2024 CentralCHRIE Conference
The 2024 CentralCHRIE Conference, held online on November 8th, brought together a dynamic community of scholars, educators, industry leaders, and students to explore the theme, “Innovating Hospitality and Tourism: Embracing Technology and Sustainability.” With 64 participants representing 24 institutions, this year’s conference provided an engaging platform for collaborations and innovations. Attendees participated in 30 research presentations and one keynote address.
Our keynote speaker, Jenna Matecki, is the visionary founder of an immersive, experience-driven guesthouse hotel brand, set to debut its first location in Barcelona in 2027. Janna also leads Matecki Studios, a creative platform dedicated to inspiring storytelling, through which she has created contents such as books and YouTube videos to capture the journey of building her hotel brand. Through her keynote session that focused on technology innovation, Jenna brought energy, clarity, and inspiration to our community. Her speech was not only enlightening but also highly practical, offering valuable takeaways for educators and researchers.
Our research presentations covered a variety of topics ranging from cyber defense, AI voice assistants and their impact on senior living communities, to sustainability practices in hospitality and tourism. These presentations not only showcased cutting-edge research but also demonstrated the critical role the hospitality field plays in addressing modern challenges and opportunities regarding technology and sustainability. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the best paper awardees for this year’s conference. They are:
· Best Research In-Progress: Complex barriers in food waste management: Analyzing stakeholder dynamics in restaurant kitchens by Md Zaker Hossin and Yeasun K Chung, Oklahoma State University
· Best Research Paper: The dynamic demographics of vegan-themed events: A hierarchical regression analysis of generational effects, by Linan Zhang, Joan Su and Ken Tsai, Iowa State University
The success of the conference was made possible by an exceptional team. Special thanks go to Kristin Malek and her event management class students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln – Abby, Sarah Frances, Jess, Katie, Sylvia, Hannah, and Charis – who took on the challenging task of organizing the conference. Their hard work ensured a seamless experience for participants. We are also grateful to Shawn, our Director of Networking, for his dedication and commitment to organizing this conference; to James, our Director of Research, for overseeing the rigorous paper review process; and to MiRan (Director of Member Services) and Ally (Director of Marketing), for promoting the conference and engaging members via email and social media. Finally, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the rest of the CentralCHRIE Board members, Ajai, Amy, Sojung, Craig, Vernetta, and Pei, for their unwavering support and leadership.
In closing, the 2024 CentralCHRIE Virtual Conference offered an exceptional opportunity for researchers and industry leaders to share ideas and insights that will make significant contributions to the hospitality and tourism field. We sincerely thank all participants for their valuable contributions to this conference and to the advancement of our field. We look forward to welcoming you to future CentralCHRIE events.
Summary:
The 2024 CentralCHRIE Conference, held online on November 8th, brought together a dynamic community of scholars, educators, industry leaders, and students to explore the theme, “Innovating Hospitality and Tourism: Embracing Technology and Sustainability.” With 64 participants representing 24 institutions, this year’s conference provided an engaging platform for collaborations and innovations. Attendees participated in 30 research presentations and one keynote address.
Lu Zhang
CentralCHRIE President
