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Preferential Rate Available at the Conference Venue – The Ravenala Attitude Hotel (Approx. USD 170 per night, Half Board)
Professor Jay Kandampully (The Ohio State University, USA)
Dr. Jay Kandampully is a professor of service management and hospitality at The Ohio State University, USA. He serves as the CTF International Fellow at the University of Karlstad, Sweden and International Fellow at the University of Namur, Belgium. Jay served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Service Management (JOSM) for the past 14 years and serves on the editorial advisory board of 10 refereed international journals. Jay is cited by Stanford University’s Index 2021 of top 2% scientists in their fields, based on citations of research and was cited by Stanford University Index 2024 for career-long impact. Jay received the EHE (OSU) distinguished Research Award (2024). He holds a PhD in service quality management, and an MBA, specialising in services marketing, both from the University of Exeter, England. His professional qualification is in Hotel Management from Salzburg, Austria and from the University College Birmingham, UK. His educational qualifications have been well supported by nine years of senior management roles in Europe, India and in the USA. Jay has written and edited eleven books. His latest two books are: Service Management Principles: For Hospitality and Tourism in the Age of Digital Technology (2024; co-authors David Solnet and Anil Bilgihan) and Service Management and Marketing Principles: Competing in the Service Economy (2024; Co-author David Solnet). Additionally, he has published over 100 articles and has presented numerous papers at international conferences on issues relating to services management and marketing, service brands and service innovations. As an academic he lived and worked in New Zealand and Australia prior to moving to the USA. He serves as the Chair of International Research Symposium in Service Management (IRSSM).
Professor David Solnet (The University of Queensland, Australia)
David Solnet is a Professor of Service Management and Service Work in the UQ Business School. He is recognized internationally for his research, teaching and consulting, all focused on managing and leading service organizations, with particular emphasis on managing the employee-customer interface. His research focuses on frontline employees and the relationships between management practices, employee attitudes and firm performance. David is a sought after advisor to industry and government, specializing on business improvement, financial analysis, service quality and management development programs. He comes from a restaurant background, with over 18 years of experience including senior management roles in the USA and Australia. David coleads the workforce research team in the tourism discipline at the UQ Business School and has been a principal investigator on a number of state and national projects including two 'tourism employment plans' as part of the Australian Commonwealth Government initiative to address employment challenges in regional areas in Australia and he works as an expert advisor to Austrade on workforce development. Professor Solnet has published over 60 academic journal articles with over 8,000 citations,, and his work consistently appears in the top journals in his field, such as the Journal of Service Management, Journal of Business and Psychology, European Management Review, Group and Organizaition Management, Annals of Tourism Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management and the Journal of Travel Research.
Professor Allard van Riel (University of Hasselt, Belgium)
Allard van Riel is a Professor of Service Innovation Management in the Department of Marketing and Strategy of Hasselt University in Belgium. He obtained his PhD from Maastricht University in the Netherlands. Allard currently serves as head of the Master of Management Programme, one of three international study programmes at Hasselt University. He has much experience in Executive Education. As a former associate dean of research, and director of a research institute, he is currently heavily involved in education and the organization of education in Tourism and Service Marketing and Management. He is recognized internationally for his research and teaching, focused on service excellence through customer-oriented product and process innovation. His research focuses on high tech service innovation, e.g., the use of AI in services, and sustainable supply chain management. Allard advises educational institutions and industry, specializing on customer-oriented innovation. He comes from a Higher-Ed publishing background. Professor Van Riel authored and co-authored over one hundred academic journal articles with over 12.000 citations. His work appears in the top journals in his field, such as the Journal of Service Research, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Advertising, Journal of Product Innovation Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, Journal of Service Marketing and Cornell Hospitality Quarterly.
