In order to provide diversified training opportunities for Macao’s local hotel industry professionals and enhance their management skills, Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT) and Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, US co-orgainsed a two-day Executive Development Programme on Facilities Management on 26 and 27 May. The programme offers a unique opportunity for the non-engineer to learn the basics of hotel building facility management and sustainable hotel operations. The programme attracted 25 professionals of local hospitality industry to participate.

IFT has the honour of inviting Ms. Jeanne Varney, lecturer at the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University to be the facilitator of this programme. She resides in the facilities and property management, planning, and design department, where she is responsible for the curriculum in Hospitality Facilities Management and Sustainable Global Enterprise in Hospitality. She has more than 20 years of real estate, operations, and sustainable hospitality experience and has worked with international hotels and business consultancies.

This course is designed for facilities management managers seeking to gain a competitive advantage for their business. Programme topics include:

• Understanding the fundamentals of building systems (plumbing, electric, HVAC, other)

• The basics of property operations maintenance (roles, tools and techniques)

• Capital expenditures, renovations, and project management

• Building asset management

• Sustainable engineering practices

• Introduction to the principles of sustainability

• Current issues and trends in sustainable hospitality

• LEED in Hospitality and other certifications

As the tourism and hospitality industry is growing swiftly in Macao, the demand for knowledgeable professionals is increasing and thus facilities management managers needs to upgrade themselves to cope with the changing market trends. At the completion of this course participants will gain a better understanding of basic terms related to a hotel’s building mechanical systems, the responsibilities and roles of a strong property operations and maintenance team, the perspectives of the owner, and the process and cycles of renovations.

Attendees also learn the fundamentals of sustainability and how to evaluate, introduce and expand sustainability principles, practices and products to their hotels.

IFT is always striving to enhance its research and teaching so as to contribute to the society. By organising diversified seminars and workshops, IFT constantly shares with the industry the most updated information and research findings about the future development of Macao’s sustainable tourism industry and ways to enhance it.