The legacy and spirit of industry leader Patti Shock, a visionary who pioneered the academic track for meetings and events, was celebrated in true Patti fashion December 9th at The International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas.
Patti Shock’s trajectory—daughter of a female ‘50s-era restaurant owner to one of hospitality’s most revered F&B experts and MICE education advocates—will undoubtedly continue to inspire and take care of future generations. I say undoubtedly, because Shock has left a legacy that is woven into the very fabric of the lives of those who work in the hospitality industry and its meetings and events offshoot. Her work played a defining role in institutionalizing the educational component of hospitality and the MICE industry.
We can go on and on about Shock’s professional achievements: Pioneer of the first college-level academic career tract for the MICE industry, chair of the tourism and convention administration department at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), director of distance learning at Harrah College of Hotel Administration UNLV, educator of the year, proponent of online courses at Florida International University and Kennesaw State University, professor at The International School of Hospitality (TISOH), which dons a scholarship in her name, and inductee in the Events Industry Council (EIC) Hall of Leaders. Shock was an MPI member for 25 years. But what those who knew her best will remember, as her colleague and friend Joan Eisenstodt wrote so eloquently here, is her passion for teaching and learning; for filling the day with pragmatism and laughter, and unabashed candor.
Patti Shock may have left us this past November, but her legacy will live on. Tonight, the TISOH honors Patti Shock’s contributions to the MICE industry and the countless lives she touched.
(Photo credit: Las Vegas Review-Journal)