Saunders Students Visit Rochester Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Rochester
Edwin Torres Areizaga, professor and chair, department of international hospitality and service innovation, and Dan Jin, assistant professor in the department of international hospitality and service innovation took a group of students on a company visit to the Rochester Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency Rochester, September 17, 2025.
At the Rochester Convention Center, students learned about the various events offered there. They toured the front and back of the house areas and gained insights into the relationships between the center, Visit Rochester, and nearby hotels.
“This semester we’re offering our introductory courses World of Hospitality and Fundamentals of Hospitality,” says professor Torres Areizaga. “As part of these courses, students learn about various aspects of the industry through a combination of lectures, discussions, and company visits. The Hyatt Regency visit was meant to provide students an overview of the hotel industry.”
The tour was led by alumna Travania Clark ‘94 (hospitality), Director of Sales and Marketing for the Hyatt Regency Rochester.
Says professor Torres Areizaga, “Students were able to see meeting spaces, rooms, and the public facilities offered by the hotel. They also learned more about the various departments and positions that exist within the property. Finally, students learned about hotel sales, types of group business, and pricing strategies.”
Attending students:
Patrik Perkovic ‘25 (RIT Croatia)
Breanna Litviak ‘28 (marketing, hospitality and tourism management)
Joel Maldonado ‘27 (hospitality and tourism management)
Carmella Martin ‘28 (hospitality and tourism management)
Sude Yilmaz ‘28 (marketing)
Jaraelys Felix Marcial
Bennett DiCarlo ‘28 (hospitality and tourism management)
Alexandria Fuhrer
Ava Helms
Jessica Lin ‘26 (accounting)
Josh Merrill
Jason Plaugher
Sumay Senapati ‘28 (game and interactive media design)
Olivia Stornello
Natalie Veneziano ‘28 (accounting, MBA)
