Ohio State University students in the Hospitality Management Program recently applied their skills by organizing the annual Big Dish event. This upscale reception, held at The Stack at Municipal Light in downtown Columbus, is part of Ohio’s In-Demand Jobs Week and draws around 200 attendees each year.
The event was coordinated by students from the College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE) who are enrolled in an event-planning class. These students collaborated with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, which manages the venue, to plan various aspects of the event including menu selection and scripting for emcee Angela Pace. Professor Annemarie Turpin noted that through this process, students gained valuable experience in leadership, communication, teamwork, and logistics.
“These students have gained hands-on experience not only planning the event but also leadership, communication, teamwork, logistics and more,” said Turpin. “The students have gone up a very steep learning curve. They’ve gone the extra mile throughout the semester, and I have no doubt they have learned a lot that they’ll carry with them.”
EHE Dean Don Pope-Davis highlighted how coordinating such events allows students to practice what they learn academically. “They get to see all of the aspects of what it takes to put something like this on and bring to it what I would call a white-glove approach,” he said.
During the event, Sophia Troutman received the Student Leadership Award. She reflected on her experiences within the program: “I embraced every opportunity that came my way… My most transformative moments include holding a leadership position in the Hospitality Management Association as a public relations officer, and then later accepting the nomination as president.”
Vinny Provenzano also shared his insights on participating in Big Dish: “It’s an opportunity to meet so many people and network… We’ve learned what’s gone into event planning.”
Additionally, Professor Jay Kandampully was honored for his contributions to the program. Erik Porfeli praised Kandampully’s mentorship: “He’s been a profound and highly impactful mentor and leader to numerous graduate students who have gone on to become faculty members themselves.”
