Programs & Majors

Open forum at DCTC Apple Valley site

All are welcome to join in the discussion about the various shades of green in today's hospitality environment during a FREE open forum with industry professionals sponsored by Dakota County Technical College. Audience and panel members will talk about how green technology and sustainability have influenced their businesses, their customers and their ROI.

The debate surrounding the benefits of going green and becoming sustainable has moved from a mainstream trend to a serious mandate for many leaders in the hospitality industry. Others have taken a more watchful approach while considering the impact green will have on their bottom lines. Some continue to hope that the green movement really is a passing fad.

The topic has many dimensions and motivations with perspectives that differ for each facet of our industry. Venue operators, vendors and planners are invited to explore the many shades of green with the following panel of industry experts:

• Kate Bartelt, Senior Associate, Richardson Richter & Associates, Inc.
• Mary Elizabeth Berglund, Public Health Program Supervisor, Community Involvement,
  Saint Paul-Ramsey County Department of Public Health, Environmental Health
• Lora Gray, CMP, Manager, Meeting Planning, Meetings & Media Production, Target
• Kim Meck, CMP, Manager, Meetings, Events, and Tradeshows, 3M
• Laura Mullen, Owner & Event Designer, Laura Mullen Event Design
• Chuck Paton, General Manager, The Hotel Ivy

For more information on the Shades of Green forum, please contact Jessica Bartram, DCTC Meeting and Event Management instructor, at 651-423-8604, or Jessica.Bartram@dctc.edu

Annette Marquez tutoring college students in event planning

ROSEMOUNT, Minn., Oct. 14, 2009—Lucie Mikolaskova, a 22-year-old from the Czech Republic, is pursuing a career in the hospitality industry as a student at Dakota County Technical College—and doing so with tutoring help from Annette Marquez, a former DCTC student who owns and manages her own local event-planning business, The Perfect Occasion.

Although proficient in her native Czech and English, Mikolaskova asked Marquez for help because she had difficulty grasping the technical terms and inside business language in her studies. Marquez occasionally serves as a guest speaker at DCTC and is a member of the college's Hospitality Advisory Committee.

Marquez readily agreed to accept the tutoring role. "Lucie's English is good," she said. "I just help her understand her assignments and then review her work to make sure it meets all the assignment's requirements."

Mikolaskova, who presently resides in Apple Valley, came to the U.S. at age 19 after earning a business-related degree in the Czech Republic, where her family still lives.  She speaks German and Slovak as well as English and her native Czech.

"Tutoring is one of the best ways to thank the college for my education in hospitality management," explained Marquez, who also earned a B.S. in restaurant management from Kansas State University. She has 15 years of management experience in the private business world. In October 2005, she started The Perfect Occasion, which is based in Eagan and offers professional event planning to clients throughout the metropolitan area.

In addition to tutoring, Marquez designs internships for individual students, allowing them to participate in the nuts and bolts of planning and implementing actual events managed by her business. She also shares her extensive industry experience with DCTC hospitality classes, which are delivered at the college’s Apple Valley site in the Partners in Higher Education building.

"It's a great way to give back," Marquez said. "By sharing whatever benefits my knowledge and experience can offer, I'm working to help people grow their talents, gain valuable experience and develop more confidence."

As an active member of Meeting Professionals International, Marquez helps plan monthly educational events through the organization's Education Committee.

For more information about Marquez's event planning service, visit www.theperfectoccasion.net. For direct help with planning an event, please contact Annette Marquez at 651-405-0392, or events@theperfectoccasion.net.

For more information on Hospitality Careers at DCTC, visit www.dctc.edu, or contact Rosealee Lee, DCTC Meeting and Event Management instructor, at 651-423-8604, or rosealee.lee@dctc.edu.

Panel of Experts Shares Hospitality Perspectives

ROSEMOUNT, Minn., April 9, 2009—The Meeting and Event Management program at Dakota County Technical College is presenting a Hospitality Perspectives panel discussion titled "Debunk the Myths of Today's Meeting and Event Industry" on Thursday, April 30, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the college's Apple Valley site.

Ann Turner, editor of Minnesota Meetings + Events magazine, will moderate a panel of seasoned industry leaders in a dynamic discussion centered on myths and their impact on the hospitality industry. A networking reception will follow the panel discussion. Students in the DCTC Meeting and Event Management program coordinated this Hospitality Perspectives event.

Panel Members:

• Barbara Madigan, sales manager, Crowne Plaza St. Paul Riverfront
• Joan Rausch, director special events, Minnesota Chamber of Commerce
• Rosealee Lee, CAE, faculty, DCTC Meeting and Event Management program
• Sam Thompson, president and CEO, metroConnections

Reserve your seat by contacting Gloria Kowalczyk at 651-423-8612 or gloria.kowalczyk@dctc.edu. Walk-ins welcome.

