| SPRINGFIELD The Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau (GSCVB) will present Howdy University, a half-day hospitality training seminar, on Jan. 30 at the Kittredge Center at Holyoke Community College. The Keynote Speaker will be Doug Price, author of "License to Serve," one of the premier "how-to" books in the hospitality training industry. Price is senior vice president of professional development for Destination Marketing Association International in Washington, D.C. The seminar, which will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at noon, is designed to train front-line hospitality professionals who interact with customers on a daily basis. Suggestions will be offered to help workers deal with unruly customers and successfully resolve customer complaints and issues. In addition, attendees will be given a copy of "License to Serve." The GSCVB originally presented Howdy University as a two-day event in 2005, but restructured it to a half-day format in order to condense information most pertinent to the tourism industry professional. According to GSCVB President Mary Kay Wydra, "The creation of Howdy University seemed inevitable. For 13 years the Bureau has presented the Howdy Awards, which honor the best front-line hospitality industry workers in the Pioneer Valley. While people appreciate our efforts with the Howdy Awards, we started being asked about how we could become more involved in helping shape or train hospitality workers, how we could give them the tools to excel at their work and become potential Howdy Award nominees. We're accepting that challenge by presenting Howdy University. It's ideal for people who are relatively new to the hospitality industry, especially if they're also new to the area, as it will give them some valuable networking opportunities." The cost to attend Howdy University is $50 for GSCVB members, $75 for non-members and $25 for full-time college students. For additional information or to reserve a space, contact Aimee Tryba at 755-1343 or by email at aimee@valleyvisitor.com The GSCVB, an affiliate of the Economic Development Council of Western MA, is a private non-profit destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley for meetings and conventions, group tours and leisure travel. |
