The Student Volunteer Experience, Part Two

Penned by: Fernando Sarmiento

The Face of an Corporation:

Last week I bought the possibility and privilege to signify the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton Faculty for World wide Hospitality Management as a person of 18 scholar volunteers for HITEC 2022 (June 27-30), the world’s biggest and oldest hospitality technological innovation and finance convention. In celebration of its 50^th anniversary, the function was held at Orlando’s legendary Orange County Conference Heart, in which around 6,000 attendees and exhibitor gathered to explore answers to crucial troubles our field faces, as perfectly as place forth the latest goods and companies, with the intention of making our buyers and performing lives a small superior.

As a seasoned occasion-goer myself, I was humbled by how a great deal I uncovered and gained from the practical experience. My earnest gratitude goes to HFTP, their strategic partners, and the HFTP Cougar Chapter, of which I am a member. It is many thanks to them that I obtained to make new friendships and expert connections, and continued to learn outside of the classroom.

The Do the job and the Men and women:

We were asked to help as the welcoming encounter of HFTP by orienting and aiding the two attendees and exhibitors during the meeting, giving general support during sessions, and of training course, maintaining the organizers educated of nearly anything pertinent.

Whilst the scholar volunteers had been trustworthy with a incredibly vital activity, it under no circumstances really felt like perform for the reason that the leadership powering the occasion ended up all really enthusiastic about our part and set in wonderful energy to make us all truly feel welcomed, organized and concerned through.

Likewise, I was stunned by a lot of of my fellow students’ etiquette and knowledge of the field. But it was really their sunny disposition and kindness in direction of every person that built them these types of a memorable mix of men and women to perform together with with. These incredible learners from hospitality-similar fields came from distinct educational facilities across the nation, these types of as San Jose State University, Northern Arizona College, New York College, as properly the Valencia Faculty (to name a handful of).

The Compound:

We were inspired to attend classes of our desire, converse with seasoned experts from the hospitality field, and wallop HITEC exhibitors with queries.

With this event staying HITEC’s 50^th anniversary, the organizers and their partners ended up confident to incorporate some intriguing functions in the program, this kind of as the HITEC Opening Get together at SeaWorld Orlando offered by Venza and CyberTek, wherever I bought both of those my toes and telephone soaked the HFTP Young Professionals (YP) Meet-up at The Tin Roof, which was a meet-and-greet about light drinks and snacks, hosted by HFTP and AAHOA and sponsored by Aimbridge Hospitality (pictured higher than) and a special “Fireside Chat” session with resort mogul Mr. Harris Rosen as part of HFTP’s 2022 Leadership Excellence Series.

In general, volunteering at HITEC was an inspiring working experience for me, and I would invite other college students to look at volunteering at the up coming possibility they get. It is a opportunity for pupils to get a perception of operating on the front traces of occasion-organizing, master a lot more about the hospitality sector and its technological and financial elements, perform on your networking techniques and make new lifelong pals and skilled connections. It is quite a lot really worth the check out.

Fernando Sarmiento is a student at the College of Houston Conrad N. Hilton Faculty for Worldwide Hospitality Leadership and scholar volunteer at HITEC Orlando 2022.