Hospitality Careers Students Roll Out Blue Carpet for RNC Delegates

More than a dozen students and alumni from Dakota County Technical College's Hospitality Careers programs served as volunteer Delegate Hospitality Ambassadors aboard the Betsey Northrup on Sept. 4 during a cruise on the Mississippi River hosted by the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation and sponsored by the McKnight Foundation.

Nearly 300 Republican National Convention delegates from 10 states bordering the Mississippi took part in the "Headwaters to Gulf Mixer on the Mississippi," which showcased riverfront development and natural areas between Harriet Island and the Big Muddy's confluence with the Minnesota River.

Caroline Mehlhop, associate director of development for the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, reported that representatives from the National Park Service, St. Paul Parks and Recreation, and a number of elected officials from Minnesota joined the delegates on the paddlewheeler, which is owned and operated by Padelford Riverboats.

Mehlhop also praised the DCTC volunteers, noting that they take their work very seriously. "The students from Dakota County Technical College are high-caliber," she said. "They are professional and have the ability to troubleshoot on the job."

Amy Jones, a student in the Meeting and Event Management program, worked with the Tennessee delegation. She considered the cruise a tremendous learning experience and was honored to be part of a nonpartisan event that championed the conservation of the Mississippi River and its waterfront.

Patrick Seeb, executive director of the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, a private nonprofit organization based in downtown St. Paul, was pleased with the success of the riverboat outing. He noted that Mayor Chris Coleman greeted the delegates following the cruise, and along with other area civic leaders, made the delegates feel exceptionally welcome.

The Meeting and Event Management program prepares students to enter a truly
exciting industry. Individuals already employed as meeting planners or in
tourism, hotel, and convention service positions will expand their career
opportunities with the program's comprehensive curriculum.

The DCTC program serves as the missing ingredient for individuals who want to offer premier services and guest satisfaction to many different types of customers in a variety of industry businesses:

• Convention and visitor bureaus
• Travel agencies
• Meeting, conference and event management businesses
• Marketing and public relations firms
• For-profit and nonprofit corporations
• Golf and country clubs
• Zoos
• Resorts
• Guest-centered attractions offering food, lodging or meeting spaces

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for meeting and convention planners is expected to grow 20 percent through 2016, which is faster than the national average. Job openings will result from employment growth and the need to replace workers who leave the workforce or transfer to other occupations.