At the IACC-Americas Annual Conference, several students were recognized by the association. The seven students are all excelling in a hospitality program and hope to start their career in our industry after completing their studies.
IACC-Americas President, TJ Fimmano, thanked members who contributed to the 2015 scholarship fund by approving a voluntary supplement to their annual dues. This year saw an increase in donations from members all were thanked for their commitment and support, as it has allowed IACC to support a greater number of students and to involve them in IACC project and activities.
IACC Future Leaders Scholarship
The recipients of the 2015 Future Leaders scholarship, from Chaplin School of Hospitality at Florida International University were Amanda Britt, Siyan Gospodinov, Ally Mendigutia and Dnai Tennant. Dean Mike Hampton joined his students on stage to receive recognition and thanks.
In support of their continuing hospitality education, these 4 students gained valuable insights into the conference center industry by taking on a role in the Annual Conference Planning Committee for the IACC-Americas conference. These students experienced first hand what it takes to plan and stage an IACC Meetings Experience and learn all aspects of planning and delivering a world-class event. They provided IACC with valuable insights into what future generations want from their conferences and event experiences and this year IACC has been delighted to be able to fund 4 places, that included 4 full conference registrations at this year’s conference.
DORIS SKLAR SCHOLARSHIP
The IACC-New York University Doris Sklar Scholarship was established 14 years ago in memory of longtime meeting professional, Doris Sklar.
This year’s recipient was Daniil Dunaev, who is in his final year in the NYU Tisch Center Hospitality Industry Studies graduate program with a concentration in Operations. Daniil completed his undergraduate program in International Business at Loughborough University, UK.
Daniil is currently interning at the Ritz Carlton Central Park as a Housekeeping Manager.
TJ Fimmano welcomed on stage, Dr Jukka Laitamaki, Clinical Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism.
IACC INDUSTRY SCHOLARSHIP
The final honor awarded was the IACC Conference Center Industry Scholarship. New for 2015, this scholarship was established by the IACC-Americas board of directors as part of a broader initiative to introduce the leaders of tomorrow to the advantage of choosing a career in conference centers. The scholarship supports an annual student research project that supports their continuing education and at the same time allow them to make a valuable contribution to IACC’s goal of delivering insightful trends, research and intelligence to our members.
The recipients of this year’s Conference Center Industry Scholarship were Samar Mansourzadeh, Jessica Moreno and Yudi Shuai. All are now working on their Master of Science in Hospitality Management at FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality.This student team has embarked on a project to understand the behaviors of some of the world’s most successful brands and the meeting environments they choose for their conferences, training courses and meetings.
Dean Mike Hampton joined Jessica, Yudi and Samar to be recognized for their ongoing commitments to researching the conference center industry.
