In 2020, professionals in the hospitality and tourism industries faced overwhelming challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Fortunately, graduates from the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management (HRTM) were well-positioned to survive and even excel — in part due to their educational experience here on campus. We collaborated with the department to tell the stories of these NMSU HRTM graduates.
Have a look:
The original idea for the video was proposed by Andrea Arrigucci, program coordinator of HRTM’s Marriott Hospitality Futures Center.
Arrigucci said, “Our goal is to help students explore the endless career options and emphasize the benefit that higher education has in creating those opportunities.” The video is part of the department's campaign to expand students' understanding of the diverse careers available in the industry. NMSU's Marketing and Communication department recently highlighted Arrigucci's work with the video.
Filming was a challenge during the pandemic. We accommodated safety requirements for the participants and crew and worked with constraints in various locations, which looked different during the pandemic.
“Originally, we had hoped to feature the HRTM facilities with our usual number of students and faculty, but when that wasn’t possible, a new direction quickly took shape. At each level from storyboarding to the final edits we achieved a professional and effective tool to give prospective students an idea of what their future careers may look like,” said Arrigucci.
The project was overseen by Dr. Jean Hertzman, the Department Head for the School of HRTM. Her connections with influential professionals in the industry helped secure participation from the accomplished graduates .
Hertzman said, “Hospitality and tourism businesses are expected to return to pre-pandemic sales levels over the next two years. Covid-19 accelerated the pace of adopting new technology, safety, and personnel practices. The School of HRTM provides students with the broad base of skills, knowledge, and professional aptitude that allows them to follow their dreams to be as successful as the alumni featured in the video and lead the industry into the future.”
For more information on the School of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Management, please visit https://aces.nmsu.edu/academics/shrtm/and follow them on Twitter @HRTMNMSU, Instagram HRTM_NMSU, and Linkedin HRTM NMSU.
To learn more about how media such as video, mobile apps, animations, and websites can enhance your program, visit Innovative Media Research and Extension
Written By: Tomilee Turner, Director, Video Unit, toturner@nmsu.edu