Inspiring the next generation
A group of hospitality students from colleges all over Scotland got the chance to visit some of Glasgow’s finest hotels, and hear from some of the hospitality and tourism industry’s biggest brands, at our Customer Experience Scholarship which is supported by the Savoy Educational Trust. Designed to inspire and motivate those studying hospitality and show them the variety of career options this industry provides, it also gave the group the chance to network with each other.
Day one was held at the AC Hotel by Marriott, with talks from Green Tourism and Booking.com, sharing insights about the business and what is changing.
Diane, Client Services Director at Green Tourism said “Over 80% of people globally say they are looking for sustainable options when choosing hospitality trips, so this is a key factor for businesses, and something that employees are expected to know about. It’s now a part of any role, and it will be part of your future job in hospitality.” She talked about the 3 areas of People, Places and Planet that businesses need to action for their award, and how being able to evidence your eco credentials is now key. Having an understanding of this is useful for anyone keen to work in this industry.
Online Travel Agents are here to stay, and need to be easy to use for customers to choose them over another. Alan, Market Manager at Booking.com talked about how they regularly do testing to see which options improve the customer conversion rate, and how AI is now being used within their app to help customers make quicker and easier decisions, using information provided by the venues and also online reviews.
The group got a tour of the AC Hotel event spaces from Conference & Events Sales Manager Stephanie, and heard about the different kinds of event that the hotel cater for, a real mix of things, making it an interesting job for her. Hotel Manager Katie then chatted to the group about her career journey, and gave some tips for success. She said: “I decided hospitality was for me as I love the people side of it. Hospitality is about team work, making people feel good, creating exceptional experiences and strong team cultures. For me, giving someone a job in hospitality is not just about your experience, it’s about your personality, and your passion for the industry. There is no single path to success. Make as many connections as you can, stay curious, build strong relationships, and say yes to opportunities!”
The group got to experience dinner at Hazel that evening, giving them the chance to get to know each other and to chat to some of the speakers, over a delicious meal, in one of the city’s destination restaurants.
Day two was at the Dakota Hotel, another fabulous venue with a completely different style. The morning session was “Handling Conflict” led by trainer David Young, and gave the students the chance to learn about their conflict management style and the different conflict handling modes. They looked at understanding human communication and how it’s not just what you say, but how you say it, and how you look when you say it! The session finished by discussing assertive communication and statements to help you deal with a situation, and resolve the conflict. A useful skill for both work and personal life!
Heather is doing Hospitality with Events at Ayrshire College, and said: “My plan is to go into the event side of the industry, and the conflict management session was really enlightening, I can see myself using those skills in future work situations. It was useful to try some listening exercises and trying to be assertive, practicing those things will mean it’s easier when you have to do it for real.”
After a tour of the hotel from Sales Manager Beth, the group had a session on “Creating Memorable Moments” from Apex Hotels L&D Talent Development Manager, Kirsty. She said: “At Apex Hotels, we create memorable experiences through our passion for hospitality. But it’s not the business that makes these memorable moments, it’s you! It’s you that makes the difference to a guest’s stay. The guest will expect good ‘service’, but what can you do to make that an ‘experience’, to make it stand out and be the thing that the guest remembers.” She also talked about how a “can do” attitude is useful for hospitality. Having a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset allows you to grow and improve, to learn from failure and make it a positive, to see what you admire in others and learn from them.
The final stop was a tour of the 5 star Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel from Director of Operations, Brodie. We were in luck as the penthouse suite was free, so they got to see the best room in the house!
Jay who is just completing an F&B Service Diploma at New College Lanarkshire said: “I haven’t worked in hospitality yet, so this has been a really useful experience for me. I can see that hospitality isn’t just about serving people in a bar, it’s about creating an experience for them, and I can maybe do that in some amazing venues! It was good to hear from Katie at the AC Hotel, how she started in F&B and has worked her way to being a Hotel Manager, it’s really encouraging to see that there are opportunities to reach the top if you work hard.”
A huge thanks to everyone who gave their time and shared their knowledge and experience with our students, and to the Savoy Educational Trust for their support of this student scholarship. They have all returned to their colleges buzzing which bodes well for the hospitality industry.
Sandhya from UHI Perth said: “Thank you so much for this opportunity, it really meant a lot to me. I learned so many things that I wasn’t aware of before. All the speakers were really inspiring, and I was especially pleased seeing so many women in managerial and operational leadership roles.
“Kirsty from Apex Hotels made me recall my past experiences working in a five-star hotel in Nepal as a Front Office Associate. Since my course here is more focused on Food and Beverage Management and I have also been working in the same department, her session made me realise the things I genuinely enjoy doing. Although I enjoy working in F&B, I feel more interested in operational management, especially front office and events.
“David’s session on conflict was also great because it covered something that I feel I lack and really needed to learn more about. I also really enjoyed Diane’s session on green tourism. It’s something I hope to apply in the future when I go back to my country after my studies and help create more awareness about it in the hospitality industry there.
“Alan’s session on Booking.com was very interesting, I got to learn a lot more about online reservation systems, their history and how they have developed over time.
“The hotel tours were honestly mesmerising and they motivated me even more. I truly believe I can work in such amazing properties in the future. Thank you!”