IMHI Alumni UK

IMHI UK Get Together - 10 November 2009

2009-10-26T08:20:00.004Z

Our next Get Together around the World Travel Market will happen on Tuesday 10th November at 7pm onward at the Pitcher & Piano in Mayfair. The exact address: PITCHER & PIANO
MAYFAIR
10 POLLEN STREET LONDON W1S 1NQ
T: 0207 629 9581
www.pitcherandpiano.com

Charles Luthi and Peter O'Connor will be there as every year.

See you all there. Thank you to Sophie Perret (IMHI 02) who organizes the event.

Next Get Together London - 11th November 2008

2008-10-28T12:59:00.002Z

As every year, we will be organizing our November UK Get Together around the World Travel Market.

The event will be held on Tuesday 11th November at:

Time: 7 pm onwards
Venue: Pitcher and Piano
10 Pollen Street
Mayfair
London W1S 1NQ
T: 020 7629 9581
www.pitcherandpiano.com

We will also have the visit of Charles Luthi, President of IMHI Alumni and Peter O'Connor.

Thanks to Elie Milky for organizing the event.

Memories from our Get Together this week

2007-11-17T10:51:00.002Z

Thanks to all of you who have turned up to the event on Tuesday at the Slug & Lettuce. I have counted about 50 people who made the effort. I will send you an invitation for the last event of this year before we all go to Xmas holidays.

Guillaume

Video - What should we do next year?

2007-10-28T13:05:00.000Z

IMHI Alumni UK (May 07)
Uploaded by imhiuk

Our next UK Get Together in London

2007-10-28T09:06:00.000Z

As every year, we will be organizing our November UK Get Together around the World Travel Market. Last year we were about 60 IMHI alumni and friends who turned up at the event. Let's try to beat that record !!!!

The event will be on Tuesday 13th November at the Slug & Lettuce in Oxford Circus on Hanover Street. The address of the place is here. More info available here.

We will also have the visit of Charles Luthi, President of IMHI Alumni and Peter O'Connor.

Have a look at who were there last year.

AAIMHI has changed its name

2007-10-28T09:03:00.000Z

AAIMHI has changed its name to IMHI Alumni. You can now visit the website: www.imhialumni.com

Our first 2007 IMHI UK Get Together coming soon...

2007-05-07T12:08:00.000Z

You've probably all received invitations to our next Get Together which will be held at the Hilton Trafalgar Rockwell Bar on Wednesday 23rd May.

See you all there.

Guillaume Thevenot H00
AAIMHI UK Coordinator

UPDATE: 12 people have responded that they will be present to the event. 40 people haven't responded yet...

Check out pictures from our May 07 UK IMHI ALumni Get Together.

Pictures from our December 06 Xmas Dinner

2007-05-07T12:05:00.000Z

December IMHI UK Get Together at the Hilton Trafalgar

2006-12-04T13:45:00.000Z

Our next IMHI UK Get Together will be held on Tuesday the 19th December at the Rockwell Bar on the ground floor of the Hilton Trafalgar. Please come and join us for a drink or two.

Cheers.

Guillaume (H00)
AAIMHI UK Representative

Memories from our November 06 AAIMHI Get Together

2006-11-19T18:04:00.000Z

As always, it was a pleasure to see a lot of people turning up at our annual IMHI Get Together around the World Travel Market. This year, we were at the same bar as last year, the famous Slug & Lettuce. I reckon we beat previous attendance record, I have counted about 60 people that evening. So a big thank you for all of you who made the effort. A big thank you as well to Peter O' Connor and our President Charles Luthi (H83) who came to see us for that special evening. We have also had the surprise visit from Nicola Pogson who now works at the Imperial College Tanaka Business School.

We hope to see you at our next get together on Tuesday 19th December. I am going to find another venue than the Revolution bar. Will keep you posted.

Guillaume (H00)
AAIMHI UK coordinator

Book this date in your diary...

2006-09-23T09:37:00.000Z

As every year, there will be an international IMHI Get Together during the World Travel Market fair in London. This year, we have chosen the same place as last year.

