LRA Worldwide CEO Rob Rush to Participate in Hospitality Industry Seminar Series at Penn State University

HORSHAM, PA, November 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) Rob Rush, President & CEO of LRA Worldwide, Inc., has been invited to the Penn State University School of Hospitality Management as a guest speaker. Rush will address the Colloquium in Hospitality Management class on November 8th, joining a distinguished roster of speakers to address the seminar-style class this semester.

Rush's seminar topic is titled "Building LRA - the Journey," and will focus on the challenges of building a company that services a unique niche of the hospitality industry. LRA Worldwide is the leading provider of Quality Assurance Evaluations and Brand Assurance Audits for the global hospitality industry, and also provides a variety of additional "guest experience" measurement and improvement offerings in hospitality and beyond. Clients include such industry leaders as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Marriott International, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and InterContinental Hotels Group; outside of hospitality, LRA counts the National Football League, International Speedway Corporation, Sunrise Senior Living and The San Diego Zoo as clients.

"Rob's perspective on the hospitality industry - as well as his insights into travel, sports, entertainment and more - will provide the seminar series with a valuable point of view," explained Dr. John O'Neill, Director of the Penn State University School of Hospitality Management. "Building a company from the ground up and managing its steady growth through some historically turbulent times in the industry is a compelling story and one that will complement our previous subjects nicely."

Rush is the latest in a list of prominent industry professionals to address the class, which offers students the opportunity to interact with industry leaders and ask questions in a focused yet intimate setting. Those preceding Rush include Steve Rushmore (President & Founder, HVS Hospitality Services), Bob DeSalvio (President, Sands Bethlehem Casino & Hotel) and Brian Sparacino (SVP, Sales & Marketing, Interstate Hotels & Resorts).

"I appreciate the opportunity afforded me by Dr. O'Neill to interact with the best and the brightest of the next generation of hospitality industry professionals," said Rush. "It's personally rewarding for me to share the LRA journey and the students benefit by learning about a non-traditional career path within the industry."

About the Penn State School of Hospitality Management:
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management is home to the third-oldest hotel, restaurant and institutional management program in the United States. From its humble beginnings in 1937, the program has grown to the point where it is now recognized as one of the most respected and distinguished hospitality management programs in the nation. By combining a broad educational foundation with specific courses designed to build strong leadership, business and communication skills - and by requiring undergraduate students to accumulate 1,000 hours of "real-world" experience in order to graduate - students gain the theoretical, managerial, quantitative, organizational and technical skills they need to become the next generation of leaders in the hospitality industry. The students' relationships with faculty (many who have extensive experience in and conduct research for the industry) and alumni (including many who are top executives in their chosen professions) only serve to bolster this learning experience. Penn State's program currently enrolls more than 700 students.

About LRA Worldwide, Inc:
LRA Worldwide is a leading research and consulting company in the emerging discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM). We work with our clients to help them design and deliver consistently exceptional customer experiences in order to drive customer satisfaction, loyalty and advocacy, and company growth and profitability.

In LRA's 25-year history, we have grown from a provider of customized quality assurance evaluation programs for the hospitality industry, to a leading CEM consulting company offering a variety of client solutions. The evolution has been driven by our clients asking us one question - "How do we get better?" In response, we have built a range of performance measurement, research, training and consulting solutions to help them do so. Today, we are a growing company operating in more than 120 countries throughout the world, helping clients such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts, the National Basketball Association, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and InterContinental Hotels Group deliver exceptional customer experiences. Every touch. Every time. For more information, visit us at http://www.LRAworldwide.com.