2500 people flock Cruise and Hospitality Careers Convention in Philippines

MANILA – Some 2,500 people, mostly hospitality professionals and delegates from the Philippines’ major colleges and universities, have attended the Cruise and Hospitality Careers Convention organized by the Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts or MIHCA.

The event, held recently at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, was the country’s first-ever convention, which showcased various career opportunities on-board cruise ships.

The convention brought together distinguished speakers from some of the world’s major cruise and hotel operators and among them were the following – AIDA Cruises, Citadines Salcedo Makati, Costa Cruises, Gosaibi Foods Company, Magsaysay, New World Hotels Group, Princess Cruises and Resorts World. Notable speakers included Christian Weindorf, Manager, Fleet Talent Acquisition, Princess Cruises; Christine Schiftner, Director, HR Hotel Management and Fleet Services, Costa Crociere S.p.A; Andrea Tonini, Head of Asia Shipboard Hotel Training, Costa Crociere S.p.A.

And also Walter Kuhnert, Training Manager Asia, AIDA Cruises; Ian Hyndman, Managing Director, Gosaibi Foods Company; Susana Salcedo, Residence Manager, Citadines Salcedo Makati; Elpidio Beloso Jr., Director for Hotel Operations, Resorts World Manila; Mark Heywood, General Manager, New World Manila Bay Hotel; Randal Linhart, Resident Manager, New World Makati Hotel and Marlon R. Roño, President, Magsaysay Maritime Corporation.

The topics covered during the convention included the global shipping and cruise industry, the multi-cultural environment on the cruise ship, the importance of training and ensuring quality operations and customer services and more.

Key government officials from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration or POEA and the Department of Tourism or DOT also graced the event together with Magsaysay executives. POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac served as the convention’s keynote speaker, while DOT Assistant Secretary Arturo P. Boncato, Jr. spoke about the promotion of the Philippines as a major tourist destination.

The convention was hosted by Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago.

MIHCA is a member of the Magsaysay Group of Companies with three branches in the Philippines and one in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is the country’s premier training institution that produces job-ready professionals for the world’s largest cruise lines, hotels, resorts and tourism operations. (Mindanao Examiner)

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