Debunk the Myths in Today's Meeting and Event Industry
A Hospitality Perspectives Event

• Thursday, April 30
• 4:30–6:30 p.m.
• Dakota County Technical College Apple Valley Site
  14200 Cedar Ave.
  Apple Valley, MN 55124
• 651-423-8600

As the largest service industry in the world, hospitality offers amazingly diverse career opportunities. Through online courses and hands-on classes at the DCTC Apple Valley site, the Meeting and Event Management program serves a student population that reaches around the world. The program gives students the knowledge and skill sets to enter the hospitality industry with the ability to offer premier services and guest satisfaction. Graduates find satisfying and lucrative positions with meeting, conference and event management businesses, marketing and public relations firms, nonprofit and for-profit corporations, hotels, golf and country clubs, casinos, resorts and other industry attractions.

The DCTC Meeting and Event Management program is opening eyes to extraordinary lives and helping students of all ages reinvent their careers.

Contact Instructor Rosealee Lee at 651-423-8604 or rosealee.lee@dctc.edu for more information about the Meeting and Event Management program.

Discover real world perspectives and future trends from seasoned industry leaders

April 17, 2008

Meeting and Event Management program at DCTC is hosting an event that will take place on April 17th, in the late afternoon that is open to all students, prospective students, and faculty. It's purpose is to talk about the Hospitality Industry, network with professionals, celebrate the graduating seniors, and welcome new students interested in the program.

Discover real world perspectives and future trends from seasoned industry leaders with a dynamic panel discussion moderated by Michael Bergman, former president of MN MPI and Director of Group Sales, Hilton Minneapolis. The afternoon will conclude with an inspiring networking opportunity for hospitality industry professionals.

Dakota County Technical College Hospitality Perspectives

• Thursday, April 17th, 2008
• 4:30pm: Insight Panel Discussion
• 5:15pm: Networking Celebration
• Location: Partners in Higher Education
  14200 Cedar Ave., Apple Valley, MN 55124

The hospitality industry is the largest industry in the world. This dynamic trade never sleeps; generating trends while spotlighting skills and creativity. At the Hospitality Perspectives event on April 17, industry experts will focus on these developments. Join panelists Becky Harris, CSEP, Group Sales Manager of Hilton Minneapolis, Debbie Van Ravenhorst, Regional Vice President of HelmsBriscoe, Paul Fasching, Convention Service Manager of the DoubleTree Hotel Minneapolis Park Place, Gary Donatell, Sales Manager of Freeman, Emily Nelson, Event Coordinator for the Carlson School of Management and Marnie Fleming, Event and Meeting Planner for Data Sciences International. The panel will be moderated by Michael E. Bergman, Group Sales Manager of Hilton Minneapolis. Stay for a networking celebrating immediately following the Insight Panel Discussion.

A special thank you to the Minnesota Chapters of MPI and ISES for their participation.

For more information, call (651) 423-8604 or email Rosealee Lee at rosealee.lee@dctc.edu.

May 5, 2006

ROSEMOUNT, Minn. - Until three years ago when the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recognized meeting and event planning as an occupational classification, it was a career choice off the radar screens of most.

Since then, it has evolved rapidly, and in April, CNN/Money magazine ranked meeting/event planner at 39th on the list of "The 50 Best Jobs in America."

Some of the reason for its ranking is an average income of $56,000 and projections showing 22% growth in jobs over the next 10 years, statistics well ahead of many more established occupations. And as the industry continues to advance its formalization, there is a growing demand for appropriate training and education.

Dakota County Technical College has recognized the demands of this industry and has begun broadening the scope of coursed offered in order to address the techniques and preparatory skills necessary to enter and competently participate in this field.

Courses now included basic and advanced meeting conference and event management, special events coordination and management, meeting and event promotion, meeting and event risk management, meeting and event scholarship, event design, trade show management and international meeting management.

In order to cater to the needs of wide range of individuals, courses are available both online and in the classroom, with convenient weekend scheduling for the working adult.

These courses have been designed and are led by Rosealee M. Lee, a Certified Association Executive. She is a highly recognized professional in the field with 30 years of experience and is a leading member of several national and regional professional organizations, including the Professional Convention Management Association and the American Society of Association Executives.

With her vast knowledge and background, Rosealee's course materials relate beyond the structured realm of theory and are richly enhanced with real-world, practical examples. For further information, contact Rosealee M. Lee at rosealee.lee@dctc.edu.