Faculty & Research
Cornell partners with UniFocus to answer key questions facing the hospitality industry
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Joe Strodel, Jr., 607-255-4646, js343@cornell.edu
Ithaca, NY, Feb. 27, 2004 -- Hoteliers and hospitality managers will soon gain new insight on the hospitality consumer through a strategic alliance between two research leaders. Cornell University's Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) has joined forces with UniFocus, a leading provider of research and consulting services for the hospitality industry, to give researchers access to a wealth of UniFocus data on consumer behavior in the travel industry.
"Researchers can use these unique databases to explore a variety of key issues facing the industry," said Hotel School Professor Gary Thompson, executive director of CHR. "It furthers one of our core objectives, which is to help the industry gain new knowledge on consumer behavior in hospitality."
UniFocus' Hospitality Loyalty Management program includes guest, meeting planner, and employee attitude studies, coupled with labor and financial management systems. Each year UniFocus conducts 3.5 million guest surveys, 250,000 employee surveys, and hundreds of property assessments and implementations. These programs are supported by professional services that deliver performance assessments, organizational reengineering consulting, and training and development.
"We are very excited about our new association with Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research," said Mark Heymann, chief executive officer, UniFocus. "Our broad array of experience enables us to offer unparalleled property and company performance comparative analysis. Teaming our data resources with Cornell's research faculty to study critical issues facing the industry is a win-win for hospitality managers."
About the Center for Hospitality Research
A unit of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, The Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) sponsors groundbreaking research designed to improve practices in the hospitality industry. Under the lead of CHR's 34 corporate supporters, experienced scholars work closely with business executives to discover new insights into strategic, managerial and operational issues. To learn more about CHR and its projects, visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/.
The Center's supporters are leading organizations in the hospitality industry. Partners & Sponsors - AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., Bartech Systems International, Cendant Corporation, Cornell Hotel Society Foundation, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Kohinoor Group, Marsh's Hospitality Practice, Nestlé, Willowbend Golf Management, and Wyndham International; Friends - ARAMARK Corporation, D.K. Shifflet and Associates, Ltd., ehotelier.com, Global Hospitality Resources, Inc., Hsyndicate, Hospitalitynet.org, Hospitality World, Hotel Asia Pacific, Hotel China, Hotel Interactive, Inc., Hotel Resource, International CHRIE, Lodging Magazine, Lodging Hospitality, National Hotel Executive Magazine, Resort+Recreation, RestaurantEdge.com, Shibata Publishing Co., Ltd., Smith Travel Research, The Hospitality Research Group of PKF Consulting, The Lodging Conference, TravelCLICK, UniFocus, and WiredHotelier.com.