The 99th Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell

Ignite The Spark

 ALL DAY | Around Ithaca

Check into The Statler Hotel (if you are staying in the HEC room block) after 4:00 PM. Relax after your travels and enjoy the beauty of the Ithaca area on and around Cornell's campus!

8:30 am – 1:00 pm | Statler Amphitheater

Come to campus early and join the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research as they welcome faculty, hospitality industry leaders, alumni, and students to a half-day Research Summit. We expect six hospitality-relevant research presentations. Attendees will learn about research applications to everyday business decisions and have an opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussions with faculty and industry presenters.

4:00 - 5:30pm | Statler Amphitheater

Open to all Hotelies. We will be meeting in the Amphitheater (around the corner from the Regent bar in the Statler Hotel). We will update the audience on what's happening with CHS, take a bylaw vote, and our 2nd VP Alex Koch will do a fireside chat with this year's Phil Miller Hotelie For Life student finalists.

5:30 - 7:30pm | Physical Sciences Building

Welcome to our first event of the conference hosted offsite in the Physical Sciences Building!

Ignite & Unite

7:30 - 8:45am | Taylor Rowe Room

Begin the day with a hearty and delicious breakfast!

All Day | Hersha Center

The Hersha Center will serve as a retreat for guests looking for a break from the conference activities, or simply a boost of energy. Coffee drinks will be served at the HECafe. Enjoy a lighter social scene and take some time to unwind with rich beverages, passionate students, and a wonderful buffet!

We will also have a silent auction available on Friday from 8:30am-7:00pm, and on Saturday from 8:30am-12:00pm. All proceeds will be donated to our philanthropy partner, Food Bank of the Southern Tier. We are thrilled to provide guests with thoughtful prizes while supporting an organization and cause near and dear to our hearts.

9:00 - 9:30am | Statler Auditorium

Dean Kate Walsh MPS '90 will commence programming for HEC 99. Additionally, General Manager of the Statler Hotel Arthur Keith '84 will carry on the tradition of handing the keys to The Statler to the HEC 99 Managing Director, Tatiana Barelli '24. 

9:30 - 10:30am | Statler Auditorium

 Dr. Ruth Browne, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ronald McDonald House New York, will be joining us and delivering an inspiring talk on the value of charitable hospitality. 

Ronald McDonald House-New York (RMH-NY) offers a seamless circle of support for families of seriously ill children undergoing treatment in New York City Hospitals, providing accommodations, meals, transportation, and an array of recreational, educational and wellness services at low or no cost.

10:30 - 11:00am | Auditorium Foyer

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with students and fellow guests.

11:00am - 12:00pm | Ho Plaza

Bringing back this old tradition for the third consecutive year, the server derby will be a modern take on the Parisian Waiter's Race. Students and guests will have the opportunity to meet and compete together in teams in this race for the chance to win some awesome prizes. 

12:15 - 1:45pm | Statler Ballroom

Friday's lunch will provide a platform for our Masters of Management in Hospitality (MMH) students to showcase their work, celebrating continued hospitality education. This lunch will represent our MMH student population through their personalized mocktails, diverse menu, and an interactive environment.

2:00 - 3:00pm | Multiple Locations

Guests will have the option to attend one of our interactive and dynamic workshops hosted by experts in their respective fields.

3:00 - 3:30pm | Auditorium Foyer

Attendees will have the opportunity to network with students and fellow guests.

3:30 - 4:30pm | Statler Auditorium

In this engaging talk, Natalie Egan '02, an openly transgender B2B software entrepreneur and CEO & Founder of Translator, Inc., will delve into how her company is leveraging cutting-edge tech and AI to reshape HR training, via the cultivation of empathy. Her program will explore the intersection of technology, business, and diversity through the lens of an accomplished entrepreneur and advocate.

4:30 - 5:30pm | Statler Auditorium

We invite you to join our Hospitality in Healthcare panel, facilitated by the author of Hospitable Healthcare: Just What the Patient Ordered!, Dr. Peter Yesawich BS '72, MS '74, PhD '76. Panelists include Dr. James Merlino, Executive Vice President/CIO of the Joint Commission (formerly Chief Patient Experience Officer of Cleveland Clinic), and Dr. Greg Burke, Chief Patient Experience Officer of Geisinger Health System (PA), an innovator in the introduction of performance guarantees to healthcare. They will discuss the merits of incorporating principles of hospitality in the delivery of healthcare and how these can improve the patient experience.

5:30 - 6:30pm 

6:30 - 9:45pm | Marriott Student Learning Center

Enjoy a fantastic dinner made possible by one of our beloved sponsors, Chef's Warehouse!

Ignite the Moments

7:30 - 8:45am | Taylor Rowe Room

Join us as we celebrate a new day!

9:00 - 10:00am | Statler Auditorium

In this speech, Eben Hewitt, the Global CIO of Hyatt Hotels, will draw on two decades of industry expertise to explore the convergence of Technology and Hospitality. He has designed and implemented both a Central Reservation System and a Property Management System, both used at thousands of hotels. He is the author of several technology books, including the international best-seller "Technology Strategy Patterns" and serves as a guest lecturer and faculty panelist at the Harvard Graduate School extension. In this panel, Hewitt will provide insights into AI's transformative role in automating the hospitality industry.

10:00 - 10:45am | Statler Auditorium

Join us for an amazing conversation with Christine Hà, renowned chef, restauranteur and winner of "MasterChef" season 3. In this program, we will explore how the worlds of business and food collide from Hà's unique and accomplished perspective.

10:45 - 11:15am | Auditorium Foyer

11:15am - 12:15pm | Multiple Locations

Guests will have the option to attend one of our interactive and dynamic workshops hosted by experts in their respective fields.

12:15 - 1:45pm | Terrace

Enjoy an incredible lunch made possible by one of our beloved sponsors, The Gettys Group!

2:00 - 4:00pm | Statler Auditorium

The Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition is an annual entrepreneurship event sponsored by the Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship (PIHE) that begins at the start of the academic year when students form teams and develop executive summaries for their business plans. Watch the semi-finalist teams make their presentations to a judging panel that selects the top three concepts as winners and see what innovative new business concepts the students created over the course of the academic year.

4:00 - 4:30pm | Auditorium Foyer

                                                                                                                                 4:30 - 5:30pm | Statler Auditorium

Meli James '00, Co-Founder of Mana Up Hawai'i, and Abe Ng '95, CEO & Founder of Sushi Maki will discuss with Professor Doug Miller their experiences as entrepreneurs, lessons learned and how they use story telling to share the impact of their work.

5:30 - 5:45 pm | Statler Auditorium

The winners of the Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition and the Silent Auction will be announced!

5:45 - 6:15pm 

6:15 - 6:45pm | Ballroom Foyer

7:00 - 9:30pm | Statler Hotel Ballroom

The final dinner of the 99th Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell.

9:30 - 11:00pm | Park Atrium

A final opportunity to network and dance, closing out the HEC 99 weekend.