The Hospitality, Tourism & Events Society (HTES) is one of the graduate student clubs at the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality. The club’s president, Neema Kamala, talks about her experience at NYU and her objectives for the club.
What brought you to the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality?
In high school and undergrad, theatre was my favorite extracurricular. I was involved in all aspects of it, including set-building, acting, A/V and stage management. I fell in love with the way that theatre brought people with all sorts of expertise together to create something bigger than themselves. It was such a thrill, and I was surprised to experience a similar thrill in an internship I had that included some event work. Successfully executing community events in my internship gave me the same buzz that I had experienced on the opening night of shows I had been involved in. From that point forward, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in events. Once I learned about NYU’s M.S. in Event Management program I applied and luckily it ended up working out!
What are the objectives of HTES, and what kind of programming will the club offer this fall?
One of the main objectives of HTES is to build community! The hospitality, tourism, and events industries are relationship-driven and HTES strives to create a space where students can build strong connections with each other, our faculty, and industry professionals. Through our programming, we also hope to emphasize the importance of community care by focusing on topics such as social responsibility, sustainability, and innovation as they pertain to our industries. Be sure to stay tuned for the panels, coffee chats, site visits, and social events we have coming up!
What are your personal goals for your time as HTES President?
This year we have a pretty large board and they’re all so awesome! My main goal is to facilitate their awesomeness as much as possible. I just want to do all that I can to empower our club members to create quality and diverse programming that adds to the NYU experience for all!
How does HTES integrate the Hospitality, Tourism, and Events programs at the Tisch Center?
It’s really easy for us to integrate our programming into the Tisch Center, since our faculty is so involved in everything we do at HTES. Many times, we have featured Tisch Center faculty as speakers and moderators in our programs. Our faculty also grants us access to their incredible professional networks and we’ve sourced many of our speakers that way as well! Also, in planning our events, we like to ensure that what we produce is a meaningful contribution to the Tisch Center community and that it complements and expounds upon Tisch Center programming.
How can students get involved in [HTES]?
You can sign up on NYU Engage, so that you’re notified of upcoming meetings and events! In addition, you can follow us on Instagram (@spshtes) and on LinkedIn. Also, feel free to email me at nk3081@nyu.edu if you have any questions at all!
Is there anything else you would like to share?
If you want to get involved with HTES and you’re passionate about mentorship, we have an opening on our board for an Advocate Program Coordinator. HTES’ Advocate Program is a mentorship program that pairs students with professionals from the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. This role is an excellent way to network and to support your fellow students. If interested, please email me at nk3081@nyu.edu!