The venue is the Slug & Lettuce bar on 19/20 Hanover Street, London on Tuesday 7th November from 7.30 pm onwards. We have booked the 1st floor bar where we will have our own bar and order some food to share. The nearest tube station is Oxford Circus or Picadilly Circus. The bar is not very far from Hamleys (the famous giant Toys store). Map

So book this date in you diary to meet up with IMHI alumni from all over the world.

Peter O Connor and Charles Luthi (H83), President of AAIMHI will be present to this event. If you know any colleagues / friends or heard about people interested to join a Hospitality MBA program, please bring them along and introduce them to us.

I hope a lot of you will be able to come . Last time, around 50 people turned up, let's break that record !!!!

Cordially,

Guillaume Thevenot (H00)
AAIMHI UK Coordinator

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#12

2006-05-24T12:17:00.000Z

Lasse Ristolainen, Consultant & Valuation Analyst at HVS International, London

Pictures from our May get together...

2006-05-22T15:01:00.000Z

We were about 10 people last Thursday evening at the Revolution bar in Soho.

I hope more and more people will come to the next get together scheduled on Wednesday 28th June.

Until next time.

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#11

2006-05-18T09:50:00.000Z

Stéphane Baghdassarian, Executive Assistant to the President at Westmont Hospitality Group, London, IMHI 2001

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#10

2006-05-18T09:39:00.000Z

Jérôme Stinglhamber, works at Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, London, IMHI 2005

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#9

2006-05-18T09:22:00.000Z

Rahul Ghai, Development Manager at Westmont Management Ltd., London, IMHI 2004

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#8

2006-05-18T09:15:00.000Z

Pascal Bichon, Associate Director at HVS Hodges Ward Elliott, London, IMHI 1999

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#7

2006-05-18T09:11:00.000Z

Carine Bonnejean, Senior Consultant at Christie + Co, London, IMHI 2000

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#6

2006-05-12T09:23:00.000Z

Christian Desira, Owner at Desira Ltd., London, IMHI 2000

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#5

2006-05-12T09:05:00.000Z

Nicole Van Den Dool, Senior Director, International Hotel Development Planning at Marriott.com, London, IMHI 1999

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#4

2006-05-12T08:49:00.000Z

Désirée van den Goorbergh, Training & Product Development Manager, Partner Services Group at Expedia, Inc. , London, IMHI 2003

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#3

2006-05-12T08:42:00.000Z

Loïc Dupont, Operations Director at Hotels.com EMEA, IMHI
2000

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#2

2006-05-12T08:38:00.000Z

Elie Younes, Director at HVS International London, IMHI 2001

Meet IMHI alumni in UK...#1

2006-05-12T08:32:00.000Z

Hadrien Pujol, Senior Associate at HVS International London, IMHI 2004

Next Get Together in London on Thursday 18th May

2006-05-12T08:10:00.000Z

Dear alumni and friends,

The venue for our next get together in London will be the famous vodka bar Revolution in Soho. More details about the location right here.See you all there next Thursday 18 May from 6.30 pm .

Cordially,

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Coming Soon...

2006-05-02T13:42:00.000Z

I will post profiles of all IMHI alumni living in UK soon. Thanks for sending your info.

Guillaume

IMHI UK next Get Together

2006-05-02T13:35:00.000Z


Location:	to be announced
When:	Thursday, May 18, 6:30pm
Hello all, Just to let you know that our next IMHI get together in London will be held on Thursday the 18th of May. Depending on how many people will respond to the invitation, I will choose the relevant venue for that event. I hope that most of you will be available to have a drink or two. Let me know asap. Thanks. Cordially, Guillaume Thevenot (H00), AAIMHI UK Delegate

Next Get Together date coming soon...

2006-04-11T09:13:00.000Z

I am preparing with other schools (Ceram, Dauphine) our next get together in May. The date which still needs to be be confirmed is likely to be the 1st Thursday of May. Will keep you posted.

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Some stolen moments from last week Get Together @ Revolution

2006-02-27T15:11:00.000Z

Dear alumni,

Not many people didn't show up last Wednesday...shame because the place rocks big time...

Anyway, I took some pictures for those made the effort.

See you next time.

