nebraska tourism conference

NE Tourism Conference happening this week in GI

GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (PRESS RELEASE) -A curated farmer’s market of Nebraska-made goods in the heart of Downtown Grand Island, bus tours of successful regional businesses, inspiring speakers and more can be found at the 2021 Nebraska Tourism Conference this week, October 19-21, in Grand Island.

Tourism industry professionals are gathering at the Ramada Midtown to hear from a wide variety of speakers, learn about the latest tourism trends and to network with other industry members. 

“We’re excited to meet with other industry professionals in person to help improve tourism efforts across the state,” said John Ricks, Nebraska Tourism executive director. “

By combining our annual tourism conference and Agritourism and Adventure Travel Workshop this year, it’s going to be a packed week of learning, networking and experiencing all that our host city has to offer.” 

Conference Highlights on Tuesday, October 19:

9:00 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. Bus Tours to Regional Tourism Assets

The bus tours will stop at Crane Trust, Prairie Plains Resource Institute and Zabuni Specialty Coffee, where staff will provide tours and share insights into challenges their business has faced, how they’ve adapted, and best practices they have learned to ultimately make their endeavors successful. 

4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Nebraska Tourism Commission Meeting 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Grand Island Community Night, Fonner Park

Dinner will be served in the Nebraska State Fair’s Barn Bar at Fonner Park. This unique space textured with cattle brands from across the state, opens up to the 200-acre Fonner Park campus that plays host to live horse racing in the spring, national cattle shows in the summer, and the state fair every August. 

Conference Highlights on Wednesday, October 20:

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote: Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything

Keynote speaker, Jason Kotecki, will speak about when you’re stumped by a seemingly unsolvable challenge, sometimes all you need is a little nudge from an outsider with a fresh perspective. You’ll learn how to recognize opportunities in roadblocks and how to see dead ends as new beginnings. 

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Keynote: The Fundamentals of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Your Journey Begins Here

Keynote speaker, Greg DeShields from Tourism Diversity Matters, will speak about how the hospitality industry is a uniquely diverse industry that relies on a complex system of diverse businesses, employees, and customers. Rapidly shifting local and national demographics and continued globalization mean that organizations must embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion not only as a means to enhance business performance but also as an enabler of innovation and collaboration. 

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Taste & Feel of Nebraska: A Curated Farmer’s Market in Downtown Grand Island

Taste & Feel is a curated farmer’s market of Nebraska-made goods. Grand Island CVB, The Chocolate Bar, and Prairie Pride Brewing will be collaboratively hosting vendors offering a variety of Nebraska food and beverage products in the heart of downtown Grand Island. 

Conference Highlights on Thursday, October 21:

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. General Session: Reach for the Stars: How to Market Your Business as an Astrotourism Destination

Speaker Michael Marlin will explain the continuing growth of the astrotourism market and star seeker trends, and share ways to further develop your destination to cater to the astrotourist, explore this demographic, and help you enable guests to discover the night. 

6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Celebrate Nebraska Awards Banquet, Liederkranz

The awards banquet honors the many great achievements made by individuals, businesses and associations across Nebraska to develop and support the state’s expanding tourism industry. 

8:00 p.m. Rascal Martinez Performance, Liederkranz

After the awards banquet, stick around for a performance by Rascal Martinez, a singer/songwriter from Nebraska, channeling a mix of Indie-Rock and Americana. 

More information on the Nebraska Tourism Conference, including the full schedule, can be found HERE .

Copyright 2021 KSNB. All rights reserved.

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SOUTH SIOUX CITY, NE (KTIV) - Tourism is big business in Nebraska. Before the pandemic, visitor spending in Nebraska topped $3.5 billion in 2019.

All week, South Sioux City has been the home of the annual Nebraska Tourism Conference. On Thursday the tourism awards banquet capped a busy week at the South Sioux City Marriott Riverfront.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts headlined the banquet, which recognizes individuals, events and destinations that played an important role in increasing the state’s tourism. Ricketts said although outsiders may not consider Nebraska a tourist destination, it’s a big part of the state’s economy.

”A lot of people don’t know that tourism is one of our largest industries in Nebraska,” said Ricketts. “I mean, obviously agriculture and manufacturing come first, but tourism’s right behind that. Last year, tourists spent $3.6 billion here in our state.”

Some recipients this year included Robber’s Cave Tours, Kearney Cruise Nite, Grand Island Tourism, and the Seward 4th of July Celebration.

