UL Lafayette Hospitality Management

Madisan Milam, HMGT 371 Lodging Management student, won a free night stay at the Holiday Inn North Lafayette for answering the trivia question - Who started Holiday Inn? Kemmons Wilson! Thanks to Emily McVay, General Manager, for an informative visit regarding operations management. She showcased a well kept hotel full of UL colors. The students learned about operations management, budgeting for revenue/expenses, facility maintenance, capital expenditure examples, and what it's like to work for an independently owned and managed hotel.

Wow! I cannot express enough how grateful I am that people like Jared Doise, Legends, offers his time to talk to future entrepreneurs. The UL Beverage Management students spent the afternoon listening to his story of working in the bar industry for over 30 years with 20 years of owning and growing Legends. There are many different paths you can take in life find the one that fits you. Today he was the mentor but he always continues to learn from others and surrounds himself with people that strengthen the organization. Taking care of your employees and taking the time for your family/self is vital. Data/benchmarking is important and should drive decisions. Know your community, get involved in your community, give back to your community. I had to stop the talk at two hours but the students were so engaged, I think they could have stayed for two more hours.

Thank you Graze Acadiana for hosting our November Ragin Hospitality Association social! Tracy and her staff were wonderful hosts! Ohhhh the olive oils and balsamic vinegars! If you haven't been, go! So many delicious choices to pick from, did I mention the beautiful charcuterie boards they create!!

Welcome back to campus Lauren Griffen Brown, UL Hospitality Management 2005 graduate. Lauren interned at LCVC while in school, worked for a Baton Rouge hotel then alumni relations at her high school Alma mater and now works for the Louisiana Bankers Association. In her role with LBA, Lauren plans a magnitude of events across the state including today's "Cookies and Banking" speaker panel in BI Moody College of Business and UL Career Services.

Lodging Management students visited Home2Suites Parc Lafayette. General Manager Brian Davis discussed operations- housekeeping, maintenance, and front desk. Students learned about room inspections and to NEVER hang anything on a sprinkler head bc YOU are liable for damages and lost revenue. The property is currently seeking an operations manager who has aspirations to become a GM.

Katie and her fellow classmates in the ULL Hospitality Department put their heads together to meticulously plan an exquisite menu for their semester project. Their creative minds worked tirelessly to ensure each dish presented at the event would tantalize the taste buds of the guests. From delectable starters to mouthwatering main courses and divine desserts, no detail was overlooked. Katie's semester project celebration was an unforgettable event filled with culinary brilliance and exuberant joy. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Katie and her team for surpassing all expectations and creating an extraordinary experience for all who attended. We are confident that Katie's future in the industry will be nothing short of exceptional, and we eagerly wait to see what she accomplishes next.

Happy Halloween! The UL Lunch Club students served up some spooky meals to the guest today!

Full circle! It was not long ago that I had an eager, young man in my office dreaming about owning his own restaurant! All of his class projects were done with a purpose, to prepare for the day! With the support of his family, he scraped up his savings and made an investment into his dream. He started small and calculated, opening one food truck which then led to two which led to a brick and mortar and led him to where he is today! He is innovative, passionate, hardworking, steadfast, ever evolving and an entrepreneuier at heart. He is a true leader that has had to make decisions not just for himself but his team he calls family. He gave back to his Alma mater this afternoon by speaking to the Intro to Hospitality Management class. He shared inspiring advice for the young students in the seats that he once sat in years ago. Thank you, Kevin Colomb, Pinchers - Maurice

UL Hospitality Management students visited the Hilliard University Art Museum, Lafayette's only fine art museum, to understand its role as an attraction in the market. Callie Smith, Education Coordinator (& UL Alum), and Ben Hickey, Curator and Interim Director, spoke to the students about the customer profile, marketing, and the role of the museum in education. Students also visited and discussed three exhibits. The museum is a great spot for group project meetings, student worker positions and is free to all students, faculty and staff with ID.

