Hospitality Administration and Management Commons^™

Perfecting The Table Games Dealer: Improving Initial Table Games Dealer Training Curriculum To Create More Versatile Gaming Employees, Bama Varsanyi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Casinos are hospitality operations in which a gaming experience is offered to guests in addition to general hospitality services. To create stable, high-quality guest services while generating satisfactory guest experiences, casinos rely significantly on the skills of their front-line employees. The initial training before employees begin to work in a live-gaming casino environment is crucial. It gives them the basic knowledge to be able to perform their tasks proficiently and deliver the required guest-service standards to all patrons during live gaming sessions. Table games dealers are the primary front-line employees in a table game operation, they receive majority of their …

Recommendations For Online Training In Hospitality Organizations, Geoffrey L. Wellen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Delivering consistent customer experiences is often a key driver of customer satisfaction in the leisure and hospitality industry. However, consistency can be compromised if new and existing employees are not adequately prepared for their roles and duties. The leisure and hospitality industry hires many new staff each year due to general industry growth and employee turnover. Training and development is therefore important for the industry to meet staffing requirements and to deliver consistent customer experiences. The rapid and significant developments in online training and education since mid 1990 have increased the size and knowledge of the candidate pool available to …

Sustainability Program For Rio Secco Golf Club And Cascata, Jay Chiders

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Caesars Entertainment is focused on building loyalty and value with its guests through a unique combination of great service, excellent products, operational excellence, and technology leadership. Caesars is committed to environmental sustainability and energy conservation and recognizes the importance of being a responsible steward to the environment. Sustainability at Caesars Entertainment integrates strategic direction with the energy, innovation, and passion of its 70,000 employees. These employees are what drive Caesars Entertainment’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, CodeGreen (CodeGreen factsheet, 2012).

Caesars Entertainment Corporation owns two golf courses in Nevada. Rio Secco Golf Club opened in 1997 in Henderson and Cascata opened in …

American Generation Y And The Hotel Of 2030, Brian Kelley

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Baby Boomer generation, once the largest, most important consumer base and leader in purchasing power, is entering retirement (Sherman, 2008). Now an aging generation, the Boomers, are slowly losing their hold on the attention of the hospitality industry. The Boomers are quickly being eclipsed by their children and grandchildren as the largest market population and the biggest spenders within America with over 73 million or 26% of the total US population belonging to this demographic (Nusair, Parsa, & Cobanoglu, 2011). Much like the Baby Boomers, this demographic, known as primarily as Generation Y (Gen Y) or “Echo-Boomers” due to …

Business Plan For A U.S. Based Healthy And Organic Ethnic Korean Quick-Service Restaurant, Daniel W. Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The increased globalization of ethnic cuisine has become a reality in the past decade due to the rise in food and beverage popular culture. The celebrity chefs on such television networks such as the Food Network and the Travel Channel has led to many persons becoming more interested in a variety of ethnic, fusion, healthy and organic dining options. For the past few decades, the most popular ethnic cuisines in the U.S. have been and still are Italian, Chinese, and Mexican foods (Leahy, 2007). However, with the increased interest in food and beverage culture and desire for variety, there are …

The Shifting Of The Las Vegas Tourism Industry: A Historical Perspective On Management And Resort Revenues, Eden Mccallister

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Las Vegas has been internationally recognized as the entertainment capital of the world. Whether it is top dollar luxury, world class fine dining, or vibrant night life that one seeks, Las Vegas certainly has something for everyone. The latter half of the 20th century has shown the city unprecedented arenas of success, but with intense global competition on the rise, it is clear that Las Vegas is no longer the only major player in the game. The turn of the 21st century has brought a new wave of economic challenges, and though Las Vegas has adapted over the years with …

The Internet Gaming Industry For Newbies, Cory Nebel

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The United States internet gaming industry is one which, while many people are aware of its existence, very few fully understand. There remains a tremendous amount of confusion amongst the American public regarding whether or not gambling online in the U.S. is a legal activity. While most would claim to have heard reports that U.S. internet gambling is against the law, just as many people are able to quickly reference both friends and family who regularly gamble online. Through the use of secondary research, this paper will explore a wide range of pre-existing literature on both the internet gaming industry …

