Preparing for a job interview is a time-consuming process as you plan responses to potential questions and research the company with which you’ll interview in order to ask questions of your own. You might also consider regularly reading one of the hospitality industry’s many trade publications.
Keeping up with industry news and trends will only add to your ability to intelligently discuss the hospitality business during a job interview, emphasizing your passion for the industry. You may learn something new about the company with which you’re interviewing. You might even become interested in working for a company that you hadn’t previously considered.
Also, know that you don’t need to read every business-to-business –or B2B—publication—out there. There are quite a number of trade publications and the news they cover can be quite similar. While there are quite a few hospitality industry publications out there, you might consider regularly reading one or two of the following suggestions.
HotelNewsNow.com: This online outlet is one of the most widely read in the industry, in part because it is a division of STR, a data and analytics company that has been providing market insights to the global hospitality industry for 35 years. STR’s analysts are highly regarded and often contribute to Hotel News Now, accounting for much of the publication’s popularity.
HotelManagement.net: This publication is one of the oldest hospitality B2B outlets in the U.S., having covered the industry for over 140 years. Today, hotel owners, developers, operators, brokers and financiers read Hotel Management for its daily coverage of hotel investment, development, operations, design, technology, brand strategies and the sharing economy.
HotelCommunityForum.com: Launched in April 2020, this website does publish a daily article covering hotel business. However, the site actually functions as more of a social media hub exclusively for the hospitality industry. Registration is free and site members have access to a variety of chat forums or “Communities” focused on topics like “Brand Watch,” “Independent Resorts & Hotels Scene,” and “Operations/Tech/Marketing,” which are worth joining in order to network with other industry professionals.
HotelBusiness.com: Another outlet covering the latest news and trends in the lodging industry, Hotel Business is a good read for its man one-on-one interviews with leading executives and decision-makers. The website also offers videos. Free to access, many feature interviews and panel discussions with industry leaders, making them a good watch if you have an upcoming interview with one of their organizations.
HospitalityTech.com: Hospitality Technology offers a good read if your career path in hospitality is focused on revenue management, operations, food and beverage and, of course, information technology. The publication’s mission is “to help hotel and restaurant operators better employ technology to improve the performance of their businesses.” Articles shine a spotlight on new technologies impacting the customer experience, operations and point of sale.
NRN.com: Nation’s Restaurant News offers a holistic perspective on the entire foodservice industry, covering both large chains and emerging concepts. Coverage includes new technology, corporate strategy, finance, marketing, menus, consumer trends and franchising.
Restaurant-Hospitality.com: Restaurant Hospitality is nearly a century old and today, the publication is dedicated to serving independent restaurant operators, from single mom-and-pop restaurants to emerging concepts as well as multi-million-dollar companies with a diverse portfolio of unique brands. The publication’s coverage of the industry includes trends, operations, promotions and new hires (“People”) in addition to a “Food and Drink” section that takes a deep dive into ingredients and specific dishes. Given the intense impact of the pandemic on the restaurant business, the publication also now features a “Coronavirus” section with the latest restaurant news and changes brought about by Covid-19.
BusinessTravelNews.com: Business travel is a major revenue driver for the hotel industry and this 35-year-old publication is one of the most respected on this topic. Corporate executives, corporate travel managers and meeting professionals who are responsible for setting travel policy as well as managing and buying business travel and meetings read this monthly publication for its news, analysis and research. In fact, Business Travel News also publishes six annual research issues. The outlet’s many sections, including “Transportation,” “Distribution” and “Payment and Expense,” offer a comprehensive overview of all that’s going on in business travel at the moment. But start with the “Lodging” and “Meetings” sections and expand your exploration of the site from there.
Meetings-Conventions.com: Meetings, conventions and group events are essential to most hotels’ business. So if you’re working in a hotel’s group sales department, you’ll want to read this publication to see what’s currently of interest to its audience of meeting and business event planners at corporations, associations, incentive houses and independent planning companies. The site’s “Blogs” features a “Hotel Insider” section that’s worth checking out as are the “News” section and the “Planner Basics” found under “Resources.”
Convene Magazine: Convene is the official publication of PCMA or the Professional Convention Management Association. The online version of the magazine is an excellent source of trend insights as they related to the meetings and conventions business. The publication is also highly esteemed by the meetings industry.
National Real Estate Investor, Hotels: If you’re considering a long-term career in hotel finance and development, take a look at the hotel news published by this authority on trends for the commercial real estate sector. News focuses on changing practices in the lending and investment environment for the hotel sector as well as specific deals.