SDSU Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism

Congratulations to the finalist of this year’s She Has A Deal competition: Eden Investment Management LLC of Cornell University, PEN Investments of Michigan State University, Celeste Companies of Washington State University, Paiza Group LLC of Zigurat Global Institute of Technology, and the Payne School’s very own... graduating seniors Lexi Effron, Nikki Loseff, and Masters student Keslie Easton, team Emerald Investments of San Diego State University! So excited to see you all along this journey!

The Payne School is proud to announce that our RTM 487 class was recognized by Project Green Schools for the Green Difference Award in the category Outdoor Learning and Exploration for Incorporating Pre-Service Learning! Congratulations to Professor Crystal De Soto and all Payne Students who participated!

The Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management would like to send a huge THANK YOU to Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Executives Ayesha Williams, Jim Cathcart, Melissa Sims, Ripple Grewal, and Joseph Hodnette for providing an amazing panel event for our students to discuss job hunting tips, strategies, and expectations in the post-pandemic world. We'd also like to thank Payne School Alumna, Class of 2020, and Soundings Marketing & Communications Manager, Nikki Gonzales for moderating this event. Knowledge and support from partners and alumni, like you all, make such a difference in the lives of our students. We are so grateful to our Four Seasons partners for providing this impactful event!

Update 5/1/2021: Taylor’s loved ones are planning a very special gathering in her memory. If you’d like to contribute and/or get updates, visit this fundraiser page for more info: http://gf.me/u/zrsufa Taylor Kahle, an alum from the Class of 2014, tragically passed this weekend. McFarlane Promotions wrote a beautiful tribute below honoring her life. Our heart and thoughts are with her family, friends, and loved ones. Taylor Kahle... Malia LaFleur Candy Davey Flynn Carl Winston See more

The Payne School Of Hospitality and Tourism Management would like to send a huge thank you to HHRA representatives Allison Bokesch and Anthony Belef of Omni Hotels & Resorts for taking time to conduct mock interviews for our students this week. The interview tips and feedback you provided our students is invaluable and will contribute to their successful futures! Thank you again for being a partner to our school.

Calling all current and aspiring events professionals! Looking to gain knowledge in producing virtual events? This summer, we are offering "Virtual Meetings & Events" that any individual can take by enrolling through SDSU's Open University. The increased use of technology, virtual tools and platforms has created opportunity in the hospitality, meetings and events industry and profession. In this course, you will learn and apply the core fundamentals to produce a virtual event. As a class, we will create a taskforce to research, compare, and select technology platforms to become familiar with virtual event terminology and the skill sets required for professional career positions in this area of expertise. For more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/47wm5wyh

Shout out to our friends in the industry who generously give their time to connect with our students. See what Michelle Metter and Fast Forward Events are up to in the link below! https://orwd.campaign-view.com/ua/viewinbrowser

Check out this great article published by Smart Meetings. Featuring Payne School Director Carl Winston! https://www.smartmeetings.com//hospitality-programs-innova

Event Science: The Adventure Continues! Join the quest to follow legendary meeting professional James Caspian as he travels the world inventing the future of events based on science. Described as the first adventure TV show for planners, it is a fun journey that uncovers emerging strategies for producing powerful events. Registration link: https://www.smartmeetings.com//event-science-the-adventure Tuesday, March 30, 2021 | 11:00 a.m. PT/2:00 p.m. ET

PSFA Alumnae Speak at Women in Leadership Conference. Including the Payne School’s very own Nicole Gervais! https://business.sdsu.edu//a/2021/03/wil_conference_alumni

Do you know how to project the return on investment for a hotel investment? She Has a Deal is hosting a complimentary SHaDTalk to prepare 7 Important Steps to Projecting ROI for a Hotel Investment Opportunity this Thursday, February 25th! This SHaDTalk will feature Tracy L Prigmore, Kendra Plummer, MBA, and Payne Alumni Viviana Wilkins! See the post below for more information and to register! https://www.linkedin.com//she-has-a-deal_hotel-investment-

We are so proud of Meeting & Event Management (MEM) Master’s alumna Deanna Roberts for embracing her personal and professional development in challenging times with the inaugural cohort of MEM grad students. Read about her journey in Smart Meetings. https://www.facebook.com/280591288662474/posts/3636097289778507/?d=n

The Payne School sends a huge thank you to this STELLAR group of alums Nikki Gonzales, Michael Morales, and Zoe Gonzalez for participating in our Study Abroad Workshop Panel and connecting with current students! We have the best Alums!