An Introduction To Meeting And Event Management Course, Diana Spina

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper focuses on the development of an undergraduate introductory course in meeting and event management and the rational for inclusion of this particular course in the curriculum at a university that offers a degree in Hospitality Management. The literature review explores the anticipated demand related to the field of meeting and event management, course offerings of some of the top ranked universities with Hospitality Management programs, and different teaching methodologies. The last part of the paper encompasses the actual course material for a meeting and event management course; including the syllabus and teaching methodology.

Exploration Of Hotel Distribution Channels In China — Focus On Hotel Call Centers, Tao Yu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In a world of increasing global competition, choosing an effective distribution channel is crucial for hoteliers to deliver value for their products and services. As hotel rooms are perishable, if they are not sold each night no revenue will be generated. So, we always see the distribution channel as one of the most important parts in the selling process. With the explosion of Internet commerce and computer usage, online distribution is fast growing up to become one of the popular and effective distribution channels in use. However, will functions of traditional distribution channels die from the boom of the new …

Capturing The Chinese Outbound Tourism Market: Lessons For Las Vegas Casino Operators, Wilson Wan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

China has become a fast rising economic power and its GDP is expected to overtake America's in about 6 years (How to get a date, 2011). As a result of the increase in wealth, the Chinese middle class has been expanding rapidly and now has access to more resources than ever before. With a higher disposable income, the Chinese now have an increased desire, and capability, to travel the world. In preparation for the increase in outbound Chinese travelers, it would be wise for tourist destinations to be prepared to attract this market and thus capture a part of this …

The Effect Of Casino Tax Policy On Short-Run Gaming Development, Kahlil Philander

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examines the effect of casino tax rate structure on investment by casino operators. Using a panel data set consisting of all states with legal commercial casino gambling from 1998 to 2009, a fixed-effect model with two-stage least squares is estimated to examine the effect of gambling taxes on firms' short-run behavior. The study finds that maximum casino tax rates decrease casino employment, with an estimated average elasticity of -0.5. This result is noted to be robust to several different model specifications and data subsets. No robust relationship is found between maximum tax rates and casino wages. No significant …

The Marketing Effectiveness Of Hotel Facebook Pages: From Perspectives Of Customers And Messages, Xi Yu Leung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the hotel industry, social media marketing has become a new trend hoteliers are chasing and an increasing number of hotels are using social media to promote their business. However, the marketing effectiveness of social media is still a big challenge in both academic and business world. Since social media marketing is totally different from traditional marketing approaches, traditional marketing theories and practices may not be applicable to social media. Besides, very few studies have examined the effectiveness of social media marketing in the academic world.

Therefore, this study intended to provide an in-depth examination on the marketing effectiveness of …

Non-Monetary Strategies To Retain Key Employees, Becky Rader

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this paper is to provide a handbook that management can use to retain employees, especially top performers.

Companies within the hospitality industry are attempting to strengthen their bottom line during these tough economic times. Employees contribute significantly to the bottom line but are often overlooked as assets by the company. As a result, many employees become disengaged and unsatisfied. As this happens, employees begin to look for opportunities outside the company where they feel they will be more valued for their abilities. Unfortunately, for the company losing employees, the most likely losses are the most accomplished employees. …

Logistics And Supply Chain Management In The Hotel Industry: Impact On Hotel Performance In Service Delivery, Clement K. Odoom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this professional paper is to identify and describe the way logistics and supply chain management practices can be used for costs savings. As hotel companies manage and operate their properties, they should focus on several aspects such as logistics management, inventory management, information technology, procurement and distribution, lean and green supply chain practices. Finally, this paper explores the competitive benefits that come from applying these concepts. Part three will contain a set of recommendations how they can be utilized in the hotel industry

An Introductory Wine Course For Hospitality Students, Jeffrey Conklin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of an associate level hospitality management degree program is to prepare graduates for careers in the multi-faceted hospitality industry. In order to be successful these graduates must have the knowledge, skills and ability to be successful in the industry. The curriculum for these programs must be comprehensive, current and relevant to the industry. The research presented in this paper is intended to address introductory wine education, and outline an introductory course in wine. This area, which is not currently offered in some programs, is an important part of the food service side of the industry.

