On Apr. 15, 2009, more than 200 Temple University students gathered inside the Liacouras Center to take part in the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management’s (STHM) 10th Annual Networking Seminar. The event was hosted and planned by the Spring 2009 STHM Center City Senior Seminar and offered a unique opportunity for students to examine possible career paths, find potential internships or career opportunities, as well as encourage students to create relationships and connect with current professionals throughout the region.

“This is my second time attending the networking seminar and I enjoy gaining insight from industry professionals on a more personal level,” said Samantha Lauver, a junior STHM major at the beginning of the seminar.

The students were able to get to know various employers by participating in several networking discussions that lasted 15 minutes each. Each employer had a round table with 10 chairs for students to fill and participate in a formal discussion. These discussions helped students learn about the background of each vendor’s organization, the current employees, professional careers, open positions and volunteer opportunities with each organization.

Jeannie Cheng, president of the Center City senior seminar, opened the event by thanking everyone for attending. Lisa Kerr was the project chair for the event and she explained that the theme “Spring to the Future” was perfect because the event allowed students “to picture their future endeavors in a more practical experience.”

Sandy Lablanc, general manager for the airport Marriot, was the keynote speaker and advised students to possess values such as trustworthiness, perseverance, desire, accountability and professionalism to survive in the professional world.

There were 25 vendors in attendance, featuring such leading companies as the Philadelphia Eagles, Dave & Buster’s, the Sofitel Luxury hotel, the Ritz-Carlton of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, and many other companies representing the wide spectrum of industry and job opportunities available to STHM students.

One of the employers, Dr. Michael Diorka, director of recreation for the University of Pennsylvania Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics said, “Live your student days as if it were your full-time job.” He emphasized to students how important it is to develop their professional skills early on so when applying for a job they are able to show employers that they are well prepared and can get the job done.

“This was their final examination, this event was the culmination of everything they have learned,” said Dean Montague, assistant dean for STHM. He remarked that the senior seminar class had to plan the program from start to finish, allowing the class to gain another experience to add to their resume.