Luxury and indulgence may be harder to find in the weak economy, but the School of Hotel Administration students running the 85th annual Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC) made a case that service is key not only to hospitality, but to creating a memorable weekend.

"Managing Through and Thinking Forward: Opportunities for Innovation in the Down Economy" was this year's theme for HEC, an educational, student-run event that brings together hospitality leaders, alumni and students.

Speakers and panel discussions focused on finding creative ways to stay ahead in lean times. Although "nobody knows anything for sure, and opportunities aren't certain, businesses continue to run," said panelist Art Buser '89, CEO of Sunstone Hotel Investors. He and other alumni discussed the future of hotel activity as the economy improves as part of a panel titled "Investing in a Tight Market."

Many new opportunities for both investors and hospitality industry leaders are taking shape in Asian markets, said Roger Hill '87, CEO and chairman of Gettys, a hospitality development and design firm. Simon Turner '83, president of global development for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc., added that branding remains important. Private asset holders have been eager to place their properties under the Starwood banner to benefit from the brand recognition, Turner said.

The weekend was not all about austerity, though. One new event, the Guittard Chocolate Demonstration, featured students creating delectable treats that they perfected while working with Guittard Chocolate during a semester at the Culinary Institute of America. (The Hotel School and CIA offer a cooperative degree program.)

Also for the first time, HEC featured open house hours in which guests could explore "behind the scenes" of HEC operations.

At the core of HEC's theme of innovation and opportunity was the student business plan and research project competition, which allowed students to compete for prize money and gave entrepreneurial alumni a look at potential investments. The student showcase encompassed everything from creative ways to market hot dogs to "Mobile Applications for the Hospitality Industry," a research project by Laura McCarthy '10 and Debbie Stock '10, which the students hope to submit to the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, a magazine published by Cornell's Center for Hospitality Research.

The weekend closed with a cocktail party and gala, held in Weill Hall for the first time. "We wanted to bring Hotelies away from Statler and have fun in a down economy while showcasing the university," said Alison Harrigan '10, strategy director for HEC.

The event is a fundamental part of the SHA experience, Harrigan added -- and it's also central to the school's strong alumni network. "This is an important part of my connection to the Hotel School -- I'll definitely want to come back to HEC," she said.

This year's event -- her last as a student -- came together particularly well, she said.

"I think that HEC is just a magical time at the Hotel School. This year more than ever, I felt, the students felt that magic and went with it."

Nathaniel Steele '11 is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.