Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management to exhibit at ITB Berlin

Dean Dr. Judy Siguaw of Singapore's Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management has confirmed that the school will exhibit at the mammoth ITB Berlin for the first time in 2008. CNI will hold a stand at Hall 26, Booth 110 - PATA.

CNI offers three main programs designed to fast track careers for hospitality professionals. The programs include the "Master of Management in Hospitality" (MMH), the "Professional Development Program" (PDP) and the "General Managers Program" (GMP). European hospitality professionals who want to work in the booming Asian hospitality industry will especially benefit from the Masters program.

Current trends show that Asia Pacific will continue to have the greatest growth potential for the hospitality industry. Hotel groups such as Inter-Continental, Marriott, Starwood, Mandarin Oriental, Hilton, and Shangri-La, for example, are all developing hundreds of hotels across the region. The biggest barrier to expansion for most groups is the lack of qualified employees. Skilled, strategically-oriented hospitality managers are in very high demand and CNI's graduates are well placed to secure interesting and niche positions in the Asia Pacific hospitality industry.

Dutch student, Ilse Wittens, had the opportunity of being sponsored for the MMH program by Starwood Hotels and Resorts, while working as an Executive Housekeeper with the Westin Tokyo. "My expectations were exceed by the MMH program at the Cornell-Nanyang Institute. I learned the whys of the industry through extensive course work, benefited from the expertise of the professors from Ithaca and NTU, and I had the opportunity to interact with industry professionals in the booming hospitality environment in Asia," said Ilse. "I was able to move from the level of department head in hotel operations to a managerial position at the Starwood  Asia Pacific corporate office."

Ilse is currently working as Project Manager - Operations Support with Starwood Asia Pacific and is involved in the pre-opening activities for new hotels.

Another graduate, Sharad Kapur, the Regional Pricing and Distribution Manager based in Dubai with Hyatt International said, "Being an MMH graduate is the ultimate brand for hospitality graduates. The team projects are a tremendous test of your intellectual abilities and social skills and teach you to respect different cultures and personalities and help bring out the leadership skills in you."

Stephane Regnault, the Director Feasibility & Investment Analysis Middle East Asia Pacific with Hilton International in Singapore, said of the Professional Development Program, "PDP is an excellent tool to update oneself. The three-day format enables one to strike a perfect balance between latest theories, constructive debates, relevant case-studies and networking opportunities. I have been attending a different PDP program in Singapore every six months since 2006 and have found it extremely rewarding so far."

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