James Inglis–going where no man has gone before

James Inglis, Program Director Hospitality/Restaurant Management, used this year’s Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association Chair in Hospitality Management to fund his visit—and the visits of 12 students—to the National Hotel show in Chicago this year.

“Attending the national show is amazing: all the new technology, educational seminars and product demo’s are very informative. I gain by keeping up with the latest industry trends and products and the students also gain in the same way.”

It really opens students’ eyes to the current state of the industry and what the future holds, which is very bright, continues Inglis.

One of Inglis’s favorite cooking demos was Chef Rick Bayless, who showed the attendees how to make several basic marinades to keep on hand, and what to use them on.

It wasn’t all fun and games, of course. There were also business-oriented workshops on things like overtime laws, and how to motivate entry- and line-level employees.

They saw a demo on sustainability and how to purchase products within a 50 mile radius of your location.

Lots of new product demos were going on during the show, and the new technology of tablets and new ordering systems being introduced into the quick service and fast casual dining segments.

They even saw a robot cooking food. No word on the improvements to dining at the space station.