SKAL Newsletter Vol. 6 – August, 2013
NEWS & UPDATES
Summary of July Luncheon
This month our SKAL monthly luncheon was held at JW Marriott, where fellow skalleague General Manager Richard Saul graciously welcomed us to our July meeting. Fortunately the weather was on our side, so we were able to take advantage of the adjoining patio to enjoy our pre-luncheon cocktails outdoors before meandering into the ‘Classic 7’ Meeting Room for our specially selected luncheon menu. President Maureen O’Crowley suggested skalleagues dress in a red, white and blue theme, for America’s Independence Day celebrated in the month of July, or a nautical theme in acknowledgement of our guest speaker, Mr. Young-Jae Choi, Team Manager of Seoul Marina Club &Yacht. Mr. Young-Jae Choi informed us of some of their clubs services and fellow skalleagues asked questions enthusiastically even before he was able to finish his presentation!
President Maureen O’Crowley announced at our luncheon the Grand Opening of the Gangnam Tourist Information Center and hopes members will take advantage of their services. The SKAL Seoul BOD had a meeting after lunch to discuss future activities for the latter half of this year. Our next meeting will be held on September 10th at the Grand Hyatt Seoul which will also be our annual BBQ . We hope that all our skallegues will have a safe and memorable summer. President Maureen O’Crowley and the BOD want to extend a thank you to all members for their continued support, participation and enthusiasm in our monthly events. SKAL!
Han River Cruise August Hiatus
For our summer hiatus get-together, President Maureen O’Crowley arranged for SKAL Seoul members and guests to go on a delightful cruise of the Han River, following dinner at the Seoul Marina club and Yacht. The highlight of the cruise was seeing the colored lights and the fountains at the Banpo Bridge bystarlight. The wine and fresh breeze were enjoyed by all as members sang international folk songs and toasts were made. Thank you to Mr. Young-Jae Choi of the Seoul Marina club and Yacht for helping to support our summer evening adventure. SKAL!
SKAL SEOUL Website: www.skalseoul.org
SKAL SEOUL Facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/skal.seoul
Skal Congresses 2013 – 2014
Skal World Congress 2013
New York, USA
September 28th – October 5th
Website Links
Skål World Congress 2014
Mexico City, Mexico
October 25th – October 30th
–
Skal International World Congress 2012
Videos
Skal World Congress
Skal World Congress Dine Around
Upcoming Seoul Club Meeting Schedule
| No. | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 3rd | Skal BBQ at Grand Hyatt Hotel |
| 2 | October 8th | Novotel Ambassador Hotel |
| 3 | November 12th | Lotte Downtown |
| 4 | December 13th | Skal Xmas Party (Venue TBC) |
MEMBER NEWS
Skal Member Benefits / Discounts
Choose from dozens of specials offered exclusively to Skål members. From rental cars and cruises to restaurants, tours and accommodation.
- Resorts
- Cruises
- Restaurants
- Hotels
- Rental Cars
- Tour Attractions
- Entertainment & More!
Birthdays
AUGUST
- Stefano A. Ruzza (Aug. 03)
- Brian Harris (Aug. 22)
- Nicole Shipton (Aug. 23)
SEPTEMBER
- Boyeong Kim (Sept. 04)
- Kay S Lee (Sept. 05)
- Nils-Arne Schroeder (Sept. 09)
- Felipe Lagos Guichard (S. 09)
- Kyuduk Han (Sept. 11)
- Sonia Hong (Sept. 14)
- Sunkyung Pai (Sept. 25)
- Jaechan Leigh (Sept. 27)
- Chanho Hong (Sept. 28)
- Kyunghyuk Minn (Sept. 28)
INDUSTRY PARTNER FEATURE
Partner Information
Korea Hospitality Evaluation Research (KHER) is a research organization that started in 2004 under the authorization of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is the goal of KHER to contribute to promotion, distribution, and ‘globalization’ of Korean culture and tourism.
KHER does this through various venues, such as on a public engagement level with educational seminars and supporting international exchanges; and on a professional industry level with consultation and management of tourist commodities and institutionalizing brand grading.
Please refer to our KHER magazine called Brand in Culture & Tourism for a more concise understanding of one of the byproducts of Korea Hospitality Evaluation Research.
Interview Q&A
Dong-Seung Kim
Chairman
Korea Tourism & Hosp. Evaluation RI
1. WHO ARE YOU?
I am a retired professor from Tourism Department of Kyung-hee University’s Tourism Department. In 2004, after retirement I established Korea Hospitality Evaluation Research (KHER. As Founder and President of KHER, and publisher of the magazine ‘Brand in Culture and Tourism’, I have worked for quality improvement in Korea’s hospitality industry.
2. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT WORKING AT KHER?
Our main work is evaluation. I take great pleasure evaluating on culture and tourism aspects. I focus on improvement within the industry and try to provide solutions to pertinent issues.
3. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SKAL?
Through SKAL, we can share common interests. SKAL meetings are very informative and entertaining to me as it allows me the chance to meet people from diverse cultures and experiences within the Tourism field.
4. HOW DID YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH YOUR CURRENT POSITION?
I have worked as CEO of KHER since 2004. I received authorization from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to evaluate ‘Brand’ in the hospitality field within the Republic of Korea.
5. HOW DO YOU HANDLE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS?
Our main challenge and difficulty is to maintain fairness and reliability in our evaluation process. I overcome such difficulty through maintaining standardization and expertise. I try to constantly be in communication with diverse experts in the field as well. And finally, it is through travel that I find my best way to recharge my battery, in this way I get inspiration for new ideas.
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