Holiday Inn Brisbane has announced its support for the 2007 Hotel Technology Competition run by the UQ School of Tourism.
The competition is a vital component of the School’s Hotel Management Technology Applications course, which has hotel management students competing fiercely to win a fictitious consultancy contract for a hotel.
Course coordinator Dr Noreen Breakey said that backing from a leading hotel company such as the Intercontinental Hotel Group’s Holiday Inn will mean that the academic rigor of the course would be complemented by considerable professional focus.
“It gives students the opportunity to work in a very creative but applied setting,” Dr Breakey said.
“Students work in teams or ‘companies’ on the assignment throughout the semester, designing a company name, branding and mission; researching, analysing and making recommendations on technological systems for the hotel.
“All their work culminates into a final moment, pitching their companies' expertise to the hotel ‘CEO and Board of Directors’ who, coincidently, are the School of Tourism teaching staff.
“In previous years their enthusiasm for the competition has been nothing short of impressive, I am very much looking forward to seeing the response this year.”
Holiday Inn Brisbane will support the competition, hosting a showcase event with prizes for the winner and the three most creative and outstanding "companies" in the competition.
Raymond Faulkner, General Manager of the Holiday Inn Brisbane said it was appropriate that a representative of Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) support such the activity given their history as a pioneer of hotel technologies.
“IHG is the largest hotel company in the world and the creator of the first hotel computerised reservations system ever, Holidex, first launched in 1975,” he said.
“We have been at the forefront of developing IT platforms that focus on seamless flow of service and information throughout the hotel guest experience. Crucially it leads the way in understanding consumer decision sciences and leveraging it, particularly in the online booking arena, to ensure market share leadership.
“Through hotels like Holiday Inn Brisbane, the partnership between IHG and the University of Queensland will allow the commercial awareness of a mature hotel operator and the innovation of a highly IT literate future developer to work together.”
The Holiday Inn Brisbane Hotel Technology Competition showcase event will be held Wednesday, June 6 at the Holiday Inn.
For further information contact: Noreen Breakey, noreen.breakey@uq.edu.au, 0413 186 638.
