The Hospitality, Tourism and Events Society is the graduate student club for the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. The club’s president,Sarah Weisbuch, talks about her experience at NYU and her objectives for the club.
What brought you to the MS in Tourism Management?
I spent my twenties traveling and teaching abroad, and I fell in love with adventure travel - particularly trekking, rock climbing, and mountaineering. At the same time, I noticed that most of the rural communities I encountered didn’t benefit much from tourism, and many seemed to experience negative impacts. I began learning about sustainable tourism while traveling in Peru, then earned a certificate in Sustainable Tourism Management from GW University. Once I realized that there were meaningful professional opportunities in this field, I applied to NYU for my MS in Tourism Management..
What are the objectives of HTES, and what kind of programming will the club offer this year?
We have a few objectives! The first is to highlight important topics within the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. These topics include social responsibility, sustainability, innovation, entrepreneurship, and marketing.
Our second objective is to create professional and networking opportunities for students. Many of our events are small-group virtual chats with industry professionals - this format allows students to engage in dialogue and network in a meaningful way.
Another goal is to connect students with professional development resources and opportunities, including competitions, workshops, and certifications. We’re also developing an Advocate Program that will help students toward success in their career path by pairing them with an advocate in their industry. (Stay tuned!)
Finally, we’re focusing on building community among students. We've planned some fun virtual social events, and we’ve also created a community forum on Facebook where students can connect! The club itself is also expanding to include lots of active members - so that’s been another great way for students to get to know one another.
What are your personal goals for your time as HTES President?
My top goal as HTES President is to provide a platform for student leadership. We’ve restructured the club to create more leadership roles, and all of our members have the opportunity to take the lead on events and initiatives. So far, this has worked really well - I’ve been in awe of our club members’ energy and dedication this year!
Another major goal is to foster dialogue around ethics and social responsibility in our industries.
How can students get involved in HTES?
Is there anything else you would like to share?
!I’d like to share our incredible team this year: the HTES Board, Hospitality Committee, Tourism Committee, Event Management Committee, Social Events Committee, and Communications Team. All of our members are going above and beyond, and I can’t wait to see how HTES evolves as a result of their contributions!