After a down year in 2020 due to the pandemic, Ricketts said it’s important to recognize those who have helped build the Nebraska tourism industry back up so quickly.

”It was a tough time, but as Nebraskans always do, we worked together,” said Ricketts. “We’re resilient. And that’s what you’re seeing here, is that tourism really has bounced back to where it was pre-pandemic, and now we just want to build on that foundation and grow it further.”

The banquet will move across the state for next year’s celebration, in Gering.

Copyright 2022 KTIV. All rights reserved.

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2023 Nebraska Tourism Industry Award winners announced

The Nebraska Travel Association gave out their Crystal Compass Award to longtime industry member Kevin Howard.

GERING, NEB. – Nebraska tourism industry members honored the hard work and dedication of their peers at the Celebrate Nebraska Awards Banquet on Thursday at the Gering Civic Center in Gering. The event wrapped up the annual Nebraska Tourism Conference organized by the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Gering Visitors Bureau .

The 2023 Henry Fonda Award, the state’s highest tourism award representing leadership, vision and dedication to the tourism industry, went to  Marcos Eduardo Mora Barrientos. Raised in South Omaha, Barrientos is from one of the largest Mexican American families in the city and is a pillar in the Latino community. He and his family’s contributions to the arts, culture, business and music scene in South Omaha are well known. He is a multi-talented musician who is an accomplished performer and teacher, with his talents including guitar, bass, mandolin, percussion and more.

Barrientos manages two massively successful festivals as event coordinator: Cinco de Mayo Omaha and Fiestas Patrias Omaha . The Cinco de Mayo Festival has gone on to be the largest local festival in Omaha history, attracting 250,000 people over a three-day period while sending $7.5 million back into the local economy. Proceeds also go into the community to support small businesses and scholarships.

The Friend of Tourism Award went to  Miranda Becker  of Hartington Economic Development. Becker took on a key role in organizing communities and tourism boards in Northeast Nebraska for the successful “Dare to Take the Backroads” project, which marketed local communities to encourage tourism and pride by elevating local voices and attractions. Becker provided strong leadership to foster collaboration between eight communities to help bring the project to completion.

The Visionary Award went to JT Martin . Martin is a fifth-generation Nebraskan who moved back to his home state in 2020 after a decade working in media and advertising in San Francisco and New York. He began documenting his Nebraska travels on social media on his @thecornbelt account, and his videos were viewed 15 million times over the summer of 2023. His videos promote local destinations and trip ideas and encourage visitors and locals alike to explore and experience all Nebraska has to offer.

The award for Outstanding Tourism Attraction went to  The RiverFront in Omaha . The development combines three downtown parks along the Missouri River and has brought transformation to the area. The innovative, wide-open space in an urban environment for outdoor activities includes Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing. Since its opening in July of 2022, Gene Leahy Mall alone has hosted an estimated million-plus visitors. The park is a hub for events, activities and gatherings of all kinds.

The award for Outstanding Tourism Event (city population of 10,000 and above) went to  Hear Grand Island . The event is a 10-week summer series of concerts in the city’s Railside Plaza. Since its beginning in 2016, the series has grown each year and saw an average audience of more than 3,200 each week in 2023. The event now includes features like a beer garden, food trucks and artistic events. This unique gathering is free to the public, thanks to more than 7,000 volunteer hours and more than 30 local business sponsorships.

The award for Outstanding Tourism Event (city population of 9,999 and below) went to  Junkstock  in Waterloo. Since its start in 2012, Junkstock has grown into one of the best-known vintage festivals in the United States. A gathering of more than 250 vendors and artisans and more than 60 food vendors, the event is a promoter of local businesses. While supporting tourism and the regional arts scene, it has drawn strong annual attendance figures, upwards of 30,000 people. The festival also gives back to the community, including through charitable donations and free weekends for nurses, military, first responders, teachers and more. Beyond its reputation in Nebraska, Junkstock has earned national recognition, including USA Today’s 10 Fall Festivals Worth Traveling For and Midwest Living’s Can’t-Miss Midwest Flea Market.

The award for Outstanding Marketing Campaign went to North Platte’s National Avocado Launching Championship. North Platte faced a challenge in its first year of its event, beyond planning and launching it. Drawing visitors and contestants to an odd and quirky gathering proved to be quite the task. A multi-channel marketing approach included a Super Bowl ad in the Rapid City, South Dakota area, plus web, traditional and social media advertising. The Super Bowl ad led to more than half a million post engagements, and total paid efforts led to more than three million impressions and more than 2,000 leads. The result was 32 teams registered for the first-time event and a successful contest overall.

