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The Hospitality Journey : Ideas that shape the industry

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Behind Every Hotel, Restaurant and Brewery Is a Story: FSU Hosts Free 'Hospitality Journey' Summit on November 13th 
Framingham State's Entrepreneur Innovation Center hosts a day of panels, fireside chats and networking at the Warren Conference Center and Inn in Ashland.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass (Nov 2, 2026) - On Friday, November 13th, 2026, the Entrepreneur Innovation Center (EIC) of Framingham State University will host a hospitality innovation gathering and event at the Warren Conference Center and Inn, which is owned by Framingham State University, in Ashland, MA. Tourism is an important driver of economic development in the Greater Boston area, including the MetroWest region.  
See more here on the EIC event website: https://innovation-fsu.org/the-hospitality-journey/
Dubbed “The Hospitality Journey”, the event centers around the ideas, innovations, and opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industries. Behind every hospitality business is a story of ideas, risks, challenges, and growth. Participants will hear from industry leaders and entrepreneurs as they share the experiences that shaped their journeys, the lessons they learned along the way, and what it really takes to build a path in the world of hospitality.
“Hospitality has always been an entrepreneur’s industry. Every hotel, restaurant and travel business starts with someone willing to take a risk on an idea and build a team around it,” said Dr. John Palabiyik, Chair of the Department of Management and Business & IT and Coordinator of the Hospitality & Tourism Management program at Framingham State University. “But what turns an idea into a lasting business is a hospitality mindset: genuine care for guests, for employees and for the community. Having spent much of my career opening hotels, restaurants, and travel, I know how much students gain from hearing those stories firsthand, and this summit gives them direct access to the people shaping the future of hospitality in Greater Boston.”
“Following the first Food Entrepreneurship Summit in the Fall of 2025, the EIC decided this Fall of 2026 to widen the remit of the summit to include the wider hospitality industry” remarked Michael Clouser, Director of the EIC.  “Themes including marketing, finance, branding, human resources, innovation, creativity and the future of the hospitality industry will be explored at the gathering”.
Industry speakers and panelists include the following:
  • Sam Hendler, Founder and Owner, Jack’s Abby Craft Lagers
  • Camila Hennessey, Business Analyst and Researcher, Massachusetts Restaurant Association
  • Preston Puelo, Advisor, Hospitality, Cushman and Wakefield
  • Gardy Desroleaux, Founder and Managing Partner, Craft Food Halls
  • Raiza Y. Fonseca, Researcher and Analyst, Encore Global
  • Michele Grosso, Managing Director, The Langham Boston
  • Michael Clouser, Director of the Entrepreneur Innovation Center
  • Leora Halpern Lanz, ISHC, Author and Professor of the Practice, Boston University School of Hotel Administration
Leora Halpern Lanz authored two recently published books on marketing including Developing Your Marketing Mindset: Real World Lessons from Hospitality (2025). She will engage in a fireside chat with the Senior Intern of the EIC, Paulina Guerra Pazmino, herself a marketing major in the College of Business at Framingham State University.  This is a student-led event that is very much organized by students of FSU. Student volunteers will gain event experience themselves both before and during this hospitality summit.
Sessions including panels, fireside chats, and presentations begin at 9:00 am and end at 5:00 pm. A reception will follow from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm, giving participants an opportunity to connect with others. Attendees may drop in at any time that suits them. The event is free and open to the public, anyone interested in hospitality, which is considered to span hotels, restaurants, tourism-oriented business, and related service organizations. Students, faculty members, professionals, and others interested in hospitality are invited to come along during the day and evening happenings.
Collaborating with the EIC are the Hospitality and Tourism Management program in the Department of Management and Business & IT, College of Business, and the Warren Conference Center and Inn.
About the Entrepreneur Innovation Center (EIC) at FSU
The EIC at FSU sits within the College of Business (CoB) and was established in 2013. Its mission is to serve the wider MetroWest community of entrepreneurs and innovators, and also inspiring, assisting and educating students at FSU with new venture creation and knowledge in the realm of innovation and what is possible. Its programs including student intern placement with entrepreneurial ventures both local and afar, accelerators (for both external and student entrepreneur audiences), field trips and events for both learning and connection-building. Recent field trips for FSU students included visitation and participation in Boston Startup Week, CIC’s Venture Café, Babson’s “400 Founders in a Room”, and Boston University’s IDEAcon. Recently the EIC organized and hosted the Food Entrepreneurship Summit in the Fall of 2025, and MetroWest Startup Week in the Spring of 2026. This year EIC helped start and now advises an on-campus entrepreneurship club for FSU students, CEO, which is part of a wider network of 250+ student-led chapters around world. Other learning- and networking- focused events from the EIC include e-Commerce and social media marketing workshops, Practice Pitch Sessions for entrepreneurs, and New Product Launch events for local startups. The EICs website can be found here https://innovation-fsu.org/
About The Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTMG) Program at FSU
The Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTMG) program in Framingham State University’s College of Business prepares students for leadership careers in hotels, restaurants, events, travel and tourism. Housed in the Department of Management and Business & IT, the program combines a strong business foundation with hands-on, industry-connected learning and a hospitality mindset that serves graduates in any service-driven career

The Hospitality Journey : Ideas that shape the industry