Galway Stars at Management Game

A team representing GMIT has won the Irish Hospitality Institute Hospitality Management Student Game 2022. Pictured left to right are John Carty, Lecturer GMIT, Skye Stagno Navarra, Emer Leonard, Julia Rodriguez de la Fuente, Ellen Ryder and Brian Bowler, President IHI.

A second team from the Galway Institute was runner-up, and Dundalk Institute of Technology was third out of participants which included teams from Shannon College of Hotel Management, TU Dublin - City Campus and TU Dublin - Tallaght Campus.

The winning team will enjoy an overnight visit to Center Parc Ireland. Tina Maree from the IHI announced that all IHI students would also be given a complimentary graduate membership for the first year after qualification.

After last year’s online Hospitality Student Game, the IHI welcomed students from seven colleges to The Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport to be in person and present their final challenge to a select group of judges including Eavanna Ryan, Group Sales and Marketing from the Connacht Hospitality Group; Russell Hadley, General Manager of The Mayson Hotel; Patrick McNamara of Broadline Recruiters and Monica Morgan, Human Resources and Training Director of The K Club.

Seven teams took part over two weeks where they faced the challenge of opening a hotel after Covid and developed a recruitment and retention strategy to board level. The final task in real time was to present to the judges a sales and marketing strategy, as if to board level.

Peter Russell from The Russell Partnership had high praise for the participants of this hybrid 2022 IHI event. In his closing remarks, the developer of the game said all of the presentations were professional and well thought out.

Brian Bowler, President of the IHI, was wearing his chain for the first ‘live and in person’ IHI event since he took over the role in June of last year and thanked the many tutors and judges before announcing the winners.