What is the Spirit of Hospitality Summit?

Purdue University’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management is an acknowledged program that shapes the minds of aspiring hospitality and tourism management, selling and sales management, retail management, and financial counseling and planning professionals.

The Second Annual Spirit of Hospitality Summit will be hosted in West Lafayette, Indiana in late October. This week-long event will bring together industry thought leaders, alumni, faculty, and students to network, discuss, and learn about the future of hospitality. There are a series of events from keynote speakers, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and a closing celebration gala.

My Position

I am a senior studying Public Relations and Strategic Communications with a minor in Event and Meeting Management. My passion for utilizing communicative properties to enhance the future of the events industry led me to be a part of this event. Thus, I was elected to be Director of Speaker Engagement. My role entails:

  • Contacting industry professionals to present their area of expertise
  •  Arranging room assignments and technological equipment for each speaker
  •  Organizing memorable gifts for each speaker present
  •  Compiling the confirmed speakers’ biographies to include in our event program

Our breakout sessions follow the themes of Innovation in Entertainment, Luxury Markets, Creating Unique Experiences, Innovations in Marketing, Purdue Leaders Transforming the World, Sustainability, Technology Transformation, and Wellbeing. We are in the process of coordinating forty hospitality-related professionals for the breakout sessions. Additionally, we try to coordinate four keynote speakers that follow the overarching themes we are targeting. This year we have the Founder of Brain Trust, a Vice President of AI Operations from IMB, a retired Vice President of Operations at Walt Disney World, and a Vice President of J.W. Marriott!

I am thoroughly excited to showcase these individuals and can’t wait to see this event come together in October! Registration is now open!