This research paper …

A Business Plan For Grass Fed Restaurant, Joshua Schonfeld

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper will present a business plan for a grass fed steakhouse concept in Chicago. After having spent the past year researching the grass fed meat market, meeting with grass fed farmers and looking for restaurant locations in three different markets (Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago) it has become apparent that Chicago is going to be the best market for this type of concept. In the restaurant industry, contacts and word of mouth are two huge players in success in the restaurant business and this is definitely a connection that the partners have in Chicago.

Why grass fed? As …

Maintaining The Profitability Of Gaming’S Premium Players, Maxwell J.H. Olson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: This paper does not seek to condemn the use of incentives for high-end casino players. Rather, it is intended to illuminate common policies and practices that might require more measurement and consideration prior to being distributed. This paper also explores and examines existing literature and findings regarding the profitability of high-end casino players and offers guidelines for evaluating profitability.

Statement of Objective: This paper targets existing policies and practices in the contemporary Las Vegas casino gaming business, separately examining the profitability of each incentive program or common practice. As a consolidated examination of such practices, this paper can serve …

Implementing A State Lottery In Nevada, Benjamin K. Boulton

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of implementing a state lottery in Nevada and to present the benefits of a state lottery for both the Nevada hospitality industry and the Nevada economy. It will compare and contrast the arguments for and the arguments against a lottery by executing a content analysis of existing research literature as well as other relevant publications. It will also examine the history of lotteries, the states that border Nevada and have lotteries and the legislative history of lottery proposals in Nevada.

Restaurant Service Employees Organizational Commitment: Shared Gratuity Versus Independent Gratuity Environments, Susan J. Roe

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study examined the organizational commitment levels between 207 restaurant service employees from 11 restaurants working in different types of gratuity distribution environments, those sharing (or pooling) gratuities and those retaining their own gratuities. Identifying differences in organizational commitment levels between employees can assist managers in selecting which gratuity distribution environment, shared or individual, to utilize in their restaurant operations. No statistically significant differences were found in organizational commitment or organizational justice levels between restaurant employees in the differing gratuity environments. Differences in organizational commitment were found among employee types. Restaurant service staff preference for type of gratuity distribution system …

Marketing Analysis For Bonk Knob Shoals Located In Van Buren County, Tennessee, Lillian Lee Ehrmann

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide Alfred Crabtree, owner of Bonk Knob Shoals, with a marketing plan. Bonk Knob Shoals will be an upscale campsite nearby Spencer, TN in Van Buren County.

Statement of Objective: Bonk Knob Shoals is currently under development and the owner wants to gain insight to LOHAS tourists, so he can create a suitable business plan to attract people in that niche market. Marketing is a huge component of the business plan because Crabtree believes a significant amount of resources will be needed to increase tourism awareness of the upscale campsite, …

A Green Marketing Guideline For The Cruise Industry In North America, Xi Guo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this professional paper is to develop a guideline of green marketing strategies for cruise managers in North America.

Statement of objectives: This paper will develop a customer relationship model according to the literature review of customer behavior and customer relationships in the hospitality industry. Meanwhile, the characteristics of green customers and the most popular green practices in the hotel and restaurant industry, and current sustainable achievements in the cruise industry will be investigated respectively. The green marketing guideline will be explored basing on the customer relationship model and the investigations of green customers and green practices …

Comparing Service Qualities/Gaps Between Hospitality Industry And Timeshare Industry, Yan Zhu

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

After the Great Recession of 2008, both the hospitality and the timeshare industries were influenced dramatically. Consumers became more sensitive to the price of services rendered, and to service quality when choosing hotels and investing in timeshares. Thus, service quality became the vital factor contributing to success in the highly competitive hospitality industry. This paper will compare service qualities and gaps between the hospitality industry and the timeshare industry. The purpose of this study is to find the key service gaps in the both industries and service quality dimensions.

