Director's Message

Welcome to the Hazell Center for Hospitality Sales and Event Management. The mission of the Hazell Center is to foster an understanding of the dynamics between hospitality sales and event management in the context of professional sales, consumer behavior, and service excellence in the global hospitality and event industry. Our mission is reflected in our commitment to generating and delivering cutting-edge knowledge to our community, industry partners, and students.   

Our Six-Point Plan operationalizes our mission into specific delivery vehicles. For the community, we offer professional seminars and opportunities to develop proprietary research. It is our goal to deliver industry-leading programs and information that will enable current and future hospitality and tourism leaders to successfully represent themselves, their organizations, and their stakeholders. Professional seminars and research also provide a conduit for feedback from our constituencies. 

The plan also addresses an area for which we have gained national recognition—the transformation of our students into future leaders of industry. With the support of the Hazell Center Advisory Council, we develop courses that address industry needs through the application of theory and best practices. We also create an atmosphere that fosters experiential learning through formalized work experiences, internships, study abroad, and course projects. 

Bridging the professional and student components of the plan is Professional Enrichment (PE). PE facilitates interaction between industry leaders, students, alumni, partners and our community through the delivery of topical and work force development seminars. This process once again facilitates feedback from our stakeholders while providing the polish for our emerging leaders.

I extend to you a personal invitation to join us as we continue to provide innovative educational opportunities to further the hospitality and tourism industry.