Undergraduate students in the Hospitality Business Fellows program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business were treated to a “hard hat” tour of The Hotel at the University of Maryland on April 28, 2017. Dressed in hard hats and reflective vests, the students were honored to be the first group to tour the new hotel. 

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Recent backlash against United Airlines following an incident at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport does not surprise Roland Rust, the Distinguished University Professor and David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Big data, business intelligence, predictive analytics, key performance indicators, risk analysis, marketing research – these buzz terms are prolific in the C-suite. At the Inaugural Smith Analytics Conference on April 21, 2017, in Washington, D.C., attendees will learn how to leverage the latest analytics best practices to help improve your company’s bottom line.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Let’s say your company has had a very profitable year, and has decided to reward you, one of its top contributors, with a handsome, 8 percent pay increase. Well done. Now, let’s say it’s just before the holidays. Should your friends and relatives expect an 8 percent raise in your gift-giving budget?

Investing in CRM and Analytics Key to Paradigm Shift in Product Innovation 

SMITH BRAIN TRUST — Fox was unexpectedly scrambling this week to sell the last remaining in-game commercial spots for the Feb.

Roland T. Rust, Distinguished University Professor and David Bruce Smith Chair in Marketing at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business, was recently interviewed by the American Marketing Association (AMA) in the “Marketing Legends” video series.

Gaurav Bhalla, adjunct professor at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and executive fellow of the Center for Excellence in Service (CES), has been named Executive Education Specialist of the Year by Corporate Vision Magazine, a UK-based media company reaching 130,000 top-tier business professionals with global business news and analysis.

On Nov. 28, 2016, students in the Smith Hospitality Business Fellows (HBF) at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business were honored to host Kimo Kippen, vice president of Global Workforce Initiatives at Hilton. Kimo, as he is known, gave a lively and engaging strategic overview of Hilton's business. Topics included Hilton's vision, mission and values; the company's diverse brand portfolio; and its pipeline of new hotels, which is the largest in the world.

SMITH BRAIN TRUST – Last week, Domino's Pizza delivered a pizza by reindeer in Japan.