The Institute promotes ‘Room to Change’ conferences

The Institute of Hospitality is raising awareness of the importance of housekeeping and the promotion of careers in accommodation management.

Working with Springboard and People 1st, the Institute of Hospitality will participate in the ‘Room to Change’ conference to be held at The Midland Hotel, Manchester on 30 January 2012.

At the recent London conference in November 2011, the Institute’s chief executive Philippe Rossiter urged some 60 industry professionals to combat the ticking time bomb that the hotel industry faces – a growing shortage of housekeeping and accommodation management professionals.

The attendees joined forces with some lateral thinking on how to improve, and permanently change, the image and perceptions of the vital role of housekeeping.  Role models, ambassadors, work experience, engaging more with education were just a few of the key themes of action discussed.

It is often overlooked that many highly successful hospitality professionals started their careers in the housekeeping department.  One role model is Vivien Sirotkin, the operations director of Q Hotels.  She started her glittering career, including managing iconic hotels such as Gleneagles and Cliveden, as a housekeeping management trainee. 

Vivien says: “I overtook the guy who took the traditional F&B route.  [Housekeeping] is a fast-track and you can’t hide behind technical skills. I developed planning and organisation skills, people management and motivation, which have helped in all my roles since. It also gives you an eye for detail and makes you a perfectionist.” 

Read Vivien’s full story in the Hospitality magazine article Housekeeping: The heart of hotels.

Feedback from the London conference and how to book for Manchester by clicking here 

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