Bridging the Divide

With modern advances in technology, and changes in service industry practises, meeting new challenges and staying ahead of the competitors are the keys to propel future growth and development. Recognising the need to understand and analyse the issues faced by the hospitality industry leaders in Goa, Champions of Hospitality, an education platform hosted a first-of-its-kind panel discussion on ‘Challenges faced by the hoteliers at various stages in their business operations.’

Champions of Hospitality aims to recognise the finest players of the hospitality industry, to share their practical experiences, to reveal the secrets of their success and journey in their world and inspire the world and help everyone to grow.

The brain child of Prashant Kumar, a veteran in the hospitality field and a self-made seasoned entrepreneur he believes, ‘Champions never quit. They never blame others either. Instead, they take responsibility for their actions, they learn and keep making better versions of themselves, no matter what it takes.’

A firm believer in continuous self-improvement through attending training programs, he shares his passion for education through the Champions of Hospitality.

His innovative concept of building the knowledge series saw it’s debut at the Fern Kadamba. The panel discussion brought stalwarts on one stage to discuss challenges, ideate for better workplace solutions and foster industry dialogue. It offered a behind the scenes look at current industry practices and provided this valuable insight to the future employees and provided them a fresh perspective straight from trained, experienced speakers.

The first well-attended session saw a healthy discussion by the panellists from across various departments in the hospitality industry (General Managers, Executive Chefs, Executive Housekeepers, Food and Beverage Managers and Liquid Chefs) and raised key questions. It was attended by industry players, students and other notable names.

Representative from leading players: Goa Marriott, Novotel, Planet Hollywood, Hyatt Centric, Holiday Inn, Country Inn Suites, Hotel Fidalgo to mention a few.

The sessions were moderated by Gavin Dias, General Manager, Hotels, GTDC and well-known culinary author and critic Odette Mascarenhas. Pointing out to various issues they’ve come across, the experts brought up pertinent questions to the panellists on their areas of expertise.

The experts from each designated field spoke about the challenges they faced and shared their tips and techniques on how to overcome and avoid the same. This discussion enabled the students to gain a better understanding from field experience.

The young minds got a first-hand practical knowledge of what they may face and how to handle such situations.

After the success of the debut panel discussion, the series will continue to showcase Goa’s champions from hospitality to a wider audience.