This October, the College of Charleston School of Business will host 100 of the top hospitality and tourism management professors in the world for the 36th annual International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators (ISTTE) Conference.
The theme of the three-day affair is “The Living Laboratory” — a nod to Charleston’s booming hospitality and tourism industry and the learning opportunities that abound for those in the field who visit, live, and work there.
The conference — which will be held from Sunday, Oct. 15 through Tuesday, Oct. 17 in the Beatty Center — invites hospitality educators at all levels to take part in a series of workshops and research presentations that highlight industry trends as well as teaching issues, tips, and solutions.
“Charleston is the perfect place to discuss hospitality and see tourism in action because its beautiful beaches and resorts, iconic architecture, rich history, and world-class restaurants attract millions of visitors each year,” says Wayne Smith, chair of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTMT) and associate professor of hospitality at the School of Business. “It’s the reason so many hospitality students choose to study at the College of Charleston and why organizations like ISTTE choose to host their largest events here.”
Smith and other faculty from the HTMT department plan to contribute to the Living Laboratory discussions, showcasing how the School of Business integrates its students’ educational experience with the local business community for a more holistic approach to learning. The College’s hospitality program is currently ranked 51st in the world.
In addition to representatives from the School of Business, other Living Laboratory speakers include former Charleston mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. as well as leading tourism experts from Australia, China, Ireland, England, Canada and France.
The Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) will also participate and has partnered with the business school to help local high school educators attend the conference. Members of the Charleston CVB will co-host a hospitality training for local secondary school teachers on Friday, Oct. 13. All attendees will receive a scholarship to participate in the ISTTE conference.
For more information about the event, visit: http://www.istte.org/2017-conference.html.
