The hospitality industry's role in international business and the global economy will be the focus for the 86th annual Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC), to be held April 7-10 in the School of Hotel Administration's (SHA) Statler Hall.

HEC is designed to allow students to practice skills they have learned in the classroom and to showcase their talents to hospitality industry leaders.

A few of the topics panelists and speakers will address:

The program will also feature "Living Globally, Acting Locally," a talk by Ben Justus '08, founder of EGBOK (Everything's Gonna Be OK) Mission, on empowering young adults in developing countries to work in the hospitality industry; "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef," an innovative cooking demonstration and discussion with Stephen Lewandowski, executive chef of Tribeca Grill, and Drew Nieporent, owner of Myriad Restaurant group; the Cornell Hospitality Business Plan Competition; a variety of internationally themed tastings and demonstrations; and a silent auction to benefit the HEC endowment fund.

For more information or to register: http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/academics/hec/.