(5 November 2018) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced the launch of the SHTM+ICON Consultancy to offer professional hospitality-related consultancy services to the industry worldwide. The brand-new Consultancy demonstrates a successful combination of the research prowess of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of PolyU with the practical experience and endeavor of Hotel ICON.

The Consultancy is the SHTM’s another novel endeavor to achieve its mission in engineering knowledge transfer to the hospitality industry and other education institutes. Knowledge transfer includes management know-how, creative solutions, and experiences in a practical setting, which can help organizations maintain sustainable growth.

The services offered by SHTM+ICON Consultancy include four key categories:

1) “Hospitality Management” covers areas from project appraisal to staffing and marketing;

2) “Hospitality Development” focuses on strategic planning and feasibility study for tourism and hotel projects;

3) “Executive Education in Hospitality and Other Service Industries” looks at areas ranging from customized executive development program, management attachment in Hotel ICON, to online and offline education; and

4) “Higher Education in Hospitality” refers to services in designing academic programs, certification, and quality assurance.

Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean and Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, said, “The SHTM sets itself apart from other hospitality and tourism educational institutions by consistently remaining in the upper echelons of international rankings, and our research output clearly demonstrates our strength as a leading hotel and tourism school. By combining the people resources and expertise through a dedicated consultancy SHTM+ICON, we are setting new standards to support the hospitality sector in an innovative way.”

The SHTM has a long history of offering high-level consultancy and professional advisory services to both private and public organizations. Its consultants have worked on many successful consultancy projects worldwide with clients from around the world, including Chengdu Polytechnic, China National Travel Service, the Federation of Hong Kong Hotel Owners, Greaton Ribbon Australia, Haima Automobile Group, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, King Abdulaziz University, the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education in Indonesia and the Ministry of Tourism in Jamaica.

Mr. Richard Hatter, General Manager of Hotel ICON and SHTM Adjunct Associate Professor, said, “Touted as a ‘Hong Kong tourism success’, and sought-after in the industry as a hospitality-related consultant, Hotel ICON is thrilled to be launching the SHTM+ICON consultancy services together with the School. Hotel ICON currently ranked third among Hong Kong hotels on TripAdvisor, and among the best places to stay in Hong Kong. In addition to being a highly respected teaching facility, the home-grown Hotel ICON is also a test bed for hospitality innovation.” Mr. Hatter was awarded the General Manager of the Year at the recent BMW Hotelier Awards Greater China 2018. An active member of the hospitality industry, he is always invited to present the innovation strategies of Hotel ICON at numerous leading trade events and conferences.

Hotel ICON has clinched the prestigious Hong Kong Management Association (HKMA) award – the Silver Award for Excellence in Training and Development 2018 in the Skills Training category, fortifying its emphasis on people development and elevating guest service levels for the industry. With education being the core to the ICON brand, the team has developed a series of public conferences and knowledge-sharing forums. These events not only help enhance service excellence of the industry, but also complement the SHTM in mentoring and offering experiential learning to students and associates in the hospitality industry.

The team of SHTM+ICON consultants are experienced in and committed to providing professional and leading consultancy services to clients worldwide. Members of the team includes:

  • Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean and Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management
  • Professor Haiyan Song, SHTM Associate Dean and Chair Professor and Mr and Mrs Chan Chak Fu Professor in International Tourism
  • Professor Brian King, SHTM Associate Dean and Professor
  • Professor Cathy Hsu, SHTM Chair Professor
  • Dr Basak Denizci Guillet, SHTM Associate Professor
  • Dr Qu Xiao, SHTM Associate Professor
  • Dr Tony Tse, SHTM Professor of Practice
  • Mr Richard Hatter, General Manager, Hotel ICON, and SHTM Adjunct Associate Professor
  • Mr Ian Lee, Director of Finance and Administration, Hotel ICON

For details, please visit: www.shtm.com.hk.

For enquiries and proposals, please contact Dr. Tony Tse via e-mail: tony.tse@polyu.edu.hk.

Image details: The team of SHTM+ICON consultants: (front row from left) Dr Tony Tse, Mr Richard Hatter, Professor Kaye Chon, Professor Cathy Hsu and Mr Ian Lee; (back row from left) Dr Basak Denizci Guillet, Professor Haiyan Song, Professor Brian King and Dr Qu Xiao