Cultural and entertainment hub. Innovation. Southern hospitality. These are a few of the characteristics that come to mind when thinking about our beloved City of Raleigh. And the rest of the country agrees. As one of the fastest-growing areas in the U.S., Wake County welcomes 51 new residents a day and over 18 million visitors a year.

Raleigh is an increasingly popular destination to live, hold business meetings and conventions, attend sporting events, and visit for leisure. As a result, there are continual efforts to keep up with the demand in the hospitality and tourism industry, including the expansion of the Raleigh Convention Center, the construction of the new Omni Hotel, and more.

Knowing the industry’s growth trajectory, Meredith College introduced a Hospitality and Tourism Management program in 2018. Led by Michael Altman, the program follows a “flipped” classroom environment, meaning students are expected to complete research on their own time and come to class prepared to engage in conversations about what they learned. Additionally, many instructional hours are spent outside the classroom networking with industry professionals and gaining hands-on experience.   

“We try to get students to engage with those in industry. And we do that in a variety of ways including participating in industry associations, site visits, and encouraging them to have multiple internships and part-time jobs,” said Altman. “This way, students have a story to tell [when applying to jobs].”

Altman said his goal is for the program to be a pipeline for students to gain meaningful employment in the industry. This feature highlights four alumnae who have succeeded in doing just that in this booming industry.

Anna Forno was originally a business administration major, but it was not quite the right fit. She was lacking curiosity and excitement toward her studies. At the suggestion of her academic advisor, Forno took a hospitality course and fell in love with the field.

“I found my passion for hospitality. It is a balance between creative and analytical thinking, which was a perfect fit for me,” said Forno. “Through the program, I was able to explore subjects like food studies, theatre, and event planning that I would not have encountered otherwise.”

Forno connected with her current employer, Heights House Hotel, via LinkedIn while still an undergraduate student in 2022. For the remainder of her time at Meredith, Forno worked as a front desk concierge at the hotel and, soon after graduation, she transitioned into a full-time role as the in-house event coordinator. Earlier this year, she was promoted to venue manager.

The role requires wearing many hats. Forno performs administrative and direct service tasks, including managing the day-of operations of the events, handling private event sales, and booking parties. Additionally, she will cover the front desk or bartend at events as needed.

“Our team members are highly versatile,” said Forno. “This allows us to maintain a small team while minimizing the risk of being understaffed. We communicate constantly so everyone is informed, and we can address any issues quickly.”

Regarding Raleigh’s growing hospitality and tourism industry, Forno said there will be plenty of opportunities for current businesses to expand and for new competitors to emerge. “It will be important to regularly assess your target market to maintain a strong customer base,” she said. “At Heights House, for example, our clientele loves our signature aesthetic,
so we stay true to that instead of following trends.”

Another piece of advice Forno has for succeeding in the industry is to take advantage of every learning and network opportunity, both of which she learned at Meredith. As a student, Forno gained industry knowledge, which she now uses in her current position through site visits at different companies. She even works regularly with Curated Events Rentals, one of the companies she visited as a student.

“There’s always something to discover. Learn different roles, network as much as you can, let your personality shine, and build strong relationships, including with your competition,” said Forno. “Connections are so valuable in the industry.”

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The UNC game day experience would not be the same without Emma Dressel. She works as a catering sales manager for Field House Catering, a segment of Rocky Top Catering that serves UNC game days and other campus events.

“My days are never the same, which I love. Some days I am consulting with clients, creating proposals, and hosting tasting sessions, and other days I am overseeing a team of 90 to 100 to cater athletic events,” said Dressel.  

When applying for jobs, Dressel wanted to stay in the Triangle area. “There is such an abundance of opportunities here, and with the booming growth, I felt like I was ready to grow along with it,” she said. Catering and sales were not Dressel’s original career plan, but Rocky Top Catering’s top-tier hospitality and service drew her attention. Dressel had worked at the same events as the catering company during her internship with C&D Events, an event planning company owned by Meredith alumnae.

“I looked forward to the events that Rocky Top Catering would work, not only for their incredible food but their attention to detail, timeliness, and willingness to help any vendor around,” said Dressel. “I decided to go out on a limb to apply and am so glad I did.”

Dressel said there will be opportunities for companies to expand their clientele as the Triangle continues to grow. “There are more diverse clients which means companies can host more diverse events and create unique experiences for each event. At Field House, we maintain open lines of communication about emerging trends and opportunities within the company and with our vendor partners to share ideas.”

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Lakey Hayes has served as the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Manager for the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) since graduating in May 2022. In this role, she manages up to 20 events a year for various groups within the NCBA. The position requires great attention to detail and the ability to multi-task. “I may be starting the planning process with one group while in the middle of the process with another. It involves calls and communication with NCBA leaders, guest speakers, and venue representatives.”

The flipped classroom was essential to Lakey Hayes gaining the skills she needed to be successful in her career. At Meredith, she had the opportunity to assist in planning an open house at The Bradford, a wedding and event venue in Raleigh, as well as plan the Class of 2022 Ring Dinner. “It helped me grow my network, feel confident in my skills, and gave me so many invaluable hands-on opportunities,” she said. “It prepared me for my career more than reading from a textbook would have.” 

To thrive in this dynamic and growing industry, Lakey Hayes stresses the importance of gaining diverse experiences and networking. “Nothing is cookie-cutter in event planning. Having different experiences will help you adapt,” said Lakey Hayes “I also like to say this is a people industry. Your network will be a wonderful resource for your success.”

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Lindsey Simmons loves weddings. “I love the wedding industry and creating these once-in-a-lifetime experiences for clients on one of the best days of their lives,” she said.

Wedding planning is fast-paced, as planners work ­around the clock to meet deadlines and deal with unexpected changes. Simmons gained valuable knowledge during her time at Meredith and felt prepared to take on the challenging career.

“Events require you to be flexible both during the planning process and on the actual event day,” she said. “Being able to experience this first-hand at Meredith gave me confidence to continue toward my goal of being an events professional.”

One of Simmons’ most formative experiences was planning an event for the Triangle’s National Association of Catering and Events chapter for one of her courses. “It was a safe way to test the waters and make sure I actually wanted to pursue a career in event planning,” said Simmons. “I was also able to work with vendors that I still work with today and network with other professionals.” 

Additionally, Simmons held an internship and part-time position at The Merrimon-Wynne House, a wedding venue, as a student. In this role, she found her passion for wedding planning and was offered a full-time position as a client coordinator upon graduating. 

There is a high demand for weddings in Raleigh – according to the Wedding Report, Raleigh hosts over 6,000 weddings annually. Simmons and her team work diligently to make sure their venue continues to attract clients, offering them exceptional service from the beginning stages of their wedding planning to the end.

As for the hospitality and tourism industry at large in Raleigh, Simmons said the growth will not stop anytime soon, and professionals in the industry have to evolve alongside it. “We have to ask ourselves what sets Raleigh apart from other cities and challenge ourselves to create amazing experiences you cannot get anywhere else. The expanded Convention Center will bring in bigger events but it is important to also have smaller venues for different types of events and experiences,” she said. “I think this is crucial to bringing tourism to Raleigh, which is where the industry has the most room to grow.”