John’s advice is passport to a bright future for students
Sunderland businessman John Hays took centre stage as more than 200 future leaders of the travel and tourism industry in the North East of England to hear from today’s top tourism and event leaders.
Organised by Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, in partnership with The Institute of Travel and Tourism (ITT) and Sage Gateshead, business leaders representing some of the region’s most successful travel and tourism organisations shared their knowledge and expertise on how to succeed in business.
The event called ‘ITT Future You’ aimed to demonstrate the diverse career paths available in the sector and provide a platform for students to speak directly to industry professionals and potential employers.
John Hays was joined by Jonathan Gilroy, destination manager at NewcastleGateshead Initiative; Jessica McCabe, head of conference & events at Sage Gateshead; Gemma Dishman, marketing & communications manager at Sunderland BID, Kate Hall, digital communications at Newcastle International Airport, Nikki Gott, MD at She’s Gott It Events and Claire Davies, director of sales at DoubleTree by Hilton.
“As a major employer in the North East, it is great to be able to share my story with the region’s next generation of travel and tourism leaders and to give something back,” said John.
“I’ve been working in travel for over 30 years and still love every moment. Success doesn’t happen overnight but if you’re resilient and passionate about what you do, it can be an extremely rewarding career path that’s packed with opportunities for talented people with the drive and enthusiasm to succeed.”
Dr Helen Nicholson, programme leader for BA (Hons) Tourism and Events Management at Northumbria University’s Newcastle Business School, said: “As a Centre for Excellence, Northumbria University is proud to organise the regional ITT Future You event and provide a crucial opportunity for leading industry practitioners to connect with, transfer knowledge and inspire students at various stages of their studies.”
Northumbria is the only university in the North East to be recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Institute of Travel and Tourism.