Australia’s leading hotel brands have joined forces to create an innovative way to showcase to students, graduates and young professionals, the multitude of professional career opportunities available in the accommodation industry, by providing unprecedented access to the people and life behind the scenes.

Hotel Live Experience, 25-29 September 2017, is the first program of the Hotel Career Expo, and includes over 80 immersive experiences for over 500 ambitious people, across hotel management, sales and marketing, engineering, finance, IT, human resources, culinary and food and beverage.

Young professionals and students will be able to meet with senior hotel managers, complete a one-week internship with the Director of Engineering at Shangri-La, shadow a Senior Marketing Manager, spend a day with a Marketing and Events team as they conduct a grand opening, run their own Guest Services program, conduct back-of-house tours, and lots more, in some of the leading names in the hotel business, including AccorHotels, Four Seasons, Hilton, InterContinental Hotel Group, Marriott and Meriton.

Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel Sydney General Manager and Chair of Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) NSW, Peter Tudehope, said The Hotel Live Experience creates a win-win scenario for the hotels involved and the people participating.

“Through participating in the Hotel Live Experience, people will see the dynamics between hotel departments, and everything that happens behind the scenes to make a guest experience happen,” he said.

“This gives us the ability to identify people interested in a career in the hospitality industry who could come to work for us. It also lets us take some responsibility in supporting initiatives that have been put in place by government and industry bodies to address the staffing issues our industry experiences,” Tudehope said.

TAA CEO, Carol Giuseppi, said the Hotel Live Experience is a unique way to showcase the extraordinary career opportunities available in NSW hotels.

“When studying, either at school, university or TAFE, hotels aren’t often thought about as a place to start a professional career. However, hotels offer world-leading training programs, travel, exposure to the latest technology, events and even the chance to meet the rich and famous,” she said.

“Some of the very best marketing, IT and HR people and programs are found in the accommodation industry. However, many students of these professions may not even realise the opportunities that exist within their chosen profession.

“We know that hands on experience and networking with key influencers are instrumental elements to career success, so the Hotel Live Experience has been designed to do just that. In fact, in 2016, many participants in the Hotel Live Experience were later offered jobs in those hotels.

“As an industry, we have an extraordinary amount to offer those seeking a diverse and interesting professional career. By throwing open their doors, the leading hotel brands of the world are able to demonstrate the breadth of the professional career opportunities available, which go far beyond front of house roles,” Giuseppi said.

James Wilkinson

Editor-In-Chief, Hotel Management