Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting Creates Influential Connections
Building a powerful network is a vital part of any Hotelie’s success in the hospitality and travel industry. The connections created during a student’s time at Cornell University offer a wealth of resources they can use to foster career development, help others, and enrich their personal growth. Cornell Hotel Society coordinates many events throughout the year to allow student opportunities to develop their personal network while enhancing their education. This year, select students were invited to take the opportunity to attend the 20th Annual Asia Pacific Regional Meeting held in Okinawa, Japan. Attendees Emily Jo Yeterian ’15 and Tara Lobo ’15 share their experience and insights from their recent trip:
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Emily Jo Yeterian: I knew that I would be engaging with spectacular Hotelies, but what I didn’t know was that they would become great new friends and mentors. Throughout the weekend, I was able to meet and socialize with Hotelies whom I never would have had the chance to interact with had I not been in attendance.
Tara Lobo: There were so many amazing alumni in attendance at the 2014 CHS Asia Pacific Regional Conference this year that it is rather hard for me to narrow down the list! Across the board, each alumnus displayed a strong sense of hospitality. Passionate, welcoming, and strikingly humble, those alumni that I met during this conference reminded me once again of the reasons why I fell in love with my school and the hospitality industry.
Emily Jo Yeterian: The most inspiring alum I had the extreme good fortune to meet was Yoshinori Isozaki, the CEO and President of Kirin Beer Company—a leading Japanese beer company. He not only inspired me with his incredible generosity, but also with his true passion and love for his work. Yoshinori Isozaki showed me that you can truly love what you do and never have to “work” a day in your life. You CAN follow your dreams and wholeheartedly love your job. Before this experience, I had never believed that could be a reality, but Yoshinori Isonaki showed me this was possible.
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Tara Lobo: This conference gave me the ability to meet alumni on the other side of the world, dealing with Asian markets first-hand. Now that I have had the opportunity to develop connections in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines, and Taiwan, I look forward to growing my knowledge through these new contacts during future projects and research.
Emily Jo Yeterian: I have never felt more proud to be a member of the Cornell Hotel Society than after coming back from my trip to Japan. I will never forget all the friends and mentors I had the distinct pleasure to meet or the beautiful memories we made on the beaches of Okinawa.
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