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About the Conference

Hosted by JMU's Chapter of the Professional Conference Management Association, the annual Hospitality Student Conference offers developing professionals an opportunity to broaden their horizons. By connecting with multiple professionals and leaders within the industry through workshops and over lunch, attendees will gain valuable insight that is often unattainable in the classroom.   

News and Upcoming Events!

Join us on February 7th at Harrisonburg's Chipotle from 5:00pm to 9pm.

1615 Reservoir St. #101, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Join us on January 23rd from 5:00pm to 9:00pm for some proceeds pizza at Cici's Pizza!

2035-91 E Market St, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Raffle Prizes!

Through registration, your name will be entered for the opportunity to receive raffle prizes including an EchoDot, Kindle Fire, Smartwatch, Bluetooth speakers, gift cards to various locations throughout Harrisonburg, and more

About the Conference

Welcome!

Join us for PCMA's annual Hospitality Student Conference on February 26th, 12:00pm to 6:00pm in Madison Union

The Hospitality Student Conference is an opportunity for all students to learn about different careers in hospitality and network within the industry.

Event Schedule

Feb. 26th, 2017

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Registration; Room 405                                                                           12:00-12:45pm

Brunch and Opening Reception; Room 405                                        12:00-12:50pm

The Keynote Speaker;   Room 405                                                         1:00-1:45pm

Eddie Bumbaugh                        

Break; Room 307

 

First Session;                                                                                             2:00-2:45pm

Aisha Derricott (Room 404), Jeff Reid and Tyler Texiere (Room 402)

Break; Room 307

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Second Session;                                                                                         3:00-3:45pm

Eric Nickel (Room 404) and Lindsay Dorrier III(Room 402)    

Break; Room 307

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Third Session;                                                                                           4:00-4:45pm

Fabienne Laveau (Room 404)  and Aaron Ludwig(Room 402)

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Recognition, Appreciation and Gifts; Room 405                                 5:15-5:40pm

Closing Reception                                                                                     5:40-6:00pm

End of Event                                                                                                     6:00pm

Event Schedule

Our Planning Committee

Our fantastic Committee of 2017 is dedicated to providing an exceptional experience through the Hospitality Student Conference.  
Brittany Bolton
Hospitality Student Conference Chair

Brittany is a senior here at James Madison University with a major in Hospitality Management and a minor in Business. This is her third year being involved in PCMA and first year on the PCMA executive board serving as the Hospitality Student Conference Chair. Some of her past experience in the hospitality industry includes being a hostess at O’Charley’s, waitressing at Cheeburger Cheeburger, waitressing and bartending at a privately owned member’s-only golf club, The Federal Club, externing for JMU dining facilities and special events through Aramark, and working at James Madison’s University Recreation as an Office Services Specialist and Fitness Assistant. 

Brittany has been the Panhellenic Delegate on the executive board for her sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha, and is an active and national member of CMAA, The Club Managers Association of America. In December she  had the privilege of externing in Denver, Colorado at The Westin International Airport with Starwood in the Food and Beverage department. She also had the privilege of studying abroad in Australia during the summer of 2016 where she studied hospitality management in Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, and the Gold Coast. 

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Heather Johnson
Sponsorship Manager

Heather is a senior Sport & Recreation Management major at  James Madison University and aspires to work in professional sports. She grew up in Groton, Connecticut as a Navy brat and currently resides in Stafford, Virginia. Heather enjoys movies, traveling, and attending sporting events.

Abby Schwab
Room and Session Manager

Abby is a senior with the class of 2017. She is studying Hospitality and Tourism Management and a minor in General Business. She has been involved with PCMA starting the 2016-2017 school year. Her position on the committee is the Rooms and Session Manager. Abby has experience working with two different well-known wedding planners in the Charlottesville area, as well as working at the Boar’s Head Country Club

Danielle Rowe
Speakers Manager

Danielle is a senior at James Madison University studying Hospitality Management along with a Business minor. She recently became involved in PCMA within the last semester. For the conference She holds the position as the Speaker Manager which puts her in charge of anything and everything that involves the conference speakers. Through past experience in multiple country clubs Danielle has been able to build a strong network of professionals which made finding speakers that much easier.

Chinenye Omile
Registration Manager

Chinenye is a senior Hospitality Management major with minors in Business and Human Resource Development. She has recently joined the Professional Convention Management Association here at JMU and is excited to be as involved as possible. Chinenye is a Registration Managers for the conference. She has had experience planning and executing a variety of small scale events but looks forward to working more with conferences in the hospitality world in her future endeavors.

Tiffiney Smith
Registration Manager

Tiffiney is a Junior who is pursuing a Hospitality Management degree with a Business Minor. She has been a member of PCMA for one semester and is the Registration Manager for the Hospitality Student Conference. She has experience in wedding planning, banquets, and conferences and has attained skills in handling contracts, menus, and hotels.

Zack Nussbaum
Marketing and Promo Manager

Zack is currently a transfer Junior in the Hospitality Management program here at James Madison University. He has worked in the live music industry for over five years, and truly enjoy the operations and logistics of concerts. Zack plans on pursuing a career in the cruise ship industry, as  well as traveling the world and experiencing what other places have to offer. He enjoy collaborating with others in order to execute events, and is thrilled to be a part of this awesome committee.

