The Chaplin School places strong emphasis on student leadership development. Students enjoy unique study abroad opportunities and benefit from their engagement with a variety of student clubs and honor societies.

Student-Led Clubs and Honor Societies

The Bartender’s Guild at FIU

A student run organization who share a passion, curiosity, and camaraderie for the art and concepts of mixology, craft cocktails, and fine spirits.

Contact Info:  DM us on Instagram @bartendersguild_fiu or email Cindy Zahnd, czahn004@fiu.edu

Collegiate DECA

Collegiate DECA is a student-driven organization that values competence, innovation, integrity, and teamwork. It prepares students for careers by integrating skills learned in the classroom into real-world experiences. Collegiate DECA programs assist in developing academically prepared, community oriented, professionally responsible, experienced leaders. Collegiate DECA conferences and other activities give students unique access to internships, scholarships, competition, and professional networking.
Why Join?

  • Excel in the classroom in areas such as marketing, finance, hospitality, management, and entrepreneurship
  • Gain a competitive edge in the global job market
  • Develop strategic decision making and project management skills
  • Network with business and industry experts and nearly 15,000 students and advisors
  • Receive awards and recognition through competition and leadership action

Contact Information:  Harini Sivaraman, hsiva002@fiu.edu

Website: deca.org/membership/college

Eta Sigma Delta

The FIU Chapter of the International Hospitality and Tourism Honor Society – is an organization with chapters in numerous schools internationally. The FIU chapter has an annual dinner cruise and several other events to get to know one another, network with other students, faculty and industry professionals and to connect with industry leaders. There is at least one charitable event per year.

Students are eligible to join after completion of at least 50 percent of the credits required for the hospitality or tourism degree, with a grade point average of at least 3.40 for undergraduates and 3.70 for graduate students.

Meetings are not regularly scheduled. There are scheduled events and an initiation ceremony.

Faculty Advisor:  Dr. Howook “Sean” Chang, sean.chang@fiu.edu

Hospitality and Sales Marketing Association International (HSMAI)

The Hospitality and Sales Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industry’s leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth.  The association provides hotel professionals & their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue.

Contact Information:  Mike Hampton, mhampton@fiu.edu

National Society of Minorities in Hospitality

The National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH) seeks to educate in order to aid in the recruitment, retention, support, and advancement of minority students in the hospitality industry to build and maintain relationships between hospitality professionals and minority students in ways that encourage lifelong commitment to the organization. The FIU chapter of NSMH is a professional student-led liaison between the industry and hospitality students. We want to make finding a job, honing your networking skills, deciding what you want to do within the hospitality field a little easier with NSMH.

How to Join: Feel free to attend a General Meeting to get a feel for NSMH. Meetings are hosted at both MMC and BBC for your convenience and are held once every month. To formally join, there are 2 steps:

  1. Go online to nsmh.org and register with the FIU chapter for $10.
  2. Bring $10 to the next on campus meeting so you can receive your NSMH t-shirt and business card template.

Contact Information:  Oren Hertz, ohertz@fiu.edu

Website: nsmh.org

Panther Chow

A national non-profit that unites students at colleges and universities to fight food waste and hunger by recovering perishable food that would otherwise go to waste from their campus dining halls and donating it to those in need.  Our goal is to change the norm from food waste to food recovery in the United States.

Contact Information:  Olivia Gonzalez, ogonz140@fiu.edu

Soustainability

The purpose of this club is to give students the tools to make sustainable choices inside and outside of the home via cooking lessons, engaging with local hospitality communities that share the same passion, and more regarding sustainability and hospitality/tourism.

Possible activities include beach clean-ups, food rescue missions, and restoration projects (following CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19), collaborations with Sustainable Souls at FIU, and additional collaborations with other FIU clubs/organizations.

Contact Information: Erika Gonzalez, erika1025g@gmail.com

Student Hospitality Enhanced Leadership Program (S.H.E.L.P.)

The Student Hospitality Enhanced Leadership Program (S.H.E.L.P.) is a select group of students that provides guidance for  the vision and mission of the School and assists in selecting, organizing, and executing activities offered to hospitality students.  Members provide feedback, recommendations, and advice relating to programs that will interest the student body.

Contact Information:  Yulitza Sosa, yulitza.sosa@fiu.edu

Interested in Event or Entertainment Management?  Help us start new organizations!

Potential new student organizations include:

Meeting Professionals International
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the largest meeting and event industry association worldwide.
Contact: Daniel Cormany, dcormany@fiu.edu


Professional Convention Management Association

PCMA is the world’s largest, most respected and most recognized network of business events strategists. Our members are industry leaders.
Contact: Daniel Cormany, dcormany@fiu.edu


International Association of Exhibitions and Events

IAEE is the leading trade association for the global exhibitions and events industry.
Contact: Daniel Cormany, dcormany@fiu.edu