Eurochrie conference highlights the increasing need for cooperation between the hospitality industry and education

Dubai was chosen as the venue for the first EuroCHRIE conference outside of Europe since the Council was established due to its status as the most exciting and vibrant hospitality and tourism destination in the world today.

HE Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education, opened the prestigious event and was delighted to see such a large gathering of academics and researchers.

The conference was themed 'Building a Legacy, Living the Dream: 2020 Vision for Hospitality and Tourism' with key discussion points including talent attraction and retention, sustainability in tourism, information technology, finance and asset management and global socio-political stability.

The main messages to come out of the conference were the increasing need for cooperation between industry and education, the increased focus on applied research, the globalization of the student body, and the increased emphasis on sustainable tourism development and e-commerce.

Keynote speakers included Gerald Lawless, Executive Chairman, Jumeirah Group, discussing the future direction of hospitality; Gary Sain, President and CEO, Orlando, Orange County Convention and Visitors Bureau, discussing destination branding; and Sean Worker, Managing Director and Senior Vice President, International Operations, Wyndham Hotel Group, discussing talent management.

The conference also included panel speakers, refereed academic paper presentations in English and Arabic, graduate events and roundtable discussions around the themes of Human Resource challenges, Alumni experiences and sustainable tourism, with delegates also having the opportunity to take part in workshops and special-interest group sessions.

There were also extensive social networking opportunities, including a traditional dinner in the desert at Jumeirah Bab Al Shams and a gala awards dinner at Mina A' Salam.

This was the first year that delegates could submit and present their papers in Arabic as well as English.

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management received nearly 200 academic papers for presentation, including over 20 from the Middle East, which granted those writers access to leading research which will also feed into the teaching content at the Academy.

The students of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management were actively involved in hosting the conference and thereby able to network and interact with leading academics from around the world as well as attending academic paper presentations, and a number of senior students at the Academy were given the opportunity to present results of their research for the first time at this conference.

Ron Hilvert, Managing Director of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, commented:

"We have been very pleased with the response to the EuroCHRIE conference from delegates in this Region and around the globe. At The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management we were extremely proud to be the first institution outside of Europe to host the annual conference; The Academy is committed to developing academic and professional excellence through innovative learning and our participation in and support of the EuroCHRIE conference clearly demonstrates this."

EuroCHRIE is the leading international organization supporting education & training for the hospitality industry and the annual conference provides the ideal platform for members to share research, best practices and ideas, and network at the same time.

The 2008 conference attracted around 250 delegates from around the world, including academics, educators, researchers, graduates, government and industry practitioners and leaders in tourism, hospitality and events.

The next EuroCHRIE conference will be held in Helsinki in October 2009.