The award for Outstanding Agritourism or Ecotourism Entity went to  Nelson Produce Farm  in Valley. Nelson Produce Farm is family-owned and gives guests an interactive experience. Things to do range from picking fresh produce, meeting barnyard animals, trike and barrel train riding and so much more. The farm also hosts several festivals, field trips and educational opportunities. Nelson Produce Farm works as a vital tourism and education bridge between urban Omaha and rural Nebraska.

The Nebraska Passport Champion’s Choice Award went to  Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park  in Royal. Participants in the 2023 Nebraska Passport voted the park their favorite of the 70 stops in the program. Visitors get the unique chance to see the past frozen in the present day. Fossilized animals are resting in place at an ancient watering hole where a volcanic eruption millions of years ago covered them. Passporters enjoyed learning the history of the area, as well as seeing in-progress excavations that still happen to this day.

Vicky Karantzavelou

Vicky  is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the  Editor-in Chief . She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

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Nice swing, bro.

Yeah... i know., tropical nebraska, low cost of living, high humidity, funny shirt night, the white house™, nebraska travel association, here to promote, protect, and enhance the economic interest of the tourism industry within the state of nebraska through collective teamwork, education, public awareness, lobbying, and strategic marketing efforts..

Welcome to the Nebraska Travel Association (NETA) Web site. This site has been developed to help promote and strengthen the tourism industry in the State of Nebraska through the unification of those individuals, organizations, businesses, and communities whose very livelihoods depend upon the tourism industry.

Facts About Nebraska Tourism

Jobs attributable to travel spending in Nebraska totalled 45,600 in 2010.

Tourism is Nebraska’s third-largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing.

Over 60 percent of the nonresidents visiting Nebraska during the summer stay at hotels or motels. The state has over 28,000 hotel, motel, and bed and breakfast rooms, which had an average annual occupancy rate of 54 percent in 2010 and offered the nation’s 8th lowest average room costs.

Nebraskans and visitors to Nebraska together made 19.3 million trips in the state in 2010 to destinations 100 miles or more away from home. For trips by visitors, the leading states of origin were, in order, Kansas, Iowa, Colorado, Missouri, South Dakota, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Each dollar spent by tourists in Nebraska is respent in the state to produce an additional $1.70 in business and income, creating an overall economic impact of $2.70.

The average nonresident traveling party visiting Nebraska by highway during the summer consists of 2.4 persons who stay 2.2 nights in the state and spend $452. Over a third of the nonresident traveling parties go to attractions or events, and for each attraction or event visited, they average a half-day longer in Nebraska, spending an additional $104.

Travelers spent almost $4.0 billion in Nebraska during 2010 on trips away from home with overnight stays in paid accommodations and on day trips to places 100 miles or more away. Annual spending in Nebraska on these trips has increased by over $2.3 billion since 1990.

2023 Tourism Conference

October 17-19, gering, gering civic center, 1050 m street.

agenda & speakers

Breakout materials, 2023 tourism industry award winners, thank you to our.

Dean Runyan Associates, Scotts Bluff County Area Visitors Bureau, Nebraska Life Magazine, Grand Island CVB, Columbus Area CVB, Turner PR

Certified Folder Display Service, Hospitality Association, Mark Dahmke Photography, Nebraska Extension-Rural Prosperity Nebraska

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Scholarships

Tourism conference scholarship.

Each year the Nebraska Tourism Commission hosts the Nebraska Tourism Conference to help tourism industry professionals learn how to get the most out of their tourism operation, gain the latest industry knowledge, hear fresh marketing ideas, find greater financial opportunities and network with potential partners. The 2023 Conference is scheduled October 17–19th at the Gearing Civic Center in Gearing, Nebraska.

Visit North Platte believes strongly in the tourism industry opportunities available for Lincoln County. As part of our commitment to continuing to help grow the tourism product offered in Lincoln County, we are offering three scholarships in the amount of $500 each to help defray the cost of Lincoln County entrepreneurs attending this conference.

Reimbursable expenses include travel conference registration, lodging (not to exceed two nights), meals not included in the Tourism Conference program, and mileage to and from the conference. The scholarship is a stipend and is not intended to cover all costs associated with attending the conference.