Guillaume Thevenot H00

February 06 Get Together in London

2006-02-15T17:22:00.000Z

Dear alumni,

It's been a long time we haven't got together in a bar in London (in fact since November 2005...)...it's time to catch up now that we are in 2006.

Let's all meet up next Wednesday 22nd Feb from 7.00pm onwards.

The venue will be the famous vodka bar Revolution in Soho. More details about the location right here.

See you all there next week.

Cordially,

Guillaume Thevenot H00

4L IMHI

2006-01-20T18:04:00.000Z

Dear alumni,

As some of you know, students at IMHI will be participating in the 4 L Trophy in 26 days. 4L was a famous car launched in 1961 by Renault. Since then, plenty of afficionados are collecting those vintage cars.

The 4L IMHI is an association aiming to bring 300Kg of school stationery in South of Morocco as well as participating in a great competitive adventure.

More information available at www.4limhi.com .

If you wish to sponsor them, please look at this page www.4limhi.com/sponsorat.htm

All the best for the IMHI team from AAIMHI UK.

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Happy New Year 2006

2006-01-10T10:03:00.000Z

Best Wishes for the New Year. I will let you know soon when our next get-together will be held in the coming weeks.

With kind regards,

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Christmas dinner on Tuesday 6th December

2005-11-25T15:34:00.000Z

UPDATE:

I have booked the restaurant Mint Leaf on Pall Mall for 8:15 pm.

The details are on this website http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3486.htm

See you there.

Guillaume

Hello,

Come and join us for our annual Xmas dinner on Tuesday the 6th of December.

Partners are also more than welcome.

Let me know if you can make it and I will organize the restaurant depending of the number of people.

With kind regards,

Guillaume Thevenot H00

Some stolen moments from our Get Together at the Slug and Lettuce

2005-11-24T19:23:00.000Z

Dear alumni,

Thanks for all of you who came by last Wednesday. I think there were about 30/40 people so far. So quite a good turnout. I was glad to see that we had different promotions represented, 1984 being the oldest that day. Hope you have enjoyed the evening and see you soon.

Thanks.

Guillaume

WTM Get Together in London

2005-10-14T12:12:00.000Z

Dear alumni,

We have found the venue for our annual World Travel Market get-together.

It will be held on Wednesday 16th November 2005 at the bar Slug and Lettuce near Oxford Circus from 7.30 pm onwards.

Peter O' Connor and Nicola Pogson will be among us during this evening.

The address is:

the Slug and Lettuce, Hanover Street
19-20 Hanover Street
London W1R 9HG

Tel: 0207 499 0077

We have booked a room on the 1st floor where we will have a dedicated bar and can order some food.

We hope that you all will be able to come.

See you in a month.

Guillaume

Annual WTM Meeting

2005-09-12T15:02:00.000Z

Our annual meeting during the World Travel Market in London will take place on Wednesday 16th November in the evening. More details to come about the venue.
Mark this date up on your calendar. We hope that you will all be able to join us.

Guillaume

Interesting article about Recruitment...

2005-08-30T15:41:00.000Z

The Dating Game by Chris Mumford, Managing Director of HVS Executive Search

The Chief Executive is representing his company at a hotel investment conference. He has been invited to participate in a panel session together with three other senior executives from competitor hotel companies to discuss the current industry investment trends and his company’s accompanying strategy. Shortly before walking on stage, the Chief Executive snatches a quick glance at the notes prepared for him by his head of Acquisitions and Development and his Director of Public Relations. At the bottom of the typed notes the PR Director has added in hastily written pencil, “Don’t forget: our people are our greatest asset”. Towards the end of the panel session when asked what will differentiate his company’s future development in the region from that of his competitors’ the Chief Executive steals a look at his notes and proclaims that what will make his company more successful in the region is the quality of its employees. No mention of the company’s brand strength, or its development pipeline, or its distinctive design philosophy, or its strong owner relations network. The audience, a mix of investment bankers, hotel developers, and consultants, nod their heads and think, “Wow, this guy really knows what’s important.” Of course, the cynically minded snort in the belief that this grandiose statement is nothing more than a contrived message adhering to the company’s policy of political correctness.