The Beverage Management class toured Parish Brewery this afternoon. Ryan Spreyer, a 2012 UL Graduate (Biology) is the head brew master. Ryan went through process from grains to mash to fermenting to bottling and everything in between. He also talked about distribution, trends, and industry innovation. Thanks Parish and Ryan!

Thank you to Matthew Pettus, 2018 HMGT graduate who came to speak to the Intro to Hospitality Management (HMGT 201) class this afternoon. He shared his journey from school to present. Matthew grew up in New Orleans in the restaurant business. After graduating from UL, Matthew attended Johnson and Wales Culinary school in Colorado, worked at Fat Cat farms as Livestock manager, a Winery in Oregon making wine, Swamp tour guide in Henderson, Manager of Maison Madeline in Lake Martin, and currently travels the world with a Porsche Racing Team preparing meals for the crew! He shared some great advice on how to build your network and ways to do what you love as a career.

Read our Fall Midsemester Newsletter! Click on the link to view the full newsletter.
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This week, Ragin Hospitality Association held their monthly social! Paint with Bob Ross! I think we have some talented artists in this group!

The Beverage Management class (HMGT 452) got out of the classroom this afternoon to tour Republic National Distribution Center. Dwight Prudhomme and Daniel Montet, both USL/UL graduates, hosted the students. They discussed alcohol distribution laws on the federal and local level, the three tier system of alcohol distribution, Tied house laws, off premise/on premise sales, marketing, pricing, and consumption trends. Students were able to tour the warehouse and see first hand the process of alcohol distribution.

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🌟 Join Our Team at ! We're NOW Hiring for Guest Services Assistants! 🌟

Are you ready to take your love for hospitality to the next level? Moncus Park is looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our Guest Services team and become the face of our amazing park! 🌳✨

🚀 Position: Guest Services Assistant
🗓️ Schedule: Part-time, primarily evenings and weekends

Position Summary:
As a Guest Services Assistant, you'll be at the heart of creating unforgettable experiences for park guests! You'll help coordinate and execute park events, assist with birthday parties, outreach opportunities, and more! Your role will be all about making our visitors feel welcome and ensuring they have a fantastic time at Moncus Park.

Interested?! Learn more by visiting https://moncuspark.org/careers/

This morning, UL Hospitality Management professors, Lisa Bowles and Becky Dubois, were invited to be guest judges for Professor Geoff Gjertson's ARCH 540 class. Six groups of graduate students in Architecture presented their design proposals for a 80 key hotel, restaurant /retail space and marina.

Lodging Management students visited Lafayette's only 4 Diamond property, The Carriage House Hotel. Discussion centered about the upcoming renovation, hotel stats, and customer service. They also toured City Club's amenities (FOH and BOH) with General Manager Peter Cizdziel. The last stop was a boardroom presentation to learn about the industry of private club management. Thank you for the beverages and snacks!

Congrats to Travel Machine and our very own UL Hospitality Management graduate and owner, Maegan Sonnier!

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The Principles of Tourism (HMGT 331) class visited Moncus Park 9/25/2023 to learn about how a park works as an attraction in its community for tourism purposes. Moncus Park, established 2018, has welcomed more than 600,000 visitors in the past 18 months from all states, several countries in Europe and South America. Students learned about the park's history, operating budget, how it functions as an event venue, its seasonality and staffing. Students have the opportunity to participate in events as volunteers and apply for part-time positions in guest service.

What a great presentation! Three UL Hospitality Management graduates & Doubletree Lafayette managers, spoke to the Intro to Hospitality Management class this afternoon. (Left- Justin Doucet, Director of Sales, Middle- Jamie Trahan, Sales Manager, Right- Breanne Justin, Restaurant Manager)

And we're off🛩🏝🌍🏛
Mrs. Lisa Bowles is headed to Costa Rica and Ms. Becky Dubois is off to Italy, both accompanying students on the Study Abroad Programs.