Applicants must complete an application and include up to three typed pages of information with answers to the following: Statement of financial need; number of years they have attended the Nebraska Tourism Conference; statement explaining existing or future tourism organization/business; statement explaining how attending the Nebraska Tourism Conference will benefit them and/or their organization/business. In addition, applicants agree to provide a written summary to Visit North Platte detailing what they learned at the conference and how their tourism business/organization will benefit.

Applications are no longer being accepted for this scholarship. This page will be updated when the next scholarship cycle begins.

Agritourism Conference Scholarship

Each year, Nebraska Tourism hosts a workshop aimed at helping Nebraskans start, grow and market successful agritourism, ecotourism, and/or adventure travel businesses. Attendees learn from experts about a variety of subject matter and have the opportunity to connect with resource providers throughout the state. This year, they are combining the event with GROW Nebraska’s MarkeTech Conference.

Scholarship opportunities are not available for this conference quite yet, but will be posted here when they are!

Visit North Platte is offering two scholarships of up to $400 each for Lincoln County tourism entities interested in starting or growing a successful agritourism, ecotourism, or adventure travel business. Typical attendees include farmers, ranchers, outfitters, vineyard operators, brewers, upick operators, managers of ecotourism, agritourism or adventure attractions and others.

Visitors want to experience what we sometimes take for granted here in Nebraska – our wide-open spaces, our beautiful dark skies, our rich farming and ranching heritage, our abundant outdoor recreation opportunities. Agritourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry. Couple those with the emerging trend of “farm to table” culinary tourism and you’ve got a recipe for success for rural Nebraska. You don’t have to own a working farm or ranch to participate in agritourism. North Platte’s Dusty Trails has been making a living in the adventure tourism field for years, partnering with the Buffalo Bill Ranch State Recreation Area to offer tanking and tubing on the Platte River as well as horseback rides. Other examples of agritourism include a winery, brewery, or cheese making operation; opening land to hiking, birdwatching, photography, or stargazing; guiding local birdwatching excursions; Sandhill or canyon tours; rural winery/brewery/distillery tours; A restaurant that incorporates locally sourced produce; hunting; farm stays or tours. The possibilities truly are endless!

Visit North Platte believes strongly in the opportunities available in agritourism for Lincoln County. As part of our commitment to continuing to help grow the rural tourism product offered in Lincoln County, these scholarships will help defray the cost of Lincoln County entrepreneurs attending this workshop. The scholarships are a stipend and not intended to cover all costs associated with the conference but are reimbursements to cover the cost of conference registration, lodging, meals, and travel.

Applicants must complete an application and include up to three typed pages of information with answers to the following: Statement of financial need; number of years they have attended the Nebraska Agritourism Workshop in the past; statement explaining existing or future tourism organization/business; statement explaining how attending the Nebraska Agritourism Travel Workshop will benefit them and/or their organization/business. In addition, applicants agree to provide a written summary to Visit North Platte detailing what they learned at the workshop and how their tourism business/organization will benefit.

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Quit attacking tourism. Promote it.

Paul Younes

March 12, 2024 2:30 am.

Fort Robinson State Park, a popular spot for family reunions, horseback riding and hiking, is located in the scenic Pine Ridge region of northwest Nebraska. (Dave Sands/Nebraska Land Trust)

What would Nebraska be without travelers and tourists? What would Kearney be without people coming here for state and regional conferences? What would Omaha be without the College World Series?

What would Lincoln be without Husker sports? What would Elmwood be without Bess Streeter Aldrich? What would Columbus be without Andrew Jackson Higgins? What would Seward be without the Fourth of July? What would Alliance be without Carhenge?

State and county tourism funds have been under attack this legislative session. Why?

A short-sighted bill would have allowed counties to sweep tourism funds and use them for any other purpose – paying the county attorney more, buying new office furniture, you name it. County tourism funds come from lodging taxes – taxes assessed on visitors to the county who are staying in hotels, motels and houses rented through online platforms. Counties use lodging tax revenues to bring more people to town to spend money on various goods and services. By attracting visitors, lodging taxes help reduce pressure on property (and income) taxes by boosting local sales and taxes generated by such sales.

Fortunately, the raid on county tourism funds failed, but that was not the end of the attack on Nebraska’s tourism industry.