It is difficult to find fault however with such as a well intentioned concept, especially from a company in the service sector. We are now all familiar with the variations n the theme such as ‘it is our employees that make the difference’, ‘we are nothing without our people’, ‘without our staff we would not be where we are today’. Publications such as ‘The War for Talent’ and the heightened dialogue on issues such as employee attraction and retention over recent years have forced companies to pay greater attention to their ‘people’ asset and to make the right noises publicly when stating the importance of their valuable assets. The recognition of the contribution of each employee to the success of a company is certainly to be welcomed and encouraged. The struggle for the hospitality industry to attract and retain talented employees is well documented and there is no doubt that a great number of hospitality organisations have begun to place greater emphasis on the value of their employees and are genuinely committed to the development of a talented workforce.

It appears however that not all companies have wholeheartedly adopted the talent mindset. Despite what they may say, they have yet to develop a fundamental understanding and appreciation that having better talent is what elevates a company above its competitors. Adopting this mindset means throwing out some old previously held beliefs about people management, one of which is the approach to attracting and hiring employees in the first place.

The recruitment of an individual into an organisation is like dating. Prior to the first date, both parties will endeavour to learn each other’s vital statistics. They will then meet, see if they like each one another, try to learn what they did not already know, and aim to obtain a sense of their potential compatibility. All being well, this first meeting will lead to a second meeting to check that they really do like one another now that the ice has been broken and they are more relaxed. A third meeting might involve meeting the parents or board of directors for the seal of approval. By this point love should be in the air and, with just one more meeting to exchange rings or contracts, both parties are hopefully on the path to a long and rewarding future together.

Sadly it seems that all too often in the recruitment dating game it is the candidate who is expected to do all the work while the hiring organisation sits back and admires itself in the mirror. Traditionally the employer has felt that it has the upper hand, that it is the employee who needs the company, not the other way around. The attitude communicated by the company is one of ‘you should be honoured to join us’ rather than one of ‘yes, we are really interested in you and feel that you could make a significant contribution to the success of our corporation.’

The initial interaction that a prospective employee has with an organisation sets the tone for the entire future working relationship. If the individual does not feel valued and appreciated at day one, why should things be any different after one year or even ten years? Employees of generations X and Y are not going to express signs of loyalty and commitment to their employers unless they are nurtured and cherished. As Jeffrey Catrett, Dean at Ecole hotelière de Lausanne, points out, “Generation Y is focussing on career development, personal recognition, involvement in decision-making, and a good work / life balance.”

Why for example, at hotel level, are so many interviews conducted by Human Resources in their offices? In my experience, the HR department is invariably tucked away in some windowless basement set of offices. To get there you have to enter through the back-of-house entrance and report to Security. You are then led down a maze of corridors, complete with a myriad of pipes and cabling, to the HR department. Of course the offices are located where they are out of necessity so that they do not take up any revenue generating space in the building. Such office layouts are also the reality of the hotel world and this is where the employee will spend a great deal of time. But why does this have to be the first impression a candidate has of a potential employer when attending an interview? Why take a first date to the neighbourhood dive bar when you have the means to go to a fancy restaurant?

Surely, asking the candidate to report to the front desk where they can be asked to take a seat in the lobby creates a more positive impression. The candidate has the chance to have a one-on-one interaction with an existing member of staff (and possibly future colleague) at the front desk and a chance to watch the hotel in operation while waiting in the lobby. The interview can then be conducted in the restaurant or in one of the hotel’s meetings rooms. Naturally the candidate will need to see back of house later on but this initial welcoming experience may be one of the few occasions the employee has to see the hotel through a guest’s eyes and will create a lasting reference point.

At senior management level, where an individual’s impact on company performance can be more keenly felt, the need to woo a candidate is paramount. In this global industry hotel companies often find that its shortlist of preferred candidates for a key position are spread far and wide throughout the country or around the globe. A hiring company therefore needs to recognise that it has to invest in order to obtain the right candidate and that it is not a time to scrimp and save and quibble over trivial issues such as flight tickets for example. The cost of paying for a candidate to fly in for an interview is negligible when compared to the value which that employee should ultimately contribute to your organisation. It is still negligible even if you make it a business class flight, provide accommodation in a suite, and invite the candidate’s spouse along too.

