Favorite Parts Of Working In Hospitality As A Vice President Of Hotel Operations
Tommy, a Vice President of Hotel Operations, finds the hospitality industry "amazing" and a lifelong dream, particularly its close-knit nature in Las Vegas, enabling collaboration on large-scale events like the Super Bowl and F1 races. This interconnectedness, a "common Hospitality Trickum trade off," fosters valuable relationships and allows for the exchange of best practices, creating numerous opportunities for growth both locally and globally.
Networking, Travel, Leadership, Problem-Solving, Collaboration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tommy Harris
Vice President of Hotel Operations
Large Hotel & Casino Brand
University of Nevada Las Vegas / 2022
UCLA / MBA - Expected graduation June 2024
Psychology
Hospitality, Restaurants & Events
Operations and Project Management
Honors Student, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. The hospitality industry is expansive with opportunities to travel and network with professionals across the globe. This can lead to better accommodations and unique insights into the competitive landscape.
2. The industry is close-knit, with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and contribute to large-scale events such as the Super Bowl and F1 races. This provides valuable experience in event planning and operations on a large scale.
3. Building a strong reputation within the industry can lead to significant opportunities for advancement, both locally and globally. Networking and collaboration are crucial for success in this field, as is understanding the competitive dynamics and learning from other industry professionals
Transcript
What do you enjoy most about being in the hospitality industry?
The hospitality industry is amazing. It's awesome. It's the coolest thing I've ever done or been a part of, and it's something I've always wanted to do.
It's almost like being a kid with a dream to be a doctor. My dream was to work in hospitality. I kind of kept the bar low, but I'm very prideful about what I do and I value it highly.
What makes the industry impactful for me, especially here in Las Vegas, is how close-knit it is. I talk with my counterparts and am heavily involved with the university here. UNLV has had me teach and speak in multiple classroom settings, building relationships within hospitality at their hotel school.
It's incredible to be a part of something so big and worldwide. This can mean attending a hotel technology conference in Toronto or, just a couple of weeks ago, meeting with counterparts at MGM to discuss changes with the health department. We discussed how to handle these changes as a unified group.
When you think about hospitality in a city like Las Vegas, it's literally built on it. Everything we do, not just from a hotel or city perspective, but for events like the F1 racing coming here, or the Super Bowl next year, requires planning and involvement from all major operators.
This ensures that not only your hotel guests have a great experience but the entire city's guests do as well. The industry is very expansive and can afford you a lot of value. Your hotel knows who you are when you travel, and you know who they are.
There's a common hospitality trade-off where if you stay at their property, you get better accommodations, and they receive better accommodations when they come to yours. It's beneficial and impactful in how I make decisions and see what the competitive set is doing.
Hotels try different things, and you can see what they're doing, talk to them, and decide if it's something you want to try for your guests. From an industry perspective, there's a lot of opportunity and different paths you can take.
In a city like Vegas, it's definitely a "who you know" town. Once you work your way into it and make a name for yourself, it can afford you many opportunities, both locally and globally.