UNH Hospitality Management Program Nassikas Lecture Series Shed Light on the Importance of Service Standards

The University of New Hampshire Hospitality Management Program hosted its first annual Nassikas Lecture Series on service standards April 10, 2015 at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. The sold out event was attended by 70 participants including industry leaders and personnel, students, and faculty members. The event featured keynote speaker William Nassikas, president and chief operating officer of Westroc Hospitality and a panel of industry experts that included Morreen Bayles, founder of Creative Restaurant Solutions; Elizabeth Mullins, vice president and area general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C.; Jamie Strobino, SVP Operations, Not Your Average Joe’s, and Bob Dunigan, SVP, shared services at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

William Nassikas started the event with a discussion on the importance of service standards. Attendees then participated in the panel discussion with industry experts who shared their expertise and experiences regarding what is the importance of service quality/standards when considering employees. Bob Dunigan stated that “employees are the first customer any organization needs to consider when developing service standards of quality.” The panel also discussed what is the influence of technology on service quality/standards and is the use of technology a good thing in this regard. Morreen Bayles, noted that “although technology, such as social media cannot be ignored, the guest experience is still driven by human interaction and training toward that end is critical. There needs to be a balance between the two guest connect points.”

Jamie Strobino, SVP Operations, Not Your Average Joe’s, explained that the lecture explored topics that benefitted all businesses. “The Nassikas Lecture Series provided a platform to explore the similarities between the hospitality industry and the greater business world while exposing the participants to the best practices involved with running a successful and meaningful enterprise,” stated Strobino.

The Nassikas Lecture Series was made possible by a generous donation from James and Helen Nassikas. James Nassikas, a UNH Hospitality Management alumnus (’52), is recognized worldwide for his dedication to service standards in the hospitality industry. Jame’s son, William Nassikas has decades of successful national and international experience in the hospitality industry. He founded Westroc Hospitality, an organization that acquires, develops, renovates and manages luxury properties. Westroc Hospitality’s current properties include Hotel Valley Ho in Scottsdale, AZ and Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain in Paradise Valley, AZ.

“The Nassikas Lecture Series is yet another great effort by the Hospitality Management Program to bring together industry leaders in a professional classroom setting. It was a great afternoon of networking, shared insight, and continuing education for leaders in the seacoast area. As a

professional in the industry, I find it crucial to remind myself and my co-workers of the importance of impeccable customer service,” noted Kelsey Raymond (’10); Human Resource Coordinator

Hay Creek Hotels.

The UNH Hospitality Management Program will host its next Nassikas Lecture in November 2015. To learn more, visit https://paulcollege.unh.edu/undergraduate-programs/bs-hospitality-management.

About UNH’s Hospitality Management Program

UNH’s Hospitality Management program is the second-oldest hospitality management program in the United States. The program provides students with the overall breadth and depth of a common core of business courses in accounting, economics, information systems, and management, as well as professional interdisciplinary courses and internship opportunities in hotel management, food service and restaurant management, conventions and event management, and other hospitality management areas. For more information, visit https://paulcollege.unh.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/bs-hospitality-management.

UNH Hospitality Management Program takes a one-size-fits-one approach to each prospective student. Students can “Choose Their Own Path to Success,” by specializing their education in areas, such as: food and beverage management, lodging and resort management, and event management. UNH graduates have a high placement rate with starting salaries competitive to the market. Beginning in fall 2015, students will be able to specialize in Marketing and Sales Management, an important and growing career path in the hospitality industry.

About UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics
The UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics offers a full complement of high-quality programs in business, economics, accounting, finance, management, information systems and business analytics, entrepreneurship, marketing, and hospitality management. Programs are offered at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive development levels. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency for business schools worldwide. For more information, visit paulcollege.unh.edu.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state’s flagship public institution, enrolling 12,300 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.