As a proud Nebraskan who understands the value of bringing people to my community and state, I was shocked and disturbed to learn that the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee has recommended sweeping $5 million in funding for promoting Nebraska as a tourism destination. With that sweep into the state’s general fund, it would leave about $1.5 million to try to draw visitors to Nebraska. That would put Nebraska dead last in funding to promote tourism.

Tourism is Nebraska’s third largest industry. In the past several years, thanks to the good, hard work of the Tourism Commission and our industry, Nebraska has moved up the national rankings as a tourist destination. This is true despite low public funding. Tourism is critical not only to attracting visitors, but also in luring them here to live. God knows we need people, especially in rural Nebraska.

It just so happens that many of our greatest tourism attractions are in rural Nebraska. I’m not talking about convention centers or hotels. I’m not talking about zoos or arenas. I’m talking about the real stuff that makes life good in Nebraska – the wide-open places, the Sandhills, the rugged canyons of the Panhandle, the local meat markets and breweries, the good family business stops along the Passport Program that bring visitors and their money to the town.

I understand there were those who viewed the past tourism campaign negatively. I get it. Honestly, it was not for everyone. But let’s laugh a little and move the heck on. This is the State of Nebraska, not the District of Columbia. I am a firm believer that our Tourism Commission and Department of Economic Development should be coordinating closely with one another. Together, these agencies should work with the tourism industry, chambers of commerce and all stakeholders. We should all be collaborating to attract tourists and to recruit workforce. Let’s get people to Nebraska by hook and by crook.

Doing all of this will require vision and more – not less – money than has been appropriated or recommended. When the governor was in Kearney in August for an agriculture and economic development conference, he wisely challenged us “to become comfortable talking with others about things that make us uncomfortable.” That is not happening right now.

I would encourage the governor, the Legislature and everyone I’ve mentioned above to talk more and work together to improve tourism promotion and workforce recruitment at the state and local levels.

Let’s move forward. We cannot afford to slide backwards, especially in western Nebraska. It’s pretty simple. If we siphon off lodging taxes for non-tourism purposes, we are not going to attract as many tourists, who would be paying lodging taxes. Shrinking lodging taxes will cause further erosion of a tax base that is already too locally dependent. Not only will lodging taxes be depleted, but sales taxes will also decline.

This is not conjecture. Bill Geist, a national expert on destination promotion spoke in Lincoln last month at the Nebraska Tourism Unity Summit. Geist said when Sedona, Arizona, stopped tourism promotion, sales tax receipts plummeted 20% within seven months.

As lodging and sales taxes collapse, property tax pressure will only increase.

We cannot afford to bite off the hand that feeds us. Instead, we need to empower that hand.  Let us please be sensible and mature in how we address our state’s future.

Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.

Born in Haifa, Israel, Paul Younes came to the United States in 1972 to attend Kearney State College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is president of Younes Hospitality, a Kearney-based company that includes 14 properties across Nebraska and three conference centers in Kearney.

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• Masters Tournament experience a 'masterclass in hospitality' for Husker HRTM students

24 Apr 2024    

Earlier this month, students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's hospitality, restaurant and tourism management program traveled to Augusta National Golf Club to provide hospitality services at the 2024 Masters Tournament. The group of students traveled with Associate Professor and HRTM Program Director Ajai Ammachathram to the event April 4-16. It was the 10th time that Husker students have had the opportunity to help at the Masters. Three of those students - sophomore Abby Cantrell, junior Lydia Tobin and freshman Lyv Williams – share about their experiences in these blog posts.

Abby Cantrell – sophomore – Malcolm, Nebraska

The promise of unforgettable experiences is at the heart of the hospitality industry, and that is what the Masters Tournament provides: an unforgettable experience. It is a truly unforgettable experience for both the patrons and tournament employees. The exceptional level of service demanded fosters a unique learning environment for hospitality students nationwide. Since this was my second year working the Masters, I had the privilege of being the student lead from UNL. In this position, I had to coordinate with Augusta National’s representatives, our UNL faculty leader, Dr. Ajai Ammachathram, and the nine other UNL students who got to work the tournament.

We are sent to the tournament to work as servers or bartenders in the hospitality cabins and suites, and our focus is providing patrons with exemplary service that will enhance their Masters experience. However, our supervisors understand that this prestigious event provides us valuable learning opportunities and once in a lifetime experiences. Some highlights include acquiring new hospitality and communication skills from my experiences and supervisor’s expertise as a hospitality and event industry professional, building connections with my coworkers and patrons, walking the course during practice rounds, and seeing the iconic Amen Corner.

