He went from managing sports events in Dubai to a tourism student in Australia – and now Praveen Nair is on a new mission.
The St Lucia 26-year-old has taken over as president of the Tourism Students Association at The University of Queensland, with plans for more industry events and social interaction.
Mr Nair is a Master of Business student taking courses at the UQ School of Tourism, with an interest in sport and recreational management.
At the same time, he is driving an increase in events such as workshops and site visits to give association members a sneak peek behind the scenes at hotels and restaurants.
“We have some great activities planned. It is all about meeting fellow students and people in the industry,” Mr Nair said.
“We have a wide range of ideas. The executive committee members have different backgrounds. Three members come from China, one from Japan, one from Russia and one from Sweden.”
Mr Nair said the association was off to a good start this year, with a workshop at South Bank bistro Era covering staffing, quality assurance issues, customer service and risk management.
Following this was a site visit to Fortitude Valley’s Emporium Hotel, where members checked out guest rooms, the pool, kitchen and dining area while hearing about both the establishment’s challenges and innovations.
The association aimed to have a welcome lunch for new students at UQ Sport’s Aquatic Centre, a workshop at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre covering event management and an audience with Bretts Wharf executive chef Alastair McLeod.
Just confirmed are a workshop with skydiving operators Ramblers and a lecture series with senior management from UQ Sport covering topics such as sports governance, facility management and marketing.
Mr Nair said it was important for the association to offer members both practical insights in the industry and a chance to socialise and build a support network.
Because of the international make-up of the association’s membership, the social events could include traditional celebrations, customs and foods from around the world, he said.
Mr Nair is in his third semester of his Master of Business studies, after graduating from the Mahatma Gandhi University in Dubai and working in sports management. He hopes to pursue a career in sports management.
Visit www.tourism.uq.edu.au/tsa.
Media: Praveen Nair (0416 894 004) or Erik de Wit (0417 088 772)
