The Big Dish

At the core of Quest Conference Center’s business is great hospitality. What is “Hospitality” you ask? Well its formal definition, according to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, is “The generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests: Hospitable treatment.” Many businesses in the hospitality world would have plenty more to add to this definition. Here at Quest we would define hospitality as:  going above and beyond our guests’ expectations to make each event a total success and in return, creating Raving Fans! In order to be a successful hospitality business, it all starts with a certain kind of employee.

 So where do you find these hospitable employees? The Ohio State University’s Hospitality Management Program is a great local institution that graduates many suitable hospitality employees each year. Many of these graduates go on to have careers in Top Management positions through out the country. Hospitality programs, like OSU’s, need help raising funds to better their programs for future students.

 Ohio State’s annual fundraising event has been titled “The Big Dish” for about three years. This event was created for a few key reasons. First and foremost, it is a fundraising event for the hospitality major with specific initiatives in mind. Secondly, this event is used as a powerful networking event for seniors and recent graduates in the hospitality major. It is a great opportunity for students to make connections with industry professionals, and also for hospitality companies to interact with the future of hospitality. Lastly, their goal is to create a course around this event for those interested in event planning. The course would make “The Big Dish” a completely student run event. This kind of hands on experience is exactly what makes Ohio State’s Hospitality Management program a great breeding ground for future hospitality employees.

 As mentioned previously “The Big Dish” has some specific initiatives for the funds this event raises. The first being additions to the virtual classroom. Adding “real-world” applications, such as software programs that are currently being used in the field, would be highly beneficial. The second initiative is to help create study abroad scholarships, and finally to continue with their Lecture Series; which brings in industry professionals to share their experiences in the hospitality field. As the years go on and these initiatives are funded, they will create new initiatives to make the program even stronger. “The Big Dish” event has grown each year as it gains more industry awareness. The students’ and faculties’ goal is to keep the event fresh and exciting, so guests will enjoy returning each year.

 This year’s “Big Dish” event is taking place on April 9, 2014 at the Mershon Auditorium. The evening will begin at 5:30pm with networking and small plate stations. The program will begin at 7:00pm, followed by dessert!! Ticket information and details can be found by visiting http://dining.osu.edu/bigdish/.

 Hospitality is everywhere, but finding those people who are passionate about creating above and beyond experiences for each guest is harder to find. Ohio State’s Hospitality Management Program strives to create those kinds of future employees!!