HEC 102 Proudly Announces: Built to Last
102nd Annual Hotel Ezra Cornell Will Explore What it Means to be in an Industry That is "Built to Last".
(Ithaca, NY) Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC), the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration's annual student-run hospitality conference, announced October 17, 2026, this year's conference theme, "Built to Last." The HEC team looks forward to bringing this theme to life on the weekend of April 15-18, 2027. The inspiration for the theme stems from this year's goal to spark conversations that focus on how industry leaders can harness a changing world without losing the human connection at the heart of service, through the stages of a hospitality career: the dream, the build, and the evolution.
"Built to Last" traces the full lifecycle of a hospitality career, from the dream that started it to the hardest question the hospitality industry faces: how do you utilize the tools of a changing world without losing the craft, the care, and the human connection that hospitality must keep protecting? A decade ago, HEC 92 challenged the industry to Face the Future, Preserve the Past. Today, the future has arrived, and the question is no longer whether to hold both things at once. It is how.
The conference will feature "All Eyes on Entertainment," a panel moderated by Marc Bruno, Chief Executive Officer of Aramark U.S. Bringing together perspectives from sports, live events, and hospitality, the panel will explore how entertainment has evolved into a powerful economic engine and a growing revenue driver across industries. Panelists will also look ahead to emerging trends and the opportunities businesses should be watching as entertainment's role continues to expand.
Jason Orenstein, HEC 102 Managing Director and a senior in the Nolan School, shares, "As the Board began to ideate for this year's conference, one common thread was clear: the industry is no longer challenged on whether it can implement these new technologies, but how it can embrace technology while preserving the core of hospitality."
Hotel Ezra Cornell is a three-day, student-run business conference for hospitality industry leaders and members of the Cornell community from across the globe. One of Cornell's oldest organizations, HEC offers an unparalleled introduction to the students, faculty, and alumni of the nation's preeminent hospitality program.
Registration for the conference is now open and will remain available while space lasts, and early bird pricing is offered until 11:59 PM on November 15, 2026. Attendees are encouraged to book their stay with the Statler Hotel, a Four Diamond Award-winning learning hotel and a trusted partner and host in this tradition.
Media Contact: Lorenzo Morales-DuBois '27, HEC 102 Communications Director, lmm369@cornell.edu