Howard Feiertag, CHA, CMP, CHSE, is an industry veteran, with more than 50 years of service to the industry. He is currently on the faculty of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, where he teaches Hospitality Sales as well as Meetings and Convention Management.
A prolific writer, Howard has been writing the Sales Clinic column for Hotel Management magazine since January 1980, and has authored many other articles for a variety of industry publications. He is charter member of Meeting Professionals International, having helped organize that organization in 1972.
Howard’s industry certifications include CHA, CMP and CHME, and he has been recognized with lifetime achievement awards, as well as lifetime memberships in HSMAI and MPI. The Convention Industry Council inducted Howard into the Hall of Leaders in recognition of his lifetime contributions to the industry.
Prior to joining Virginia Tech he spent 29 years in the hospitality industry with his last employment as Senior Vice President of a hotel management company operating 60 hotels. Howard started his hospitality career in 1962 when he was recruited to become the first Convention Bureau Manager in Charlotte, NC, following that he was recruited to become the first Convention Bureau Manager in Orlando, FL. His career continued in hotel sales, food and beverage, and hotel operations with hotel management companies.
Posts to Check Out
Howard Feiertag
Hospitality and Tourism Management Department
Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0104
Dhruv Patel, president of Ridgemont Hospitality, in October shared a bittersweet moment with his parents, Pravin and Sima Patel, when the family business sold the first motel that Pravin had built from the ground up more than 30 years ago. But they rest assured knowing it was the right decision because the 22-room property is being converted into affordable housing for military veterans at risk of homelessness. The transaction is among hundreds taking place across the U.S. as state and local governments work with non-profit agencies to create affordable housing solutions for vulnerable populations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In Episode 310 Long Live Lodging reports on the financial and legal aspects of what it takes to convert a hotel into long-term housing. This report is part of Long Live Lodging’s special coverage of the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the hospitality industry.
Kathleen Bertrand believes Atlanta is a city where dreams can come true. A jazz recording artist, she served at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau for more than 30 years, finding new ways to promote to the world the best things about the city she calls a “melting pot” of races and cultures. In Episode 309 of Lodging Leaders podcast Bertrand gets vocal and tells her story of rising through the ranks as one of the few Black women in leadership in the tourism industry. This session is part of Long Live Lodging’s special report commemorating Black History Month and the hospitality industry’s impact on the Civil Rights Movement.