Sept. 11 Effects on the Hospitality Industry to be Discussed at RIT

The role of the hospitality industry in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks will be discussed at Rochester Institute of Technology in the presentation, "Crisis Management in the Hotel Industry . . . 9/11," at 2 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 14.

David Cohen, hotel and resident manager of the New York Marriott Marquis in Manhattan, will discuss roles of his and other hotels the day of the attacks and future implications for the hospitality industry. Hotel properties owned by the parent company of the Marriott Marquis, J.W. Marriott, which include the Marriott New York Financial Center on West Street and The Ritz-Carlton New York in Battery Park, were dramatically affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center.

Cohen, a 1984 RIT graduate, will also address global implications of terrorism on the hospitality industry. "The industry has been dramatically impacted," he says, noting that travel, particularly to destinations such as Hawaii, has been especially affected.

Cohen, a native of the Bronx, may even share his experiences acting on television series’ such as Law & Order, Spin City and Sex and the City, which he calls a hobby. "The bug came and the hobby developed," he says.

The presentation, sponsored by the Alumni Society of RIT’s Hospitality and Service Management Department, will be held in the 1829 Room in RIT’s Student Alumni Union.