• Pictured: Dr. Ki-Joon Back, Shivam Sharma, Amanda Charreton, Jay Bhakta and Agnes DeFranco   

HFTP;

The graduate students currently studying for the MS Global Hospitality Business program tackled unique research topics in their submissions for the Fall 2022 edition of the HFTP/MS Global Hospitality Business Student Blog Competition. Reviewed by a panel of expert judges representing HFTP, the top-scoring blog posts explored financial aspects of the increasingly popular glamping business model in hospitality; the impacts of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues in asset management; the transformation of the traditional dining experience using augmented reality (AR) and 3D modeling; and the implementation of virtual reality (VR) to revolutionize employee training techniques.

About the HFTP/MS Global Hospitality Business Student Blog Competition: This project is sponsored each academic semester by the Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®) Foundation and held for students participating in the Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business, a partnership between the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University and EHL. Each semester, participating students are asked to focus on a critical hospitality industry topic and submit their study as a blog article. Upon completion, a group of judges from HFTP, including industry experts and leaders, review and vote for the competition winners.

In this round, these judges identified four top-scoring blog posts to be published on HFTP Connect blog over the course of the next three months:

Tied for 1st place

  • "Glamping Hospitality: Low Development Costs, High ADRs and Incredible Valuations" ⁠— written by Jay Bhakta
  • "ESG Significance in Asset Management" ⁠— written by Shivam Sharma

2nd place

  • "Four Walls, Tables and Chairs: The Fall of the Traditional Dining Experience?" — written by Ricardo Tellez

3rd place

  • "From HR to VR: A New Era of Training" — written by Amanda Charreton

"UH is very pleased to partner with HFTP in this competition," Agnes DeFranco, Ed.D., CHAE, CHE, CHIA, CAHTA, professor and Conrad N. Hilton Distinguished Chair has said of this initiative. "HFTP is always at the forefront of providing solutions and ideas for industry issues. This blog competition is another great example of HFTP, thinking outside the box, working with our young professionals in creating alternative solutions."

The students who received top scores on their blog posts also received a free, annual HFTP Young Professional Membership (valued at $200 USD) to continue their professional development, education and networking with the association in the early part of their career.

Congratulations to all the students who participated in the HFTP/MS Global Hospitality Business Student Blog Competition this semester, and thank you for your hard work.

About HFTP Foundation

The HFTP Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®). The foundation assists HFTP in securing nonprofit funding for hospitality and travel industry-related research, educational projects and scholarships. The HFTP Foundation oversees the HFTP Research Center.