Step Up Your Team With a No-Cost, 12-Week Course from the Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan
The Hospitality Training Institute of Michigan is proud to unveil a groundbreaking new program designed to give hospitality employees the necessary tools to step up their careers and for business owners to take their teams to the next level. The HTIMprovides a first-of-its-kind opportunity for driven employees to maximize their potential, advance their hospitality careers, and achieve the credentials they need to step into management and leadership roles. In this comprehensive 12-week training program, students will study trade-specific foundations, like financial management, responsible alcohol service, guest experience and food safety practices, as well as essential management skills, such as conflict resolution, team building, and employee engagement. The program will include online and in-person instruction, and students willgraduate with nationally recognized certifications.
The HTIM’s -12-week Hospitality Business Management course comes at no cost to 2,000 registrants for classes starting in January 2024. To stay updated on registration openings, visit htim.com/stepup.
Kicking off the Women in Hospitality Leadership Mackinac Island Chapter
Mackinac Island is now the seat of the newest chapter of Michigan’s Women in Hospitality Leadership program, and it’s well on its way to becoming a powerful platform for education, mentorship, social responsibility in one of Michigan’s most beloved destinations. The MRLA is proud to welcome the Mackinac Island Chapter of WIHL!
Over 60 women attended the kickoff event at Mission Point Resort, including hospitality professionals from restaurants, hotels, and other tourism-focused businesses across the island. Governor Gretchen Whitmer headlined the event, speaking about the positive role of women in shaping the future of Michigan’s hospitality industry.
“From the Grand Ave to Main Street, women are leading the hospitality industry and making an impact across the straits of Mackinac. I was proud to join this celebration of women in hospitality leadership. Let’s continue working hard to build opportunity for women in the hospitality industry across Michigan,” said Governor Whitmer. The Mackinac Island Chapter joins already-established WIHL chapters in Grand Rapids and Lansing and other recently-emerged WIHL Chapters in Port Huron, Northern Michigan, and Detroit. To enter a chapter, visit www.mrla.org/whil
Touring the Upper Peninsula
This September, our membership team hit the road and headed north to meet with industry professionals in the upper peninsula and northern Michigan. Holding free industry mixers in Gaylord and Marquette, with stops in between, our team experienced up-north hospitality firsthand and learned more about the specific challenges and high points of the industry in the region. “It’s important for us to be tuned in to what’s going on through the state and what the differences are,” said Lodging Development Manager Jennifer Sparrow. "Each area has unique challenges that impact their businesses.” We are so grateful for everyone who took the time to meet with us on our UP Tour!
Showing the Aloha Spirit Here in Michigan
On August 22, restaurants in Traverse City and Grand Rapids contributed to the relief fund established by the Hawaiian Restaurant Association to support local hospitality workers struggling after catastrophic wildfires swept Maui in early August, devastating businesses and communities. All 21 restaurants operated by Restaurant Partners Managementsent 100% of the day’s profits to the HRA Relief Fund and the American Red Cross. “Hawaii is a beautiful state, and the families who live there thrive in the restaurant and hospitality sector, which is now destroyed. They pour their hearts out to visitors, and these 21 Michigan restaurants are working to bring our community together in the ‘Aloha Spirit’ to help their fellow Americans,” said Jeff Lobdell, CEO of Restaurant Partners, vice-chair of the National Restaurant Association, and former chair of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association.
