Imagine a room full of college seniors all passionate about the same field and each recognized for academic excellence. One would think such individuals, specifically chosen for their demonstrated commitment to their future careers, would produce the ideal small groups to work together on a unique project. Turns out, it’s not that simple.

In March, I spent three days at the Young Hospitality Summit (YHS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, among, as one guest speaker described us, “like-minded people” from more than 40 universities worldwide. I was selected as one of the three delegates to represent FIU at the event hosted by EHL Hospitality Business School, which is known to have the best hospitality management program in the world.

The summit gathered top industry professionals to discuss sustainability, technology, mental health and talent retention – critical topics for the industry and those of us about to enter it. During presentations from leaders within the lodging sector, we also learned about real estate and, to my surprise, something called “cognitive” cities. While many of us have heard about “smart” cities, which focus on data collection and application for efficient management, cognitive cities use technology to gather data for proactive decision-making or problem-solving. Neom, one of the summit partners, is already making this concept a reality in Saudi Arabia.

To envision what the hospitality industry could look like in that futuristic cognitive world, Neom presented the challenge we would be asked to work on for the next two days. My team - students from the United States, the Netherlands, France and Indonesia – had about eight hours to come up with “a pioneering, sustainable service model tailored specifically for Neom” that would “significantly reduce waste, energy and water usage.”

Read the full article at FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management