[Foundations] Challenge of Innovation (During)

Professor Jones challenges student interns to become drivers of innovation during their work experience. Drawing on hospitality tech trends and service delivery examples, he offers practical ways interns can identify improvement opportunities and bring fresh Gen Z insight to real-world problems.

Key Takeaways:

• Students can lead service innovation by pairing tech with improved delivery systems.
• Use the “3 W’s” of innovation: Why, Where, and When to innovate during an internship.
• Interns should observe and improve how guest requests, communication, and check-in/out are handled.
• Opportunities for innovation exist across meeting planning, hybrid events, and guest-facing hotel technologies.
• Your fresh perspective as a Gen Z digital native is a valuable asset — use it to improve both guest experience and team efficiency.