei, Ph.D., is a professor in the technology and operations unit at Harvard Business School. In addition to her numerous research publications, she has developed dozens of case studies that examine financial services, government, telecommunications, and hospitality, among other industries.

Gerald Lawless began his service with Jumeirah Group as a managing director in Dubai, where he developed a set of concept hotels that set a new standard for regional and international growth. As executive chairman, he has led Jumeirah in an innovative and ambitious growth program with a slogan of “stay different.”

Focusing on the Royal Caribbean International (RCI) slogan of “why not,” Adam Goldstein oversees fleet operations, sales and marketing, brand development, supply chain management, government & community relations, and Royal Celebrity Tours. During his time as president and CEO, RCI has launched the world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas,” and will launch its sister ship this year. RCI serves 280 ports in 81 countries.

Creator of the hotel industry's leading source of information on performance trends in the lodging industry, Randell Smith has developed a database that allows individual properties to compare themselves with the competitors' aggregate ratios. Lenders, appraisers, consultants, and developers all use STR's aggregate data to assist in the performance of their jobs.

To register for the Cornell Hospitality Research Summit, or for more information, visit www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/events/chrs/.

Event sponsors are Charley's Grilled Subs and Hsyndicate. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available. Contact Jennifer Macera, [email protected], for more information.