Objective of Study: This paper will identify each aspect of service …

Effects Of Service Level With Low Unemployment Rate In Macau, Hou Ian Chui

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Justification and Objectives: With this background in mind, there is an important question that has not been answered in the context of Macau’s hospitality industry: Does the workforce display what Gu and Siu (2009) called “mediocre interpersonal skills” (p. 561) because of innate shortcomings in the workforce, or because of voluntary behavior on the part of the workforce? The proposed paper will use Osterman’s (1994) theoretical framework of employment incentives and with reference to the research being conducted by Venetian Macau.

Purpose Statement: The purpose of this study is to quantitatively measure the links between the variables of employee service …

Analyzing The Effects Of Social Media On The Hospitality Industry, Gaurav Seth

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Statement of objective

The intent of this study is not to quantify how many hospitality businesses actively use social media, rather it is to explore the areas and functions these businesses use social media for, and understand how consumers perceive these new vehicles of communication. The study will bring out a consumer’s perspective of the advantages of social media over traditional marketing methods.

Government Contracting: How To Tackle Rapid Growth And Hiring For Conference And Event Planner Positions, Karen Francisco

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This paper plans to explore the issue of how conference project managers and other leaders working in government contractor positions can best approach the issue of rapid growth and hiring individuals for event and conference planning roles. In order to more thoroughly explore this problem, this paper will employ several strategies.

The Adaptation Of Cloud Computing By The Hotel Industry, Anthony Schneider

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The concept of cloud computing has many benefits for the hotel industry. The migration to cloud computing is expected to have a major impact on the way that information and computer resources are handled by the hotel industry. Investment in technology must bring value to a business whether it’s a large international hotel chain or a small, independent resort. Since business strategy will vary, a detailed study must be performed to identify the major issues that must be analyzed before migrating to the cloud.

The cloud is a highly adaptive IT infrastructure that can be shared by many different end …

Identify Possible Critical Provider Gap(S) In The Package Tours Sold By Travel Agencies In Singapore, Chih Wee Siow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Package tours are beginning to wane in its popularity and relevancy in today’s sophisticated travel market. This is beginning to show in Singapore as well. The needs and wants of customers are not as well met as compared to the past. If a travel agent wishes to stay profitable in this market segment, it is necessary for the operator to take a good thorough look at its tour packaging value chain. From the nature of the product itself to the end execution of the product, the travel agent needs to review its relevancy and ability to meet customers’ needs. The …

Creating A Hospitality Leadership Development Training Program For A Country Club, Joan Ho

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to design a hospitality leadership development training program for a medium sized country club.

Statement of Objective: This paper will present a set of guidelines for creating and implementing an effective hospitality leadership development program for the country club and subsequently implemented for other hospitality and tourism organizations. The leadership development training program aims to attract the employees to retain in this trade. Therefore there is clearly a need for the hospitality and tourism industries to understand what constitutes effective leadership and how it can be achieved. Different definitions of leadership and important …

An Examination Of Modernist Culinary Techniques And Equipment And Their Application In Catering Operations, Jill Mora

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The practice of culinary arts in reference to food production is slow to adopt change. This is especially true in a catering operation. The industry uses standard operating procedures that have been passed down from chef to chef through several generations. Most catering operations face the same challenges when producing large quantities of food in a very short time. Many times this is done with limited equipment and staff. In addition, the menus can vary from event to event so that preproduction of product for multiple functions may not be a viable option.

This paper does not look to redesign …

Exploration Of Human-Computer Interaction (Hci) Applications In Hospitality Industry, Jia Wei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this professional paper is to explore and identify the best practices in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) applications and use within the hospitality industry.

Statement of Objectives: To accomplish the stated purpose, first, the paper will provide the universal definition of HCI applications and define HCI within the context of hospitality industry. Second, the paper will gather and categorize information, such as the standards of designing HCI applications, from other fields of study such as informatics. Third, the paper will gather existing examples of HCI applications across different areas within the hospitality industry, such as the front desk …