The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality to Host 15th Annual National Conference and Career Fair

The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) will host its 15th Annual National Conference, NSMH at 15: Shattering Boundaries and Blazing New Paths" at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, Missouri from February 5-8, 2004. Distinguished speakers includes: Regynald G. Washington, FMP, CFBE, Chairman to the National Restaurant Associations Board of Directors; Steve Maritz, Chairman and CEO of Maritz Inc.; Victor Crawford, Executive VP and general manager of Marriott Distribution Services (MDS); Sue Stephenson, VP of Human Resources, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Simon T. Bailey, Chief Creative Officer and founder of Imagination Institute, Inc. Over $25,000 of scholarship money will be awarded.

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) January 20, 2004 --The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) will host its 15th Annual National Conference, NSMH at 15: Shattering Boundaries and Blazing New Paths" at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis, Missouri from February 5-8, 2004.

Over 350 hospitality students from across the nation are expected to join industry educators, recruiters and top-level executives from leading hospitality companies for an intense weekend of networking, educational seminars, interviewing, and career building opportunities.

Regynald G. Washington, FMP, CFBE, Chairman to the National Restaurant Associations Board of Directors will deliver the keynote address to over 500 conference attendees on Friday, February 6, 2004. Steve Maritz, Chairman and CEO of Maritz Inc.; Victor Crawford, Executive VP and general manager of Marriott Distribution Services (MDS); Sue Stephenson, VP of Human Resources, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Simon T. Bailey, Chief Creative Officer and founder of Imagination Institute, Inc. are among the list of distinguished speakers with Washington.    

Corporate Sponsors of NSMH such as ARAMARK Corporation, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Marriott International and Walt Disney Company (for a complete list of sponsors, visit www.nsmh.org) will award nearly 20 scholarships that will total over $25,000 to select hospitality students as one of the key benefits to membership. These scholarships are awarded based on academic performance, hospitality work experience, extracurricular involvement(activities and honors), personal attributes and financial need.

The career fair on Saturday, February 7, 2004 will allow over 30 companies to recruit the future industry leaders from the talented pool of students in attendance for internships and career opportunities.

Five of the ten scheduled educational seminars address diversity in the hospitality industry. Seminar titles include: White + Black + Brown + Yellow= Green Dollars: The Purchasing Power of Minorities"; The Cultural Puzzle" and Minority vs. Majority: Cant We All Just Get Along". All seminars are lead by industry professionals.

The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality is a non-profit, student run organization that promotes diversity in the hospitality industry. Membership is comprised of over 500 students chartered into nearly 50 chapters across the United States with international chapters in Jamaica and the Bahamas. NSMHs programs aid in the professional development of students by embodying the motto: Todays Students, Tomorrows Leaders."    

For more information, visit www.nsmh.org
###