Presenter(s): Esther Wooding − Public Relations, French
Faculty Mentor(s): Donnalyn Pompper
Poster 112
Research Area: Public Relations In The Hospitality Industry
The purpose of my research was to investigate how public relations is practiced within the hospitality industry. A study was created to discover how PR skills were being applied within the field, to discover any problems the industry faces, and to connect with professionals and gauge their experiences in their career. The study comprised of three interviews
with professionals, along with secondary research about the history, issues, ethics, and valued skills of public relations in hospitality. Throughout my research, I discovered that one of the main aspects of public relations in the hospitality industry is the role of social media and influencers. With increasing competition, I found that it is important to target a wide demographic and maintain a thorough and constant assessment of the public’s preferences. After interviewing practitioners in the field, one of the hardest tasks of public relations in hospitality is remaining current and staying ahead of your competitors. My findings indicated that public relations is an extremely important facet of hospitality. Garnering what the public is seeking, shaping your brand to this standard, and explicitly indicating this to that same public is critical for the success of a hotel. These are all jobs of a public relations practitioner. Constantly dealing with people and providing them a service they will enjoy takes a lot of prerequisite research, crisis management, image shaping, and networking. Ultimately, this research demonstrated the importance of public relations in hospitality and the skills necessary for entering and remaining successful in this field.