The new SC Center for Economic Excellence (SmartState) Program in Tourism and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina is seeking Fellows who would like to be associated with the Center. This is an open invitation to both scholars and practitioners who are engaged in activities that fit with the goals of the Center, which in short are to improve the competitiveness of South Carolina’s tourism industry. These are unpaid positions with no formal commitments, but Fellows will benefit from being attached to the Center by:

• Having access to the Center’s resources including grant writing and funding opportunities;
• Being able to attend events sponsored by the Center including an annual meeting of Fellows;
• Staying abreast of trends and government decisions;
• Networking with like-minded scholars and practitioners through knowledge sharing and collaboration;
• And being part of a welcoming organisation of like minded tourism researchers and practitioners.

As Fellows of the SmartState Program in Tourism and Economic Development you will be part of an organization that acts as:

• A voice for the State’s tourism’s challenges and achievements
• A hub for knowledge sharing and collaboration
• A conduit between researchers and industry

If you are interested in this opportunity, what I need is a short 50 word bio including research interests and contact details, plus a photograph. I would also like to profile any papers or reports that relate to tourism in South Carolina that you have published. So please send them my way. All this information will go up on the Center’s website.

For more information on the mission and goals of the Center, please go to: http://www.hrsm.sc.edu/CoEETourismandED/default.shtml

Alternatively, contact me at:
Simon Hudson
SC Center of Economic Excellence Endowed Chair in Tourism and Economic Development
College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management
University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, 29208 USA
Tel: 803 777 2705
Email: shudson@hrsm.sc.edu