Calling all Payne School Alumni! Have you checked out the Alumni Page recently? In search of a new career? Don't miss out, there are great opportunities being shared! Have a job opportunity to share? Post it on the alumni page to get the word out! Consider turning on notifications or checking in daily so you don't miss a beat! https://www.linkedin.com/groups/5106437/

Take the challenge to be an Event Forecaster! You could be a super-forecaster that wins $2k in prize money? It takes 3 easy steps & less than 3 minutes. How will the events industry play out in 2021 and beyond?... Event Professionals this is your chance to be heard. Eligibility: Open to Event Professionals globally Entry Frequency: You can fill out each category if you like, but only once End Date: December 31, 2020 - 12am midnight PST ENTER - 3 easy steps http://ow.ly/ueYG50CFoUG #Envision2021 #Eventprofs #meetingprofs#eventplanning #eventdesign #eventsindustry#businessevents #meetingplanners #eventmarketing#conference #virtualevents #hybridevents #MPI #PCMA#bizbash #SITE #IMEX

From the Payne School family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Need some holiday cash? http://www.caspianagency.com/envision-2021

What do students have to say about SDSU’s Master’s in Meeting and Event Management program? "It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life." Visit neverstoplearning.net/htm-mem to start your journey.... https://youtu.be/1cz9a57TMTg

Attention Payne School Family don’t forget to tune in tomorrow and vote for Master's students Meaghan Carfrey, Viviana Wilkins, and Payne School Graduate Nikki Gonzales as they compete as a team in "She Has a Deal". The competition will be LIVECAST from the Hilton Innovation Gallery tomorrow Saturday, October 24th from 9:00am - 12:30pm. During the live event they will ask for participation from the audience and we need your vote! Register for the event today and help our team to victory! https://www.shehasadeal.com/event-details/reveal-the-deal! #RevealTheDeal #SHAD2020

SDSU's Master's in Meeting & Event Management instructor, Heather Mason, speaks on reimagining the industry! https://www.pcma.org/online-events-reimagined-broadcasts-/

Calling all Payne School students, alumni, faculty, staff, partners and friends, we have EXCITING news and we NEED YOUR HELP! Three of the Payne School's very own are competing as a team in "Shehasadeal" and have made it to the finals! The journey for Master's students Meaghan Carfrey, Viviana Wilkins, and Payne School Graduate Nikki Gonzales began 10 months ago with rigorous education that prepared them to source, analyze and structure their deal in preparation to pitch thei...r hearts out before a panel of industry leaders and investors. The finalists - 12 women representing 5 teams from Cornell, NYU, and SDSU will compete for $50,000 in deal equity. The Final 5 emerged from the competition preliminaries held in March that included 14 teams, 28 women. The finals of the 2020 hotel investment pitch competition for women will be LIVECAST from the Hilton Innovation Gallery on Saturday, October 24th from 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT. During the live event they will ask for participation from the audience and we need your vote! Register for the event today and help our team to victory! https://www.shehasadeal.com/event-details/reveal-the-deal See more

The Payne School would like to send a huge thank you to Glyn Aeppel, Jennifer Dakin, Terri Haack, Rebeca Selley-Parker, and J.J. Wills for taking time to participate in the Castell@College Real Talk: Women in Hospitality panel. Thank you for sharing your stories and inspirational messages. We are truly grateful!

