Industry Field Trips

Step into the places where hospitality happens. Through special venue visits and behind-the-scenes tours, you'll learn what it takes to deliver exceptional service, manage complex operations and create memorable guest experiences. At The Collins College of Hospitality Management, these real-world opportunities help you discover your path, connect with industry leaders and build the confidence to lead.

Spring 2026

Students inside sofi stadium looking around

SoFi Stadium

At SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — one of the world’s premier sports and entertainment venues — students connected with alumni and hospitality professionals working at the intersection of sports and recreation and large-scale event management. Home to Super Bowl LVI and upcoming global events including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, the stadium offered students insight into premium guest experience, venue operations and the coordination required to host internationally recognized events on one of the industry’s biggest stages.

Two students pictured indoors looking upward

Pasadena Convention Center, Visit Pasadena, The Athenaeum

In Pasadena — home to iconic events like the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl Game — students gained firsthand exposure to the travel and tourism industry through visits to the Pasadena Convention Center and Visit Pasadena, the city’s official destination marketing organization. Guided by alumni and industry professionals, they learned how destination marketing, convention business and major events help shape Pasadena’s hospitality economy. The experience also included a visit to The Athenaeum at Caltech, the historic private club where Albert Einstein stayed during his visits to Pasadena, offering students a look at hospitality and guest service within one of the region’s most distinctive hospitality settings.

Students inside the theatre at Yamavaa listening to a man speak with a projection of the cal poly pomona logo visible in the background

Yaamava' Resort & Casino

Students explored the lodging and resorts industry at Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, a major entertainment destination in the Inland Empire that has become one of Southern California’s most recognized luxury resort properties. Located just outside San Bernardino, the resort attracts guests from across the region for its gaming, dining, concerts and upscale accommodations. During the visit, students toured the Yaamava’ Theater, VIP lounges and the exclusive Cloud Villa suites while connecting with hospitality professionals and alumni who shared insight into luxury guest service, resort operations and career pathways across food and beverage, human resources and gaming hospitality.

Fall 2025

Woman standing inside a hotel ballroom in front of projector and students listening at tables

JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE

Students gained firsthand exposure to the special events and meetings industry during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), one of hospitality’s leading investment conferences. Held at the JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE, the event brings together hotel executives, developers and global hospitality leaders to discuss the future of lodging and tourism. Through this experience, students learned about the coordination, logistics and cross-functional teamwork required to execute a large-scale industry conference at a premier convention hotel.

A group picture of students in formal attire underneath a painted wall sign that says Beverly Hilton

Beverly Hills Hotels

Through visits to some of the hospitality industry’s most recognized luxury properties, students experienced the lodging and resorts industry firsthand at The Peninsula Beverly Hills, The Beverly Hilton and the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Students examined how premier hotels deliver personalized guest experiences, manage large-scale operations and maintain Forbes Five-Star service standards. Guided by CPP alumni and hospitality professionals, the experience also included visits to the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel — famously featured in Pretty Woman — and The Maybourne Beverly Hills, offering a closer look at luxury hotel management in one of the industry’s most competitive markets.

FAQ


Industry field trips are opportunities for students to visit venues in the hospitality sector to learn more about the types of careers that are possible in hospitality management. Students are lead, often by alumni of The Collins College of Hospitality Management, on walking tours while getting an inside look at operations and management processes not traditionally open to the public.

Any hospitality management major or minor is welcome on industry field trips.

Watch out for announcements through The Collins Concierge on Canvas, from your Student Success Coordinator, professors and on digital display boards around building 79A and 80.

Every semester there are multiple opportunities to visit locations in different sectors of hospitality to ensure a wide variety of career paths are visible and that as many students can attend at least one indstury field trip during their time at Cal Poly Pomona. While the venues and leaders may change, the experiences are all valuable chances to explore hospitality careers, speak to industry professionals and network with our partners and supporters.

While your classes may bake trips to venues into their curriculum, industry field trips as described on this page are not a required part of your academic plan and there is no coursework associated with them.

Industry field trips are individually booked and details such as transportation or recommended attire vary with each venue visited, so inquire with your industry field trip leader if you have questions about your particular trip.