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“It's fascinating to listen to people who come from a service environment that is totally different from ours”
BY LORI BONA HUNT
The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management has just wrapped up another successful round of management development programs aimed at middle and senior managers from industry, said Prof. Geoff Smith, director of executive and management development programs and interim chair of the recently created Department of Business.
What made 2006 different from previous years? “In a global economy and with a mission to become better known internationally, the school is relying more and more on the impact of its website to reach international participants,” said Smith.
Take Ismail Faseeh, for example. Human resources manager for the Bandos Island Resort in Maldives, he knew very little about U of G, the city of Guelph or even Canada when he boarded a plane for a 22-hour trip to Toronto's Pearson airport last month to attend U of G's Hospitality Managers' Development Course (HMDC).
“I was searching the Internet for hospitality programs,” he said. “I happened to find this one, and it seemed perfect.” So he signed up, flew to Toronto and drove to Guelph.
The week the course was held — May 27 to June 1 — turned out to be a hot one, with temperatures above 30 C and humidex levels in the 40s. But Faseeh wasn't fazed. “This is nothing for me,” he said, noting that temperatures in Maldives hover around 40 C at this time of year.
“I'm really enjoying the course, and the people, who come from many backgrounds, are very warm and friendly.”
Faseeh was one of five people enrolled in this year's program who came from outside Canada. All 25 course participants work in various sectors of the hospitality and tourism industry, ranging from food services to management and human resources. That diversity was beneficial, he said, “because it gives me a better understanding about a lot of different things.”
The presence of Faseeh and the other international participants shows that U of G's programs are becoming increasingly popular outside Canada, says Smith.
When HMDC began in 1987, most of the participants were from Ontario. Gradually, people started enrolling from other parts of Canada and, eventually, from the United States and other countries, he says.
“I'd like to think it's due entirely to our reputation. Although I'm sure that's an important factor, there's no doubt that we've been able to attract more people because of the power of the Internet.”
Khalid Al-Badi also found out about the course via the World Wide Web. He came from Saudi Arabia, where he heads his own specialty hospitality service company. Like Faseeh, this was his first visit to Canada.
Al-Badi said he particularly enjoyed the group “thinking, listening and learning” involved in the HMDC program. “We are all at different levels, from different cultures, and many of us speak different languages. It makes it very interesting.”
Smith said it doesn't matter how word gets out about the program. “What's important is that all kinds of people enrol and take something back with them. It's fascinating to listen to people who come from a service environment that is totally different from ours. It brings a new perspective to the program.”
Canadian Karen Heinzel came to the program not via the Internet but via her job as senior manager of food services with the Department of National Defence in Winnipeg. The department has a long-standing relationship with Guelph's hospitality management program and selects one or two employees each year from a pool of applicants to attend the course.
“It's a great opportunity, and the Department of National Defence recognizes the value of the program,” said Heinzel, a 1984 B.Comm. graduate of Guelph. “Everyone has the opportunity to share their experiences, to discover the trends and the different dimensions of the industry, and to get up to speed on the issues people are facing.”
Even though she works in government, “the issues we face aren't too different from what people in the public sector are dealing with. It's very applicable.”
HMDC covers all aspects of business management, with the goal of strengthening a participant's ability to help improve operations effectiveness, human resource management and financial performance.
“It's been great, far different from other programs I've done,” said Faseeh, who has also taken courses in Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka. He will use the new knowledge gained to help him in his role of overseeing some 500 employees.
“We are the largest resort in Maldives,” he said, adding that he has invited many of his course mates to stop by for a visit “when they are in my town.”