It is not just money which needs to be invested. Employers should ensure that they carefully prepare a detailed schedule for a potential employee’s visit and give enough time. If coming from a long distance this may be the only chance a candidate has to meet the key decision makers, visit the company offices, explore the city, and assess housing and schooling options, before deciding on the job. Think how valued and respected a well prepared visit allowing as much time as necessary for the above would make the candidate feel. The notion that if a candidate is motivated enough for the job then he or she will arrange and pay for his or her own flight and attendance at an interview is misguided in today’s open job market. When the best candidate for a job is typically a passive job-seeker who is currently happy and successful with their current employer, a hiring company needs to employ its full arsenal of seduction techniques.

There is no denying of course that job candidates need to make themselves as marketable and attractive as possible to a potential employer. Successful dating requires commitment from both parties. In an age however when the hospitality industry as a whole is increasingly competing against other industries to hire and keep talented employees, hotel companies can no longer afford to let the candidate do all the chasing.

extract from Hotel Management International magazine

That's it...last Bank Holiday before Xmas...

2005-08-26T14:56:00.000Z

This weekend, we have a lot of festivals going on such as Notting Hill or Clapham Festival.

Some of us are going to the South West Four festival in Clapham on Saturday. We expect a lot of drinks and a lot of music with big speakers. The festival attended around 20,000 people last year. Will be fun. Enjoy your weekend and see you in September.

Ciao. Guillaume

Some stolen moments from Drinks in the Park...

2005-08-19T17:30:00.000Z

Approximately ten of us met up in Green Park around 7 PM. The weather had been great all week until (as you can guess) that Thursday evening. Still this did not spoil the fun and we made ourselves comfortable with a few drinks and snacks. Around 9.30 PM when we got kicked out of our ‘rental’ chairs (approximately £1.50, that’s the beauty of London…everything has a price). We finally ended up in a nice Italian restaurant in Mayfair called Mosaico. Definitely worth trying if you are in the area. Great to see you all there !!! See you next time.

Elie Younes H01 and Ludwig Bouldoukian H06

Riikka Moreau H04 and a Finish friend

Christian Desira H00, Jérome Stinglhamber H05 and Jonathan Ottevaere H03

Carine Bonnejean H00

Nicole Van Den Dool H99, Christian Desira H00 and a surprise guest

Nicole wants to share this with you...

2005-08-19T17:26:00.000Z

You know you've been in London too long when...

1. You say "the City" and expect everyone to know which one.

2. You have never been to The Tower or Madame Tussauds but love Brighton.

3. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Shepherds Bush to Elephant & Castle at 3:30 on the Friday before a long weekend, but can't find Dorset on a map.

4. Hookers and the homeless are invisible.

5. You step over people who collapse on the Tube.

6. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multilingual.

7. You've considered stabbing someone.

8. Your door has more than three locks.

9. You consider eye contact an act of overt aggression.

10. You call an 8' x 10' plot of patchy grass a garden.

11. You consider Essex the "countryside".

12. You think Hyde Park is "nature".

13. You're paying 1,200 a month for a studio the size of a walk-in wardrobe and you think it's a "bargain".

14. Shopping in suburban supermarkets and shopping malls gives you a severe attack of agoraphobia.

15. You pay more each month to park your car than most people in the UK pay in rent.

16. You pay 3 pounds without blinking for a beer that cost the bar 28p.

17. You actually take fashion seriously.

18. You have 27 different menus next to your telephone.

19. The UK west of Heathrow is still theoretical to you.

20. You're suspicious of strangers who are actually nice to you.

21. Your idea of personal space is no one actually physically standing on you.

22. £50 worth of groceries fit in one plastic bag.

23. You have a minimum of five "worst cab ride ever" stories.

24. You don't hear sirens anymore.

25. You've mentally blocked out all thoughts of the city's air/water quality and what it's doing to your insides.

26. You live in a building with a larger population than most towns.

27. Your cleaner is Portuguese, your grocer is Somali, your butcher is halal, your deli man is Israeli, your landlord is Italian, your laundry guy is Philippino, your bartender is Australian, your favourite diner owner is Greek, the watch seller on your corner is Senegalese, your last cabbie was African, your newsagent is Indian and your local English chippie owner is Turkish.

