Worldwide Hospitality Awards 2008 Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Winner picture first IMI student photo competition Much more information in detail as well as many more pictures can be seen on the project WIKI page online at http://creatimi.wikispaces.com/

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Description of the initiative Thinking outside the parameters of traditional hospitality education approaches: Creativity and Innovation Semester Runner up picture at the first IMI student photo competition

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Abstract We are all born creative , but somehow our experiences and societal norms stifle the value we place on doing things differently, in order to conform. On the other hand, in order to stay competitive, contemporary hospitality businesses want and need to utilise creative-thinking and new educational approaches to build capacity in people and systems. Runner up pictures at the first IMI student photo competition

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Goals of the initiative To supply the international hospitality industry with innovative, flexible and creative graduate talent To facilitate and enhance active engagement of students with both local and international stakeholders To develop students’ comfort and belief in their ability to create new approaches and processes at living and work To create a positive student learning environment which values innovation, diversity and difference To create a dynamic staff work environment in which change is fun ! To create new approaches that build networking skills

To supply the international hospitality industry with innovative, flexible and creative graduate talent

To facilitate and enhance active engagement of students with both local and international stakeholders

To develop students’ comfort and belief in their ability to create new approaches and processes at living and work

To create a positive student learning environment which values innovation, diversity and difference

To create a dynamic staff work environment in which change is fun !

To create new approaches that build networking skills

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Facts Developed from Spring 2008 In response to student and industry feedback as well as organisation re-structuring. The initiative focuses on 3 targets: industry, students, staff Evidence for demand: Student research work (dissertations) Business projects Industrial placement employer and student evaluations Organisational subject and school surveys Project Wiki covering all projects on planning, action, focus and outcome

Developed from Spring 2008

In response to student and industry feedback as well as organisation re-structuring.

The initiative focuses on 3 targets: industry, students, staff

Evidence for demand:

Student research work (dissertations)

Business projects

Industrial placement employer and student evaluations

Organisational subject and school surveys

Project Wiki covering all projects on planning, action, focus and outcome

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Combination of a variety of contests/competitions at student, staff and school level Web-based consultation and participation on a global scale Creativity days Guest speakers for staff and students And more touches of creativity Runner up picture at first IMI student photo competition

Combination of a variety of contests/competitions at student, staff and school level

Web-based consultation and participation on a global scale

Creativity days

Guest speakers for staff and students

And more touches of creativity

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Combination of a variety of contests/competitions at student, staff and school level Photo competition (winner pictures are used on first slides) Best character costume during IMI’s first non-uniform day (Winner see below)

Combination of a variety of contests/competitions at student, staff and school level

Photo competition (winner pictures are used on first slides)

Best character costume during IMI’s first non-uniform day (Winner see below)

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Web-based consultation and participation on a global scale IMI participates at 2008 Global Entrepreneurship Week ( unleashingideas.org ) Switzerland

Web-based consultation and participation on a global scale

IMI participates at 2008 Global Entrepreneurship Week ( unleashingideas.org )

EDP-Achievements through thematise of the term First time publishing of projects on (unleashingideas.org ) Projects on innovation Projects that can be useful for the hospitality industry or other third parties Flexible student task groups Students select the topic themselves Interaction between students from IMI and international partner institutes Interaction with tutors from international partner institutes First time use of wikispace First time use of online classes through webcast Switzerland

First time publishing of projects on (unleashingideas.org )

Projects on innovation

Projects that can be useful for the hospitality industry or other third parties

Flexible student task groups

Students select the topic themselves

Interaction between students from IMI and international partner institutes

Interaction with tutors from international partner institutes

First time use of wikispace

First time use of online classes through webcast

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Conception In order to achieve total creativity and avoid the constraining effects of imposing pre-requisites, industry was not invited to determine methods used. However, live industry projects were used as themes around which creativity was built The main innovative aspects of the initiative: Were defined by the students A totally new approach to student-led learning Switzerland

In order to achieve total creativity and avoid the constraining effects of imposing pre-requisites, industry was not invited to determine methods used. However, live industry projects were used as themes around which creativity was built

The main innovative aspects of the initiative:

