A team of four undergraduate students from Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) have qualified to advance to the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) Finals which will be held in Dubai from September 30-October 2, 2024.
The team of four second year students, comprising three Tourism majors and one Accounting major will give a pitch about an innovative sustainable solution for the hospitality industry before a Jury of tourism industry leaders.
The members of the MSBM/UWI team are Abigale Forbes, Katrina Chin, Dedranae Davis, and Judane Whittaker. The UWI Mona Campus team developed an investment deck for the innovative solution and gave a compelling pitch that convinced the Jury of its sustainability, suitability, and scalability for the tourism industry and beyond. The students were accompanied by their tutor, Dr. Michelle McLeod who worked with the team in collaboration with the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
Dr. McLeod commented that ‘the students received an all-round hospitality industry experience during the event in Miami by exposure to sustainability workshops, a tour of the Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, a visit to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, and interactions with industry leaders and university students from the Americas.”
The journey began with two teams from the UWI Mona Campus that entered the SHC Quarterfinals for the Americas, from which one team was selected for the SHC Semi-Finals in the Americas held at Florida International University in May 2024. This round of the competition included twelve other teams from other leading Universities in North and South America. The successful UWI team along with the team from Cornell University emerged on top.
The students were very exuberant in commenting on their experience during the SHC Semi-Finals in Miami. Abigale Forbes, team leader stated “This was truly an incredible experience and opportunity. This competition has allowed young students like us to have a seat at the table during discussions about climate crises and global sustainability while valuing our opinions and ideas. It is with great pleasure that we are involved in great interpersonal relationships with industry professionals within the Hospitality Industry and can have conversations circling our approach to global sustainability. I do look forward to further developing and showcasing our product at the Finals in Dubai”. Katrina Chin commented, “The ‘Sustainable Hospitality Challenge’ was an unforgettable competition. I met competitors across the Americas, had a great local experience by boat in Miami, and met some incredible people with illustrious careers in hospitality. I would recommend it to anyone serious about a career in tourism and about making it more sustainable. It showed me a different side to myself, such as understanding how competitive the world is, and seeing that the ‘big names’ we look up to care about young people and their futures. Most importantly, I learned if you are daring enough the possibilities of making a name for yourself are endless.” Dedranae Davis noted “I was looking forward to the competition and it did not disappoint. The SHC team, the other competitors, the presentations, and of course the presence of everyone were super amazing! I was truly amazed by our fellow participants’ work and I was in shock and disbelief when we were chosen to go to the finals because everything presented was so awesome and ground-breaking. I am beyond grateful and happy to be a part of this amazing opportunity and so proud of the team.” Judane Whittaker commented, “For me, I had such a great experience in Miami and overall, with the SHC family, all the presentations were amazing, and their ideas were all incredible. Honestly, I was shocked to hear that we were going to the finals but at the same time happy and I am truly happy for the opportunity and happy to be a part of an amazing team.”
The Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) is a leading student challenge in the hospitality industry and is an initiative of the Hotel School The Hague. Paul Griep is the founder and organizer of the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge which is now in its 10th year. The 2024 SHC Semi-Finals were held in Bangkok, Miami, and Switzerland. The mission of the SHC is to bring about a sustainable industry and world by empowering the next generation of hospitality leaders.
The students are flanked by Sharon Banfield-Bovell of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Dean Michael Cheng of Florida International University Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and Dr Michelle McLeod, Senior Lecturer and Faculty representative, MSBM.