Skill development was a key takeaway from my experience. After working 10 days for 8-14 hours a day, I can say that I have enhanced my communication skills, flexibility, teamwork, and customer service skills. In addition, I now pay greater attention to detail because I saw firsthand how much the little details truly matter. A combination of my experiences in the cabin and around the beautiful course made for a memorable experience that will last me a lifetime. I am thankful for my time at Augusta National, and I hope to return next year!

Lydia Tobin – junior – Waukee, Iowa

My experience at the 2024 Masters Tournament was framed by azaleas, putting greens, and pimento cheese sandwiches. Augusta National Golf Club (AGNC), the backdrop for the tournament, is unlike anything I have ever seen. The exclusivity, privacy, and secrecy surrounding the club make it a mystery to the outside world. When I accepted my role as a server in one of AGNC’s hospitality suites, I had no clue what to expect. The more I researched and googled ahead of time, the more unclear my mental expectations became. All I had to go off of were stories from the servers that preceded me.

I recall the first morning on AGNC property, outfitted in my three-piece suit uniform (complete with a bowtie), and pulling up in front of a row of picture-perfect cottages. These cottages, which looked like they were straight off the cover of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine, were my place of employment for the next nine days. Little did I know on day one that the Flowering Peach Suite would be host to inside jokes with coworkers, sincere connections with patrons, and the truest sense of teamwork I’ve ever felt by day nine.

I’m walking away from this experience with essentially a masterclass in hospitality under my belt. Augusta National Golf Club’s high standard of service and impeccable reputation sets the Masters Tournament apart as such a highly regarded event, year after year. The melding of “Midwest nice” and “Southern hospitality” elevated my and my patron’s experiences. I feel lucky to have been selected to represent the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Hospitality, Restaurant, and Tourism Management program at this year’s Masters Tournament and I look forward to doing it all over again next April.

Lyv Williams – freshman – Columbus, Nebraska

The Masters Golf Tournament is an event that I never thought I would have the honor to experience. This opportunity felt like merely a dream until I was in the airport with the rest of the UNL hospitality students, eager to get to Augusta, Georgia. As a first-year hospitality student, I had no idea what to expect, apart from the exciting stories from returning students. From the moment we set foot on the grounds at Augusta National, we were not only met with beautiful sights, but also top tier hospitality. The first day was enough for me to know that I was going to have the best week with the most ambitious and hard-working group of people I have ever been a part of.

Reflecting now, my experience at the Masters exceeded my expectations. One of my favorite parts of the trip was growing close with likeminded individuals from schools across the country. With my amazing team I learned the importance of teamwork, attention to detail, and to always look out for one another. These skills, along with the technical skills that I developed while serving, are going to benefit me for the rest of my career. The best memories that I made were celebrating one another’s successes throughout the week no matter how small. On the eve of the very last day, my friends and I all went to dinner to celebrate our hard work. Making those unforgettable memories was so worth missing out on an extra hour of sleep!

Going into the week I was expecting the work to be difficult, but nothing was harder than saying goodbye to the wonderful people I made connections with at Augusta. Not only did I get to work alongside some of the most amazing individuals, but I also learned the most important part of hospitality: making meaningful connections with the guests. When asked about my favorite part of the Masters, it was without a doubt having the ability to put a smile on patrons’ faces. From an outside perspective my time spent at the Masters may have seemed like work, but to me it was so much more. The biggest takeaway I have is that hospitality is not just about service, it is about creating the best atmosphere and experience possible for the guests. That is precisely the reason I love this field of work so much, and why I cannot wait to pursue a career as a hospitality professional.

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Iowa State football will open 2025 season schedule in Dublin, Ireland against Kansas State

Iowa State football on Wednesday announced that it will play abroad for the first time in program history.

The Cyclones will open their 2025 season against Kansas State in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, on August 23, 2025, at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.

“We are extremely grateful for this opportunity presented to us by Aer Lingus to provide the young men in our football program an unrivaled educational, cultural and athletic experience,” Iowa State Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said in a press release. “Iowa State fans enjoy a tremendous reputation for following the Cyclones wherever they play, and we look forward to seeing them travel with us to The Emerald Isle for the 2025 season-opener.”