28. You wouldn't want to live anywhere else until you get married.

29. You roll your eyes and say 'tsk' at the news that someone has thrown himself under a tube train.

30. Your day is ruined if you don't get a copy of Metro on the way to work.

Pascal Bichon's daughter

2005-08-12T08:08:00.000Z

Nathalie and Pascal Bichon, IMHI 99, who spends his life betwen London and Paris would like to share with you the latest picture of their daughter Capucine who has celebrated her 2nd birthday on the 2nd of July 05.

Drinks in the Park on Thursday 18th August 05

2005-08-05T17:54:00.000Z

Our next Get Together will be held on the 18th August in Green Park.

The plan is that each of you who wants to join us will bring what you want to drink and we will find a place under the trees or in the sunshine to enjoy this reunion.

Please feel free to bring partners/ colleagues if you feel like it.

We will meet around 6.30pm outside Green Park tube station near the Ritz.

We will wait everybody until 6.45.

After this time you can reach us on those numbers, and we will tell you where we are.

We hope a lot of you will join us.

Guillaume Thevenot, H00
Nicole Van Den Dool, H99
Christian Desira, H00

!! Please give your comments about the site !!

2005-07-14T15:15:00.000Z

This is your space where you can comment on anything you would like to see on this website.

Any suggestions are more than welcome.

Thanks.

Guillaume

Get Together in London 28/06/05 at the De Hems Bar

2005-06-30T15:53:00.000Z

Thanks for all of you who came on Tuesday.

The Get Together on the 28th June 05 at the De Hems dutch bar was quite a success. We were around 15 people from different promotions gathering with pints of beer and glasses of wine (especially Christian).

Some of us eventually decided to eat at a Japanese restaurant in Soho while there was a big thunderstorm above our heads. We expect to see even more people to the next get together.

We are planning to organize a “picnic evening” in Hyde Park sometimes in August. We will communicate you the date soon. Hope you could make it.

For those we have forgotten on our mailing list, accept our sincere apologies, we will try not missing you next time. We have gathered as many e-mails as possible for people living in London but it is not that easy.

Cheers from rainy London.

Guillaume Thevenot, H00
Nicole Van Den Dool, H99
Christian Desira, H00

2005-06-30T10:10:00.000Z

Dinner at a Sushi restaurant in Soho

2005-06-30T10:04:00.000Z

Philipp Von Bodman H04

2005-06-30T10:02:00.000Z

Rahul Ghai H04, Elie Younes H01 and some strangers

2005-06-30T10:00:00.000Z

Emilie Cottard H03, Desiree Van Den Goorbergh H03

2005-06-30T09:59:00.000Z

Nicole Van Den Dool H99, Aude Saudemont H03, Jérome Bourgeois H98

2005-06-30T09:57:00.000Z

Christian Desira H00, Carine Bonnejean H00, Nicole Van Den Dool H99

Get Together in London 04/06/2004 at the Zander Bar

2004-06-04T19:28:00.000Z

Christian Desira H00, Desiree Van Den Goorbergh H03

2004-06-04T19:26:00.000Z

Elie Younes H01

2004-06-04T19:24:00.000Z

Peter Hemming, HVS International, Carine Bonnejean H00

2004-06-04T19:22:00.000Z

Peter Hemming, HVS International, Carine Bonnejean H00

2004-06-04T19:18:00.000Z

Steve Delefortrie H02, Christian Desira H00

2004-06-04T19:16:00.000Z

Carine Lebrun H95, Jo Spalburg H86

2004-06-04T09:49:00.000Z

Govert Klaassen, Stéphane Baghdassarian H01, Elie Younes H01

2004-06-04T08:03:00.000Z

...and the party goes on...

2004-06-04T08:00:00.001Z

Aude Saudemont H03, Elie Younes H01, Carine Bonnejean H00

2004-06-04T08:00:00.000Z

Guillaume Thevenot H00, Carine Bonnejean H00