From Solar cooking experiments at the Sunshine coast to a London
hotel show! We talk to two final year hospitality management students to hear
more about a non-typical day.
Final year students of BA
international hospitality management enjoyed a chilly morning starting at
8am sharp to test solar cookers in non-favourable conditions. Solar cookers are extensively used in
developing countries with a hot climate and plentiful sun but not so much in countries
of the developed world where Sunshine is limited.
Therefore, testing solar cooker cooking capabilities in cold
and cloudy environments enabled students to understand design limitations and visualise
new designs of solar cookers that may be effectively utilised in countries such
as the U. Increasing the use of renewables in everyday life can help conserve
energy and contribute to the reduction of co2 emissions.
Following the Solar cooker experiments students that hold
positions in industry attended the independent hotel show. They met with
suppliers and hoteliers and attended variety of seminars, from hotel design
focused ones, to using social media to your advantage.
We asked two of our students to reflect on their experience. Here
is what they had to say about the solar cooker experiments:
Charlotte: This basic
experiment was my first experience with the use of a solar cooker. In
reflection, I find it really interesting that such a device, so simplistic in
its use of resources and with such an obvious, undeniable environmental
benefit, can still seem rather alien to people of our demographic that are so
used to, and probably to a certain extent dependent on, the availability of
electrical appliances.
Ellie: Solar cookers
seem a good idea as they use renewable solar power and save energy rather than
use an oven or BBQ. It was quite fascinating to see how quickly the water
heated up and the differences of efficiency between the two solar cookers and
would love to see them in action again and in full swing when there is lots of
sun.
And when asked about the Expo:
Charlotte said: I very much appreciate having had the chance to
attend the Independent Hotel Show - it was my first visit to this event and
being exposed to such a variety of businesses and their diverse product ranges
gave you a good feel for the magnitude of the Hospitality industry. Visiting
the expo made me feel that if you are passionate about any niche in this field
of work, you can make it work. The overall buzz of such an event can be really
motivational.
Ellie said The expo
was exciting! From best quality bed stands to best toiletries this was a heaven
for anyone looking to start their hotel from scratch or even improve a product
in their hotel, the talks about branding and designing your hotel were very
interesting. I was fascinated by the realisation of how many facilities and
suppliers I would have to consider if I was going to start up my own hotel!
Dr Ioannis S. Pantelidis reflecting on the whole day said: For some students the day started at 5am and
finished at 9pm and it was great to see the commitment of some of our students
to make both the early experiments and network with hospitality management
professionals till late. More importantly it feels great when despite the long
day our students say that the effort was worth the knowledge, experience and
contacts gained.
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