50 Shades of Hospitality

A global podcast dedicated to learning from industry players around the world. Our podcasts are a series of interviews with international hospitality and tourism industry professionals. We prompt our guests to share their personal experiences, as well as analyse the current trends, technology and innovations.The podcast’s goal is to inspire people in the field and to encourage young people to join this exciting industry. We are committed to evaluating the current educational and training opportunities for industry professionals in the hopes of finding solutions to the challenges the industry is now facing.

Contributors

Host

Crystal Forest Cavin

A native of California, Crystal began working in the hospitality and tourism industries in 1973 in the San Francisco Bay Area. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History from SFSU and a Master’s degree in Education and Educational Technology from USF.

Since 1994 she has taught English and Geopolitics at several prestigious schools in the Lausanne and Geneva areas including the EPFL, Glion Hospitality Management School and Ecole Hôtelière de Genève.

For several months last year, Crystal coached the Swiss WorldSkills vice-champion in English and was a judge for the SwissSkills Hotel Reception competition in Bern. She currently teaches English in Geneva at the Geneva Hotel School (EHG).

Host

Egidio Marcato

From the Veneto region of Italy, Egidio Marcato has had a prestigious career in hospitality and hospitality education. Egido studied hotel management in Abano Terme and received a Master in Business Administration from Endicott College in the US.

He has worked for over four decades to promote the profession of hotel receptionist and co-founded the Swiss AICR competition for best receptionist known as the Bucherer Trophy. In 2015 he was appointed president of the jury for the David Campbell Trophy (world’s best receptionist award).

In recognition of his vast experience and expertise, SwissSkills appointed him Swiss expert/coach at WorldSkills and EuroSkills for the profession of hotel receptionist. In 2020, he founded his own company, the Swiss Hospitality Guild, a training centre for those wishing to excel in the art of hospitality.

Host

Sateh Al Malazi

Sateh’s appetite for hospitality started at an early age. In 2009 he decided to follow his passion by leaving Syria and completing a degree in Hospitality Management at the esteemed Glion Institute of Hospitality in Switzerland.

Sateh has pursued his interest in travelling and experiencing different cultures around the world. Having lived in 6 different countries on 4 continents within the last 10 years, he has developed an agile approach to hospitality in multicultural environments, and he has developed the capacity to thrive in difficult conditions while following his dreams.

He speaks four languages, holds an MBA in Hospitality Management and is currently seeking further study opportunities.