It’s Diversity and Inclusion Week at the Payne School! The school is excited for the great things planned. Follow the hashtag #PayneSchoolTogether to follow our students and hear their stories

Two of SDSU’s international students connect in Nanjing, China. They say it’s a small world, and that the hospitality industry is an even smaller industry despite there being millions of associates all over the world. Two such associates have found themselves working together; they share several things in common. They both attended the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality at SDSU although at different times. They were both mentored by Brian Blake, Director of Global Program...s, and they were both recruited from Chengdu, although they attended different Universities and had different majors. Huang Chen, Harry, first came to SDSU in 2010 to attend the SWUFE-Marriott Program. He enjoyed a semester at SDSU, and then went on to intern with Marriott at the Palm Desert Marriott Vacation Club. He drove the golf cart and worked in housekeeping. He returned to China, completed his degree and then began working for Marriott in China. His first position was at the front desk at the Courtyard Beijing North East. He was soon promoted into revenue management and was responsible for several hotels in different areas of China. Currently he is responsible for revenue at the newly opened Ritz Carlton Nanjing. Harry oversees revenue for 16 Marriott properties, encompassing 7 brands; Marriott, Renaissance, Four Points by Sheraton, Courtyard by Marriott, Le Meridien and Ritz Carlton. Tony Dang first came to SDSU in 2011 to attend the UESTC-SDSU Disney Program. He enjoyed his semester of study before going to Walt Disney World where he worked in costuming. After returning to China to finish his degree, he applied for the Master’s Program at Michigan State University. After finishing MSU, Tony worked for Marriott in San Diego and also helped Brian part time with our Chinese students. It was during this time Tony met his wife to be, Lila Jia who was also an SDSU student attending the SCU-Grand Teton’s Program. After his year in San Diego, Tony returned to China, continued with Marriott and opened the Ritz Carlton Chengdu. He moved around several times and is currently working at the newly opened Ritz Carlton Nanjing. Here these two former SDSU students met and work together with amazing results. The Ritz Carlton Nanjing opened in June of this year with high occupancy and revenues. https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/china/nanjing/ I asked Tony about their working relationship and he said, I’ve had a lot of conversations with him, (Huang Chen) as he pushes revenue and we push service. Here at the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, connections like this truly make us smile and feel proud. Tony and his wife have a two month old son.all because of SDSU! Harry and Tony, September 24th 2020 at the Ritz Carlton Nanjing.

We are so excited to be following the US Open! Our partners at the United States Tennis Association - USTA (Official) have done an amazing job of creating a fun and engaging experience to be enjoyed across the globe. At home guide: https://www.usopen.org/en_US/us-open-at-home/index.html... Activities for kids: https://www.usopen.org//2020_US_Open-Net-Generation-Activi USTA is committed to equity, inclusion and respect: https://www.usopen.org//in_photos_us_open_transformed_with Chase Experience (appearances by athletes, entertainers and celeb chefs): https://experience.chase.com/usopen.htm And so much action! https://www.usopen.org/en_US/video/index.html?promo=topnav

The Payne School is excited to announce 3 themed weeks this semester! Through these themed weeks, it is our goal to foster collaboration, community, and connection for all students. Next week, we will kick off our first theme: Wellness! #PayneSchoolTogether

We are excited to tell you all about the recent promotion of Justine Clay (2009), one of our Tribal Gaming emphasis students. The press release is below. Professor Kate Spilde, Chair of the Sycuan Institute on Tribal Gaming at SDSU, says, "Justine's long term success and recent promotion reveal how she has translated her knowledge and experience in tribal government gaming into a new role at GLI, where she supports the company in providing testing, certification and professi...onal services to the global gaming industry.We are so proud to have her as a Sycuan Institute alum. Congratulations, Justine!" https://tinyurl.com/y5bzf96g Justine was in the very first cohort of Tribal Gaming graduates in 2009. She shared with us that I’m so grateful and blessed for my HTM SDSU Sycuan institute family!!

Have you heard about L'ATTITUDE LIVE? A world-first, live cast, on-stage, interactive, four-day event calling attention to the many ways our country is depending on the U.S. Latino cohort to help catalyze the Restart and Rebound of the New Mainstream Economy. Thank you to the conference leadership for inviting our master's students in Hospitality & Tourism Management and Meeting & Event Management to engage in this important conversation September 24-27, 2020. So many great tracks to follow: Business / Politics / Finance / Entertainment / Entrepreneurs https://lattitude.net/about/

Meet some of the CSU students who used their summer to better themselves, their communities and their state, including the SDSU Payne School's very own Serina Severance! https://www2.calstate.edu//Pa/reclaiming-summer-break.aspx

The Payne School is excited to welcome all new and returning students to the new school year! We can’t wait to connect with our students and start a successful semester!

Love the creativity and POV of of our school’s talented lecturers!