Cornell Hospitality Research Summit 2014: Building New Ideas for Service Innovation
With a focus on creating new knowledge, the Cornell Hospitality Research Summit 2014 is barely a month away, scheduled for October 12 through 14, at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. In designing the CHRS, Co-Chairs Cathy Enz and Rohit Verma have taken an entirely fresh approach by structuring the sessions for interaction among all participants. The conference theme is, "The Future of Service Innovation: The New Science of People, Organizations, Data, and Technology," and this theme drives the session tracks, which focus on people, organizations, data, and technology.
But there's far more to this conference than a new theme and a drive for creating new knowledge. Professors Enz and Verma have taken the additional critical step of structuring the sessions for discussion, cross-commentary, and a specific focus on creating knowledge in new and different ways.
"We know that high-level presentations can be valuable," said Enz, the Lewis G. Schaeneman Professor of Innovation and Dynamic Management. "But it's even more valuable to create an environment where there is a crossfire of ideas. And that is what we have done in our session designs. In the Big Question session, for instance, the presenter asks a question that all participants can engage in answering. Another session type is Point Counterpoint, which specifically places ideas in parallel comparisons."
Other session types are Presentation Plus, which adds an unexpected element to the traditional presentation, and Show and Tell, which encourages all participants to use demonstrations to augment their points.
"We have also implemented three unusual approaches to sharing information," added Verma, the Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor in Hospitality Management. "We encourage what we call Flipping, which is a reverse presentation that allows participants to add their own information; Face Off, which is a direct back-and-forth approach to exploring new knowledge; and an approach we call Do Something, People!, which is meant for active participation by all session participants."
Enz and Verma have also re-imagined the conference's food breaks and meals. "We wanted the culinary events to work into the theme of creating knowledge," said Enz. "So, at one break, participants will use their food choices to reflect answers to key questions. On another break, we will feature a more personal engagement with staff by bringing the back of the house out front. Meals will also be experimental in both products and packaging. We are planning a sustainably simple meal, as well as a meal that's entirely vegetarian. The goal is to keep the conversation about innovation and experimentation going even as we enjoy social interactions. "
A final unusual facet of the CHRS is that participation is balanced between industry practitioners and academic researchers. Thus, the CHRS encourages direct, research-based dialogue between industry and academe, and rapid cross-pollination of ideas—both for further study and for implementation.
"The service industry is on fire with innovative ideas, business models, processes, and practices," Verma pointed out. "We want to push that frontier even more with product and process innovations to augment service delivery for the benefit of the industry and its customers."
About the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration
The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration is the premier school for hospitality education in the world. As an integral part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, the school is leading the world in teaching and researching the business of hospitality—marketing, finance, real estate, operations, and more, all applied to the world’s largest and most exciting industry. Top faculty, industry leaders, alumni, and students work together to generate new knowledge for the hospitality industry and form the premier network that shapes the industry every day.