Were defined by the students

A totally new approach to student-led learning

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurship allows students to create new approaches to innovative business through the development of projects that advance an idea or concept critical to Hotel Management and Leadership. Students at IMI have created projects that: Advance a concept essential to sustainable Hotel Futures Develop new skills that assist with embracing different cultures Embed new understanding of customer needs to build new strategies that balance learning with practise >> see all current project abstracts at http://creatimi.wikispaces.com/EntrepreneurshipWeek08 Switzerland

Entrepreneurship allows students to create new approaches to innovative business through the development of projects that advance an idea or concept critical to Hotel Management and Leadership. Students at IMI have created projects that:

Advance a concept essential to sustainable Hotel Futures

Develop new skills that assist with embracing different cultures

Embed new understanding of customer needs to build new strategies that balance learning with practise

>> see all current project abstracts at http://creatimi.wikispaces.com/EntrepreneurshipWeek08

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Creativity “days” Culture Night F&B Concepts (sample Rivendell, many more to come within 2008) Induction Activities (Lucerne scavenge hunt, in-house treasure-hunt) Non-uniform day (be somebody famous for one day) Staff-duty day (Walk a mile in my shoes) Student-creativity day (Where things just go slightly different) Guiness Book World record participation (IMI students took part at the longest fondue table of the world) Pictures from activities listed are posted on the next slide. Much more information in detail as well as many more pictures can be seen on the project WIKI page online at http://creatimi.wikispaces.com/

Creativity “days”

Culture Night

F&B Concepts (sample Rivendell, many more to come within 2008)

Induction Activities (Lucerne scavenge hunt, in-house treasure-hunt)

Non-uniform day (be somebody famous for one day)

Staff-duty day (Walk a mile in my shoes)

Student-creativity day (Where things just go slightly different)

Guiness Book World record participation (IMI students took part at the longest fondue table of the world)

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Guest speakers for staff and students Steffen Konrad (from Im-Boot.de ) Prof Lloyd Williams (award winning professor on leadership, creativity and change) Heiko Antoniewicz (German molecular top chef)

Guest speakers for staff and students

Steffen Konrad (from Im-Boot.de )

Prof Lloyd Williams (award winning professor on leadership, creativity and change)

Heiko Antoniewicz (German molecular top chef)

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School within the initiative Other minor but not less innovative activities Second Life campus of IMI (IMI being the first Hotel Management School with a virtual presence on Edunation in the virtual world of Second Life) IMI worldmap (Visual display of IMI’s cultural diversity) Marketing corner display (new initiative from marketing department to do visual display of their monthly activities)

Other minor but not less innovative activities

Second Life campus of IMI (IMI being the first Hotel Management School with a virtual presence on Edunation in the virtual world of Second Life)

IMI worldmap (Visual display of IMI’s cultural diversity)

Marketing corner display (new initiative from marketing department to do visual display of their monthly activities)

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Investment and settlement Total cost: 9650.-- Sfr All education establishments could apply such an initiative

Total cost: 9650.-- Sfr

All education establishments could apply such an initiative

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Reaction and performance Continual monitoring of internal feedback from students and staff Industry satisfaction with previous student projects and initiatives extremely high, giving confidence in new positive outcomes Extension of the initiative planned for subsequent themed semesters on: Creativity and sustainability - Creativity and technology Creativity and the ecology - Creativity and employment

Continual monitoring of internal feedback from students and staff

Industry satisfaction with previous student projects and initiatives extremely high, giving confidence in new positive outcomes

Extension of the initiative planned for subsequent themed semesters on:

Creativity and sustainability - Creativity and technology

Creativity and the ecology - Creativity and employment

Best Initiative in Education coming from a Hotel School Results and Student feedback What is the most interesting aspect in having a semester themed as Creative and Innovative? Being creative is never boring because everyone's mind is always working. While most hotel schools focus on traditional and standardized practices, IMI has made a good start to encourage something different, something a business might really be looking for. I can put this on my CV! It gives students the opportunity to look and think outside the box, to toy with different ideas and to be freer to express themselves

What is the most interesting aspect in having a semester themed as Creative and Innovative?

Being creative is never boring because everyone's mind is always working.

While most hotel schools focus on traditional and standardized practices, IMI has made a good start to encourage something different, something a business might really be looking for.

I can put this on my CV!

It gives students the opportunity to look and think outside the box, to toy with different ideas and to be freer to express themselves