World’s top
hospitality management schools converge on Auburn as Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management hosts prestigious Graduate Education & Student Research Conference

Continuing its status as a leader in hospitality higher education, the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management served as a host for the world’s top hospitality management schools, graduate students and industry leaders by welcoming them to Auburn University’s campus for the 31st Annual Graduate Education & Graduate Student Research Conference in Hospitality and Tourism, Jan. 8–10.

Serving as a host for the second time since 2012, more than 27 of the leading colleges in hospitality management converged on Auburn University’s campus — more specifically — the College of Human Sciences’ Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center where they were treated to guided tours of the state-of-the-art academic building to learn how Auburn’s graduate students gain a true leg up on their next step, learning in one of the most innovative hospitality education environments in the world.

With graduate students and faculty members being the focal point of the conference, the submission of research papers focusing on topics relevant to research, education and industry practices in hospitality, tourism and related fields of study were highly encouraged.

Almomani presented a case study poster focusing on events and sustainability, highlighting how effective event management can not only ensure event success but also achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability outcomes simultaneously.

One of the key benefits of attending a large-scale conference is being able to view other researchers’ work and gaining inspiration to try new ideas and strengthen your own understanding of topics like consumer behavior in hospitality and tourism.

“What captured my attention most was a poster addressing employee self-objectification,” said Almomani. “This topic strongly resonated with me due to my personal experience in the hospitality industry. Despite being an under-researched area, the researcher’s approach was particularly compelling. She examined whether creating a fun work environment could reduce employee self-objectification, employing an innovative and thoughtful methodological design that I found both insightful and inspiring.”

“This conference provided an opportunity for me to not only have practice presenting research but also served as a space to meet peers across the globe, and network with future universities I plan to apply to,” said Rice. “As a Ph.D. student, it is important to begin searching for collaborators and building my network as I prepare for graduation and look to where my future in hospitality will take me. It is eye-opening to see what research students are producing across the globe and be able to bring my own skill and expertise to the stage at the graduate conference. My biggest takeaway is how diverse the fields of hospitality and tourism are, as well as improving myself as a graduate student through these experiences.”

In addition to the stand-up and poster research presentations, guests were treated to a deeply inspiring keynote address from Horst Schulze, namesake of the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management, co-founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and founder of Capella Hotel Group. His message powerfully emphasized purpose-driven leadership, challenging those in attendance to infuse their work and teaching with meaning so that students embody higher intent and uphold service excellence with integrity.