Hospitality industry leaders will gather to celebrate the launch of a new program from USF St. Petersburg (USFSP) designed to help managers from the area’s many restaurants, hotels, craft breweries and more grow and thrive in their careers – a first for the Tampa Bay region.
The event is scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30 at the Morean Center for Clay, 420 22nd St. S. in St. Petersburg. The celebration will include a conversation moderated by Dalia Colon, producer of WUSF Public Media’s food podcast, “The Zest.”
Taking part in the conversation will be Viviana Leyva, human resources director of the Vinoy Renaissance Resort & Golf Club, Jeff Gigante, co-founder of the Ciccio Restaurant Group, and Steve Westphal, owner of Go To Steve’s restaurant group.
In the hospitality industry, it costs business owners more than $5,000 each time a front-line employee walks away from a job. Turnover is high and a tight labor market makes it difficult to fill vacant positions. Hiring and retaining top managers who can create a culture to counteract these trends is a struggle that dulls the competitive edge needed to thrive in a crowded hospitality field.
The new online Hospitality Leadership Program (HLP) from USFSP’s Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership aims to stop the revolving door. HLP’s mission to train and retain top managers and build a local learning community will elevate the reputation of hospitality in Tampa Bay.
The 16-week program, which begins in January 2020, has been designed with input from Tampa Bay hospitality leaders from restaurants, hotels, salons and craft breweries. A hospitality veteran developed the curriculum, which transforms the workplace into a classroom to make learning relevant and impactful. Managers who successfully complete the course will be able to lead more competently and create a healthy work-life balance for themselves and their staffs.
HLP can benefit an organization’s team by developing skills to:
- Attract and reduce turnover by developing motivated and dedicated managers at all levels.
- Improve employees’ ability to work in efficient and effective ways.
- Amplify guest loyalty with a culture committed to company values.
- Develop the awareness that leadership contributes to the bottom line.
For more information about the program and to RSVP for the Sept. 30 event, go to programs.usf.edu/hospitality.