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Shelby Raponi
Materials Manager

Shelby is a Junior Hospitality major with a minor in Business at James Madison University. She joined PCMA last Spring when she transferred to JMU. Shelby formerly worked for Disney and currently works as a server for a local restaurant here in Harrisonburg. She enjoys working with people and is excited to get more and more involved in the events industry. Shelby enjoys design and working with all of the details that go into events which makes putting the materials together for this event fun for her!

Maddie McGeary
Food and Beverage Manager

Maddie is a freshman studying hospitality management along with a business minor. She has been a member of PCMA since her first semester at JMU. Before college she worked at a catering company and also served as the food and beverage manager for a dance marathon at her high school. These positions have given her a lot of experiences that she believes will make her a successful Food and beverage manager for this hospitality student conference.

Whitney Carlson
Website Manager

Whitney is a first semester Junior at James Madison University studying Hospitality Management, with a Minor in General Business. Upon joining the JMU chapter of PCMA, she added Website Manager of the 2017 Hospitality Student Conference to the list of leadership roles she holds through NSMH, HSMAI and Dukes for Life. Her prior work experience within the Industry has been through Wegmans Food Markets, Aramark and privet events. Whitney is delighted to be a part of such an amazing team for HSC and is looking forward to helping provide fellow pre-professionals the experience. 

Thank you so much for joining us in attending the 2017 Hospitality Student Conference. We hope you enjoy! 

Meet the Planning committee

Speakers

Key note Speaker;

Eddie Bumbaugh of Hotel Madison

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Breakout Session One Speakers;

Aisha Derricott of Quirk Hotel

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Jeff Reid and Tyler Texiere of Massanutten Resort

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Breakout Session Two Speakers;

Lindsay Dorrier III of Bold Rock Cidery

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Breakout Session Three Speakers;

Fabienne Laveau of Wedding Muse

Aaron Ludwig of Jack Browns and Billy Jacks

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Eddie Bumbaugh has held the position of Director of Sales & Marketing for the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center for the past year.  Previously he was the executive director of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance.  His undergraduate degree is from James Madison University, and he also holds a masters degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Lindsay Dorrier, the present Director of Retail Operations, joined Bold Rock Hard Cider in September 2015 and currently oversees the Retail Department which includes four Tap Room locations in Virginia and North Carolina. Prior to Bold Rock Hard Cider, Lindsay was in the Music Industry for 6 years, ending his tenure with Red Light Management as General Manager of the Jefferson Theater in Downtown Charlottesville. Lindsay has worked in varying hospitality environments for 15 years and believes in a service philosophy that places the customer and quality of experience above all other considerations. Lindsey also holds a degree from the University of Illinois in Political Science.

Jeff Reid is the Director of Hospitality Operations of Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville, VA.  He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management. (Go Sun Devils!)  Jeff represents Massanutten Resort on the Mountainside Villas Owners Association Board and is the President of the Regal Vistas Owners Association.  He oversees the Resort Security,   Concierge, and Front Desk operations along with the Activities team.  Jeff has traveled extensively representing Massanutten for corporate functions.  He is a Resort spokesperson that fulfills media requests and has been formally trained in crisis communication.

Jeff is a Shenandoah Valley native and he and his wife, Amanda (JMU graduate) live in Harrisonburg with their three children.  Jeff often dreams of walking across the country during his golden years with Amanda driving the support vehicle.

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Tyler Texiere is the Concierge Manager of Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville, VA.  He graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. (Go Royals!)  Tyler represents Massanutten Resort in the Shenandoah Valley Travel Association and is active on key internal committees.  He oversees the Concierge and Kettle Club (owners lounge) operations ensuring the highest level of guest satisfaction. Tyler has travelled extensively representing Massanutten for key stakeholders and is an organizational leader for customer service.Tyler is from Woodstock, VA and he and his wife, Kathryn (JMU graduate) live in Harrisonburg with their dog Riley.  Tyler is an avid golfer and traveler.

After college Aaron opened and operated a retail business for 14 years. He got the desire to do something else, so he teamed up with his childhood friend and opened Jack Brown's and Billy Jack's. He won Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011 and they've now expanded Jack Brown's and working on their 11th restaurant. Aaron also co-created the Rocktown Beer & Music Festival, which is going on it's 6th year. He also serves on the Board of Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance. He's a father of the 3 girls and married to a JMU Professor.

Aisha is a passionate Entrepreneur, sought after Speaker and Workshop Facilitator. Founder and CEO of Moms of Power, a non profit organization that educates single mothers in finance, business start up and career advancement.  Aisha has also emerged as a Champion Leader in the Hotel Sales field using business strategies and sheer sales skill to generate millions of dollars for the Organizations she has served. All success is rooted in her deep desire to serve others.

Speakers
Registration

Opportunities for registration will be held from January 16th through February 23rd at the following times and location;

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Monday through Thursday from 9:00am to 3:00pm

in Godwin Hall, second floor.

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 The cost is $10.00 for PCMA members, and $12.00 for non-members

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Checks must be made out to "PCMA"

Cash and Cards will be accepted

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You may now also register online! Click here!

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Registration

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Email any questions to boltonbl@dukes.jmu.edu

Join us for our proceed night!

Chipotle, Tuesday, February7th, 2:00pm to 9:00pm

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