This event will take place on Week Zero of the 2025 college football schedule and mark the sixth college football game ever played at Dublin’s 48,000-seat Aviva Stadium. It is the first Big 12 Conference matchup in Ireland and will be the first season-opening meeting between ISU and K-State, according to the release.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the Big 12 Conference to play one of its classic rivalries on a global stage while showcasing our University and its football program,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said in the release. “We are honored that Aer Lingus selected the Cyclones to participate in this prestigious game, which will afford a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our student-athletes to experience international travel while also helping to grow the game of college football outside of the United States.”

More: Where will Iowa State's top prospects go in NFL draft? T.J. Tampa's best/worst-case scenarios

The Aer Lingus College Football Classic aims to bring American college football to Ireland annually to promote Ireland as a travel destination, and 2025 will be the fourth consecutive season that college football begins its season with a game in Dublin, the release said.

"We are thrilled to welcome Iowa State and Kansas State to Dublin for the 2025 Aer Lingus Classic,” John Anthony, Co-Founder of the Aer Lingus Classic, said in the release. “Kicking off the season with this classic Big 12 Conference rivalry game will bring a heightened level of excitement to another expected sell out Aviva Stadium.

“This matchup was selected because of the high-quality play from both teams, as well as the passionate fan bases that follow them,” he added. “We look forward to providing the experience of a lifetime to the student-athletes and their loyal fans who travel to Ireland. Special thanks to Coach Campbell and Jamie Pollard for embracing this special opportunity for all of Iowa State University."

More: Peterson: Final Iowa State spring football thoughts include a starting lineup guess

Since Aviva Stadium opened in 2010, previous college football games played there include a pair of Notre Dame vs. Navy games (2012 and 2023), a Georgia Tech vs. Boston College game (2016) and a 2022 Nebraska vs. Northwestern game (2022).

“I welcome the news that Kansas State University and Iowa State University have been chosen to play the fourth match in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic series,” Ireland’s Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin said in the release.  “This event is now a firm fixture in the Irish sporting calendar and provides a huge boost to tourism and hospitality in Ireland and indeed creates a great atmosphere in Dublin for visitors and locals alike. We look forward to welcoming the teams and supporters to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin and beyond, as they go on to explore other parts of Ireland, in August 2025.”

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Italy bans loans of works to the Minneapolis Institute of Art in a dispute over an ancient statue

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano arrives at Quirinal presidential palace to be sworn in, Rome, Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. Italy’s Culture Ministry banned art loans to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, following a long-running dispute with the U.S. museum over the Stabiae Doriforo, a Roman-era marble copy of the ancient-Greece’s Doryphoros of Polykleitos, believed to have been looted from Italy almost a half-century ago. The U.S. museum, which bought the Doryphoros in 1986 for $2.5 million, said it purchased the sculpture from art dealer Elie Borowski, only after Italy’s claim was denied by the German government and the artwork was imported into the United States. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, file)

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ROME (AP) — Italy’s Culture Ministry has banned loans of works to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, following a dispute with the U.S. museum over an ancient marble statue believed to have been looted from Italy almost a half-century ago.

The dispute began in March 2022 when an Italian court ruled that the Minneapolis museum was irregularly in possession of the Stabiae Doriforo, a Roman-era copy of The Doryphoros of Polykleitos, an ancient Greek sculpture.

Rome claims that the sculpture was looted in the 1970s from an archaeological site at Stabiae, an ancient city close to Pompeii that was also covered by lava and ashes when Mount Vesuvius erupted in A.D. 79.

A spokesman for Italy’s Culture Ministry confirmed the ban on Wednesday.

In February 2022, Italian prosecutors issued an international warrant for the artwork to be impounded and returned. At a news conference earlier this year, Nunzio Fragliasso, chief prosecutor at the Torre Annunziata court, said they were “still awaiting a response.”

In 1984, while the work was on display in a German museum, Italy initiated a legal proceeding to claim it. The claim was denied in 1986. The U.S. museum, which bought the statue in 1986 for $2.5 million, said it was purchased from art dealer Elie Borowski and imported into the United States.

“Since that time, the work has been publicly displayed and extensively published,” the Minneapolis museum said in a statement. “While it takes issue with recent press reports regarding the Doryphoros, Mia (the museum) believes that the media is not an appropriate forum to address unproven allegations.”

The museum asserted that it has always acted “responsibly and proactively” with respect to claims related to its collection. However, it added, ”where proof has not been provided, as well as where Mia has evidence reasonably demonstrating that a claim is not supported, Mia has declined to transfer the work.”

The museum called Italy’s new ban on loans “contrary to decades of exchanges between museums.”