Associate Professor Linda Alkire (Texas State University, USA)
Dr. Linda Alkire is an Associate Professor of Marketing, the Vicki L. West Excellence Endowed Professor, and the Director of the Center for Professional Sales at Texas State University, USA. A leading global scholar, Dr. Alkire is internationally recognized for her contributions to Transformative Service Research (TSR), a field dedicated to enhancing societal well-being through service innovation and design. Her transdisciplinary approach addresses critical societal challenges and provides transformative insights for service providers, emphasizing the integration of technology, policy, and human-centric service delivery. Dr. Alkire's academic achievements include over 35 peer-reviewed publications in leading academic journals, more than 60 conference presentations, and over 15 prestigious research awards, underscoring her commitment to advancing service scholarship. In 2024, Dr. Alkire was honored as the Emerging Service Scholar by AMA SERVSIG, recognizing her innovative contributions to the field and her growing influence as a thought leader. In addition to her research, Dr. Alkire is actively involved in editorial leadership. She serves as the Editorial Director of the Journal of Service Management and as Associate Editor for the Journal of Services Marketing, Service Industries Journal, and the Journal of Social Impact in Business Research. Dr. Alkire is also a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) Academic Council and co-chair the 2025 Winter AMA Academic Conference. Dr. Alkire’s international research reputation is further enhanced by extended visits to esteemed universities in countries such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Japan, China, and Belgium. As Director of the Center for Professional Sales, she is committed to advancing excellence in professional sales education and fostering partnerships with corporate and academic stakeholders. Dr. Alkire is a passionate advocate for academic inclusion and diversity. She dedicates herself to mentoring students and scholars from underrepresented and emerging regions and supporting early-career researchers to achieve their full potential. Through her initiatives, she strives to build a more inclusive and supportive academic community.
Professor Anil Bilgihan (Florida Atlantic University, USA)
Dr. Anil Bilgihan is a distinguished professor at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, holding the Mangurian Professorship. A leading scholar in services marketing and hospitality information systems, Dr. Bilgihan has authored over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, which have been cited more than 15,000 times. His research focuses on the applications and impact of technology, digital marketing, user experience, and online social interactions within the services industries. Dr. Bilgihan’s academic work has been published in premier journals, including Tourism Management, Information & Management, Internet Research, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Hospitality Management, Computers in Human Behavior, and Journal of Service Management. He is also the co-author of the widely adopted textbook Hospitality Information Technology: Learning How to Use It. Dr. Bilgihan earned his Ph.D. from the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and an M.S. from the University of Delaware. Before joining FAU in 2013, he held positions at The Ohio State University. He currently serves as the associate editor for Psychology & Marketing and co-editor for the Journal of International Hospitality Management. Throughout his career, Dr. Bilgihan has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the FAU Scholar of the Year Award, the Cisco Extensive Research Award, and the Highly Commended Award from the Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards. His contributions continue to shape the understanding of technology’s role in enhancing customer experiences and business performance in the hospitality and services sectors.
Professor Srikanth Beldona (University of Delaware, USA)
Srikanth Beldona is a Professor and former department chair of the Department of Hospitality & Sport Business Management at the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, University of Delaware. He earned his Ph.D. from Purdue University. His focus of research is consumer psychology of hospitality, travel and technology-enabled experiences. He has published over 50 articles, and his research has appeared in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, Tourism Management, Journal of Service Management, Journal of Travel Research and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly among others. He serves on the editorial boards of top tier journals and was honored as one of 2015’s Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Marketing by Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). His opinions on hospitality and travel trends have been cited in the Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Adweek, etc.
Professor Mahesh Subramony (Northern Illinois University, USA)
Mahesh Subramony, PhD is a professor of management at Northern Illinois University in USA. His research program is focused on the relationship between workers, organizations, and customers with the overarching aim of enhancing these linkages. Mahesh's two primary research streams are: frontline (boundary-spanning) service work, and strategic human resource management. He is additionally interested in the exploration of technology and the changing nature of work during disruptive times and its implications for the organizational frontlines. Mahesh’s scholarly publications have appeared in leading business journals including, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Academy of Management Journal, Human Resource Management, and the Journal of Service Research. He is on the editorial boards of prominent journals including Human Resource Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Journal of Business and Psychology; and has served as associate editor for Journal of Business Research, Journal of Service Management, and the Journal of Service Research.
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