| Congratulations to two MTA students for winning several prizes at the 2020 GW New Venture Competition! Lenon Adam’s (MTA ’20) team, Rice Wrap (biodegradable food packaging), won four prizes for a total of $27,500. HotMaps by Gilad Kabilow (MTA ’20) and Matan Wilcheck won the ParagonLabs Prize for Workplace Innovation ($5,000). HotMaps is a map-based data analysis software integrating big data with actionable intelligence methodologies for hospitality market analysis. Click here to know more!
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Congratulations to Team Globetrotters in Professor Sheryl Elliott’s Tourism Marketing Communications’ class for winning the Destination Marketing Campaign Competition for this year. The winning team developed a marketing campaign for Burlington, VT on how to respond and rebound post-Covid-19. The judges were: Talia Salem (MTA ’12), Principle, Urban Nomad, and Marketing Professors at GWSB: Dr. Johan Ferreira, Dr. Marilyn Liebrez-Hines and and Dr. Pradeep Rau.
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Congratulations to Diana Kelterborn (MTA ’19) for being selected for the 2020 Class of 30 Under 30 by Destinations International, recognizing talented young professionals and rising stars in the DMO field. “As the CRM & Research Analyst at Visit Loudoun, I use data and analytics to support the rest of the team. I conduct surveys, analyze sales and marketing performance data, and review market research. I’m honored to have been selected for the 30 Under 30 program and am excited about the opportunity to connect with peers and mentors in the DMO industry”. Click here to learn more!
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MBA/MTA Dual Degree Program Approved
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A new MBA/MTA Dual Degree Program was recently approved by GW School of Business and it will go into effect in fall 2020. This dual degree program combines business functional knowledge with specialized management knowledge for managing tourism, hospitality and event businesses. Twenty one credits are shared between the full-time MBA and MTA programs and 18 credits are shared between the part-time MBA and MTA programs.
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GW plans to hold a Virtual Commencement Celebration for all graduates. Fo more information please click here
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The Effects of COVID-19 on Indigenous Communities & Tourism in the U.S. & Canada
April 29th from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm EDT
The Organization of American States and The George Washington University International Institute of Tourism Studies in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs invite you to attend a conversational webinar on the particular challenges that COVID-19 is bringing to Indigenous communities and tourism.
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Getting to know your Colleague – Catalina Navarro
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| Catalina, please tell us about your interest in event management.
I am interested in all aspects of Event Management, from the initial idea to the final product where all the hard work comes together into creating a great event. The event that stands out the most is an event that I organized with a pharmaceutical company as a Specialist in Operations. One of my responsibilities was to plan the Annual Management Meeting for the Latin American region by engaging the team members of overseas offices and creating more of a “team member experience” since they were all in different countries and time zones. As the project lead, I was involved in the decision making through all the stages of it. This also gave me the opportunity to interact with different cultures and travel. However, the best part about it was the outcome. After the conference which lasted 4 days, the team members were more comfortable with each other which led to improved virtual interactions and performances.
How have you been adjusting to online learning since all classes were moved online after the spring break?
The adjustment has not been easy. But since I am more familiar with the online system, the transition to online learning has not been as difficult. I have noticed that when completing group projects, it is more helpful to have in person meetings when completing projects with classmates. I also really enjoy in class lectures and being able to interact with everyone at the University. Hopefully we can have in person classes in the fall, I miss the MTA family and it would be great to see everyone again!
In addition to academic studies, how are you engaged in professional development?
I am staying engaged by assisting with organizing the upcoming GW MTA Student Webinar Series: Job Hunting During a Tourism Shutdown. This has given me the opportunity to explore new programs and find the new normal when creating virtual events. I have found that it is very different for online meetings when signing in as an audience than as an organizer or a panelist. Also, I am still exploring training in virtual events that can offer translations and subtitles since this is an important tool for multi-cultural events.
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The following is a list of online learning and development resources for tourism and hospitality management. We like to thank Dr. Don Hawkins, Professor Emeritus of Management, Tourism Studies and International Affairs, for providing these online learning resources.
USAID-funded Online Courses in Sustainable Tourism Development: Each of the free nine courses include: videos, readings, presentations, discussions, a course quiz, and a downloadable certificate of completion for each separate course.
If you would like to join the interactive Community of Learning, please email your registration request to fergusonlynch@gmail.com, and provide in your email the following data: your name, gender, email address, city, country and organization or affiliation.
Other Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in Hospitality and Tourism: International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT)
This book is recommended by MTA alum, Professor Joe Goldblatt: The Complete Guide to Careers in Special Events
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Check out the The International Institute of Tourism Studies blog. The latest post speaks about the work that the institute is doing with the Indigenous communities in North and South Dakota helping tribes to develop cultural heritage tourism as means of generating income and protecting their lands and cultural traditions. Click the link below to learn more:
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Information Session: Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management Information Session.
April 30th from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EDT
The Professional Certificate in Sustainable Tourism Destination Management provides participants with an overview of the key aspects of responsible destination management along with practical, real-world applications designed for today's tourism landscape. During this information session, you will learn more about the certificate program, course content, requirements, costs, and registration. You will also hear from a past student about the benefits they gained from the program and their overall experience.
Register to listen in or receive a recording.
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