EFTI Board Member Feature: Pavan Kapur
Mr. Pavan Kapur is the SVP, Commercial Operations at Caesars Entertainment, Inc. He is a UF alum and joined our EFTI Advisory Board in November 2020. Since then, he has participated in our first EFTI.Talk: AI/Data Science in Hospitality and the Future and started a scholarship for THEM students.
What excites you about joining the EFTI Industry Advisory Board?
What excites me the most is helping the University and its students understand the importance that tourism and travel play in our culture. Traveling to parts of the world other than our own is how we develop empathy and understand how our work and personal endeavors affect everyone across the globe.
What was the motivation behind establishing an endowed scholarship?
The scholarship was started with my University of Florida roommate and childhood friend, Jeremy Samuel, as a way to give back to the school that provided us the foundation for our careers. We hope to be able to provide support to scholars to give them the same opportunities we were given.
What is something about you that is important for the college community to know about you?
Although my undergraduate area of study was Statistics, not travel and tourism, the application of what I learned can be applied to many areas of the Hospitality Industry. Demand forecasting, pricing, and predictive models on consumer behavior and preference are all skills that are used broadly in industry.
Where do you go for inspiration?
For professional inspiration, I like to walk the resorts in our portfolio and witness firsthand the impact that my work has on our guests. People save a lot of money and look forward to a vacation for many months and it's our job to create a memorable experience and provide outstanding service.
For personal inspiration, I look towards my daughters. They have an insatiable curiosity to learn more about the world around them.
What is the best part of working in the Hospitality industry?
The hospitality industry is exciting because it touches so many verticals such as hotels, entertainment, airlines, restaurants, nightclubs, meetings, and conventions. Getting to travel all over the world is another great perk.
Do you have any favorite quotes?
“You cant spell Citrus Bowl without U-T" — Steve Spurrier
What is the best piece of career advice you put to use every day?
“The most important job of a leader is to create new leaders”
