A West Lothian College hospitality lecturer and Scotland’s hospitality industry received a welcome boost from the recent virtual Scotland Day Conference, organised by the Scotland Branch of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) and supported by Scottish Business Network (SBN).
Audrey Buckley, Hospitality Lecturer at West Lothian College in Livingston, was the lucky winner of the delegate prize draw at the one-day event. Her reward was a Taski state-of-the-art AERO UP lithium-powered suction cleaner, designed for the professional market.
Commenting on the award and the conference, IoH Scotland Branch Chairman Gordon MacKintosh said: “Our congratulations go to Audrey, together with a big thank-you to Taski for supplying such a generous prize, and to Scottish Business Network for its support in making our virtual one-day event such a success.”
The Scotland Day Conference was organised by the Scotland Branch of the Institute of Hospitality (IoH) – the worldwide professional body for managers and aspiring managers working and studying in hospitality, leisure, and tourism. The theme of the day was how to build resilience and appreciation of Scotland’s hospitality industry, while inspiring the next generation, during the most challenging time the hospitality industry has probably witnessed.
Expertly hosted by SBN Chairman Russell Dalgleish, the Scotland Day speakers and panelists shared their experiences and examined success and innovation. They included tourism and hospitality chief executives, educators, and developers and trainers. In addition, a panel of young people discussed the challenges facing future managers.
Amongst the illustrious names contributing to the virtual event were Alastair Storey OBE, Chairman and Chief Executive of contract catering company Westbury Street Holdings; Bill Toner, Chief Executive of catering giant CH&Co Group; David Cochrane MBE, Chief Executive of Hospitality Industry Trust Scotland (HIT); Chris Wayne-Wills, Chief Executive of Crerar Hotels; Thomas Greenall, Chief Executive of Bespoke Hotels; and Gordon McIntyre, Associate Dean Hospitality & Tourism at City of Glasgow College and the founder of Hospitality Health, a Scottish mental health and wellbeing charity supporting employees and students in the hospitality industry.
The IoH Scotland Branch has a major role to play in the Scotland hospitality industry’s recovery from the pandemic. “Our priority at the IoH is to promote lifelong learning,” explained Gordon MacKintosh. “I believe now more than ever people need to experience the value of IoH membership. We are in a very difficult labour market and the transition to a post-COVID world is going to be an enormous challenge.
“It is time to re-evaluate ourselves and see what skills we need to move forward, and access the resources the IoH has, not only to help our businesses but also our individual skills and knowledge. We need to be fully prepared and equipped for when we come out of this pandemic.
“If there is one thing the hospitality industry has, it is resilience. We always find ways to adapt and come through, and the current pandemic is no exception, though it presents the biggest challenge we have ever faced.”
Recordings of the IOH Scotland Branch Scotland Day Conference sessions can be accessed on https://institute-of-hospitality-scotland-day.heysummit.com/replays/
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Pictured (attached): Audrey Buckley, hospitality lecturer at West Lothian College, Livingston
Gordon MacKintosh, Chairman of Institute of Hospitality Scotland
Branch
For further information, contact:
May M Stark MIH
Branch Secretary
Institute of Hospitality Scotland Branch
Tel: +(0)7849 497939
Email: may.stark@instituteofhospitality.org
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