NEW YORK— Attendees at this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show here came away with an earful regarding the allure and advantages of on-line training programs. As outlined by Roy Kennington of the Educational Institute— with considerable input from Michigan State University’s A.J. Singh and former MeriStar executive Richard Brooks— what may well be the primary benefit of on-line training is its ability to reach a wider, virtually unlimited target audience. Moreover, while Kennington maintained that on-line training techniques/applications are still basically in the infancy stage, this venue of hospitality communication, education and information is already “well on its way to paying for itself” among those hoteliers using it. Making the case for on-line training even more convincing, Brooks pointed out that— while the process may not necessarily be faster— training delivered in this manner can certainly be significantly “less expensive [if it is appropriately structured].” Additionally, Singh contended that, in line with the way the on-line training program is designed, data transmitted in this way becomes “more easily accessible to a wider, more dispersed audience.” However, one caveat was offered up by Brooks, who noted “for on-line training to be successful, it demands commitment from the very highest level hand-in-hand with specific, required training for every manager along the line… to be verified by measurable benchmarks.” —Michael Billig
