The Summit will feature prominent keynote speakers, including Rafat Ali, CEO/founder of Skift, Joel Manby, president & chief executive officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, and Christopher Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA. In addition, there will be numerous panel discussions and breakout sessions covering critical topics in hospitality and tourism.

“We’re honored to host this conference again and showcase Rosen College to our international colleagues and friends,” said Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. “This is an important opportunity to bridge research and practice, and engage in important conversations that will shape the future of our industry.”

Rosen College hosted the 2nd World Research Summit in 2013 in partnership with Elsevier, a leading global publisher of scientific journals.

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“We’re looking forward to showcasing Rosen College and showing this international audience why we’re the leading hospitality program in the nation,” said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of Rosen College. “Many of the conference delegates are from outside the United States, so it’s also an opportunity to introduce them to Â鶹ԭ´´ and tell the university’s story as it relates to the Orlando market and beyond.”

Although the conference has an academic focus, even seasoned industry professionals see the benefit of creating a bridge between research and practice through this kind of interactive forum.

“We in the industry tend to not step back and reflect often enough,” said Michael Shindler, Executive Vice President of Hotels & Casinos for Hard Rock International, who will participate in a panel discussion on lodging at the upcoming Summit. “The advantage of the interaction between industry participants and those studying it from an academic perspective is that the academics study in-depth what practitioners don’t have the time or opportunity to do. This interaction can be critical to both parties in informing how we all move forward as an industry.”

In addition to global hospitality and tourism scholars, representatives from major industry brands will be in attendance, including Gatorland, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Universal Parks & Resorts, Visit Florida, Walt Disney World and Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Inc.

For more information about the 2nd World Research Summit for Tourism and Hospitality, .