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Unit 2 Exploring Careers in Family and Consumer Sciences
group and negotiates the event plan, including
menu choices, the number of expected attend-
ees, meeting room configurations, and any spe-
cial needs such as audiovisual equipment, local
tours, or transportation.
During the meeting or event, convention ser-
vices managers orchestrate the fine details such
as transportation and accommodations of par-
ticipants, facilities, catering, signage, displays,
translation, audiovisual equipment, printing,
and security. They monitor spending during
the event to ensure it is staying within budget
guidelines and constantly check and make sure
the expectations of the group are being met and
any problems are quickly resolved.
To be successful in the event and meeting
management sector, you must have creativity,
interpersonal skills, organizational and time
management skills, good written and oral
communication, attention to detail, and the abil-
ity to multitask and problem-solve in sometimes
stressful situations.
Professional Profi le Professional Profi le
General Manager/Hotel
Manager
William Mehalco
Hotel Indigo New York City – Chelsea
How did you get into
your line of work?
My fascination with hotels began when my father took my brother and
me to Walt Disney World when I was seven. All I wanted to do was stay in
the hotel! I still remember inspecting a guestroom hallway for cleanliness.
From that experience on, whenever I stayed in a hotel, I made it a point to
walk the property and learn about how it functioned.
In college I was in the hospitality management major and decided to
join the Hospitality Management Society (HMS). Joining the group allowed
me to attend the International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant show in New York
City. When I got out of the van, I felt the energy and opportunity in New York
City that I remembered from the hotel in Disney World.
From joining the Hospitality Management Society, I learned that I
needed to gain experience in the hotel industry while still a student and
that I wanted to get to NYC. Through HMS I was able to network and
obtain a job at a well-known hotel in my area. I worked as a bellman, and in
engineering and housekeeping. With NYC in my dreams, I worked hard and
would stay well after my shifts without pay to gain more experience. I was
promoted to front desk agent, and once I graduated from college, I became
front office manager. After two years as front office manager, while also
traveling with the management company assisting other hotels, I decided it
was time to take my chance at the Big Apple.
They say if you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere. Well, to
“make it” in NYC is the hardest thing I have ever experienced. People are
extremely talented, tough, fast, smart, and eager to do whatever it takes to
succeed. I worked in a couple hotels and slowly learned the tips and met
the right people to get me through my first year. Then I got my chance to