Classroom Activity Overview
Give students the opportunity to tackle a real hospitality sustainability challenge, develop an innovative solution, and pitch their idea to a panel of decision-makers. In this 45-60 minute activity, students practice entrepreneurship, critical thinking, business communication, and presentation skills while exploring how sustainability can create measurable business value.
Activity:
The activity begins with students viewing selected segments from the masterclass video From Ideas to Execution. As they watch, encourage students to identify the key elements that move an idea beyond inspiration and into implementation. Students should note the importance of understanding the problem, defining the audience, validating assumptions, and mapping out achievable next steps. The objective is to help students recognize that great innovations are not simply creative concepts. They are responses to real challenges supported by thoughtful planning and execution.
Next, divide students into small teams of three to five participants. Introduce the following challenge prompt:
"Imagine you have been asked to improve sustainability within a hotel, resort, restaurant, event venue, or tourism business. What is one challenge you would solve, and how would your solution create value for both the business and its guests?"
Teams should spend approximately 15 minutes brainstorming opportunities within areas such as food waste reduction, energy efficiency, responsible tourism, guest engagement, employee wellbeing, accessibility, or community impact. Encourage students to think broadly while remaining grounded in realistic implementation.
Once teams have selected a concept, they should complete a simple Innovation Canvas consisting of four questions:
- What sustainability challenge are you addressing?
- Who benefits from your solution?
- How would the solution work in practice?
- What measurable impact could it create?
After developing their ideas, students should watch excerpts from the second masterclass, Crafting a Business Case Decision Makers Won't Ignore. This video introduces an essential business reality: good ideas only create change when decision-makers understand their value. Students learn how to communicate the problem, articulate the opportunity, and present evidence that their solution deserves attention and investment.
Using insights from the masterclass, each team will prepare a concise two-minute pitch. Rather than focusing solely on creativity, students should demonstrate how their idea delivers tangible benefits. Encourage them to answer three key questions throughout their presentation:
- Why does this problem matter?
- Why is your solution different or effective?
- Why should a hospitality leader support it?
To conclude, teams present their pitches to the class. Classmates can serve as a panel of hospitality executives, investors, or sustainability leaders, evaluating each proposal based on innovation, feasibility, potential impact, and communication effectiveness.
Following the presentations, facilitate a brief reflection discussion. Ask students to consider:
- What differentiates an idea from an executable solution?
- How does sustainability create business value in addition to social impact?
- What communication techniques made certain pitches more persuasive than others?
- How might these skills apply to future DECA competitions, entrepreneurial ventures, or career opportunities?
This activity reinforces a critical lesson shared by industry leaders worldwide: successful innovators are not only creative thinkers. They are also effective communicators who can inspire others to support their vision. By combining sustainability, entrepreneurship, and strategic storytelling, students gain experience with the same skills used by professionals shaping the future of hospitality.
Whether pursuing the EHL x DECA Hospitality Sustainability Innovation Challenge or exploring new ways to make a difference in their communities, students leave with a deeper understanding of how impactful ideas are developed, refined, and transformed into meaningful action.
Extension Opportunity: Encourage students to further develop their concepts and submit them to the EHL x DECA Hospitality Sustainability Innovation Challenge, applying the innovation and pitching frameworks introduced in this lesson.
