Galway International Hotel School wins the 36th Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) National Hospitality Business Management Game 2021

A team of five students representing the Galway International Hotel School at Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) were selected as the outright winners of the 36th Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) National Hospitality Business Management Game 2021.

The winning team of Roisin Corrigan from Bray, Co Wicklow, Max Reid, Blessington, Co Wicklow, Geraldine Ruddy, Belmullet, Co Mayo, Elaine Greene, Kilkee, Co Clare and Abbie Daly, Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, scored top marks in the competition that attracted teams representing tourism and hospitality colleges around Ireland. 

Cáit Noone, Head of the School, conveyed her congratulations to the team, mentors, and organisers. “This event is a live competition testing students’ business acumen, knowledge and skills. We applaud the team’s success and thank them for their commitment in preparing and participating in this event when they are naturally busy with their final year studies. I am very grateful to mentors John Carty and Colin Gilligan and all the faculty who individually have played a role in preparing the students for the world of work and in turn this competition.”

Tutor to the team, lecturer John Carty said “We are very proud of this great achievement by the GMIT team. The students put a lot of time and effort in to prepare for the competition, in addition to their final-year workload and other commitments.  This competition is a great opportunity for students to test themselves and we are grateful to the IHI team and judges who facilitated the competition online.  The students were well served by all of the modules and work placements completed during their tourism and hotel management programmes.”

The competition, supported by Fáilte Ireland, The Russell Partnership, Irish Hotels Federation and The Doyle Collection, saw the teams complete three challenges which tested the students’ business acumen and management skills in the areas of Business Development Strategy, Digital Marketing and Revenue Management. Challenge 1 saw the students produce a digital marketing campaign for their hotel to target the Staycation market. In Challenge 2 the students produced a go-to market strategy to re-imagine the way their hotel delivers meetings and events. In the final Challenge students completed a hotel simulation based on re-opening their hotel post Covid-19.

Team Captain Roisin Corrigan shared her excitement: “What an amazing experience! We are ecstatic to have had the opportunity to represent GMIT and very proud to have walked away as the IHI Business Management Games winners. From this competition we have gained lifelong skills that we will carry with us in our future careers. We are very thankful and appreciative for the time and guidance given to us by our tutor John Carty and the support received from GMIT”.

Tina Maree, National Executive Officer said, “Today our industry witnessed the talent and potential of the next generation of Young Hospitality Managers”. The Hospitality & Tourism Industry provides young graduates with real career opportunities to explore and develop in so many aspects of business: Sales & Marketing, Revenue Management, Finance, Human Resources, Training & Development and Operations.”

The Galway International Hotel School is located on the Dublin Road campus, Galway city, offering courses in International Hotel and Hospitality Management, Event Management & Public Relations, International Tourism Management, Heritage Studies and Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences. The school was the first in Ireland to award degrees in Hotel Management in 1977 and was named in the Top Ten Global Hotel Schools last summer.  Visit the virtual website to hear from the team and students at GMIT Virtual Open Day

About Irish Hospitality Institute

The Irish Hospitality Institute (IHI) is a professional membership body representing over 1,000 Hospitality Professionals throughout Ireland.

The role of the IHI is to assist and encourage members to take responsibility for their own development, to facilitate networking, recognition and career advancement and to promote excellence in the hospitality industry.

To learn more about the Irish Hospitality Institute, visit www.IHI.ie  or call +353 01-662 4790, connect on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

ENDS

Issued by Regina Daly, GMIT Communications & Press Officer, GMIT, Dublin Road, Galway.
0879618355 (m) regina.daly@gmit.ie www.gmit.ie/news

Galway-Mayo IT, IT Sligo and Letterkenny IT working together to become a TU for the West and North-West of Ireland www.cualliance.ie