All Stories
Cal Poly Experience Industry Management Annual Dinner and Auction to be Held on the Cal Poly Campus, February 23, 2019
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Experience Industry Management Department will once again be holding its 'learn by doing' student designed and coordinated professional fundraiser!
This year the annual auction and dinner will be held on the Cal Poly campus in the Multi-activity Center [MAC]. "The Skys the Limit" - will highlight the alumni, students, parents, and friends who make our department one of the best in the nation!
The event will feature dinner, live and silent auctions. All of the proceeds from this event will benefit Experience Industry Management students and the department. Meet the student team leaders.
Join us for a evening of celebration! See you at The Cliffs where we will light up the night! You can purchase tickets here. More details about the event can be found on the event website.
Cal Poly Experience Industry Management Welcomes Brad Gessner, Sr. VP and General Manager of AEG Facilities
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Department of Experience Industry Management will host Brad Gessner, who is responsible for the overall management of the Los Angeles Convention Center as an executive in Residence on November 7 at 6 PM at the Performing Arts Center [PAC]. "The LA Live Story" keynote will begin at 6 PM in the PAC Pavilion building 6 room 128.
Continue reading Brad Gessner, Executive in Residence November 7 ►
Cal Poly Experience Industry Management
SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly’s Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration Department has changed its name to the Experience Industry Management Department — making it the first of its kind in California. The new department name encompasses the national shift that blends tourism, travel, experiences, social media, travel platforms, sustainability, food, wine, culinary arts, culture, sports, outdoor recreation, conventions and meetings, and events. This change enables the program to become a leader in developing Cal Poly graduates who will contribute to an industry that is an economic driver and catalyst for the high quality of life of Californians.
Continue reading The Department of Experience Industry Management ►
Our Vision
EIM's vision is to promote healthy lifestyles, protect memorable places, and facilitate life-enhancing experiences. Live. Protect. Explore.
Continue reading Our Mission and Vision ►
Core Values
Core values involve life balance, sustainability, service, leadership and innovation, curiosity and creativity, diversity and inclusivity, community and collaboration, professionalism and integrity.
Continue reading Core Values ►
Specialized Concentrations
Students choose from the following: Event planning & management, Hospitality & tourism management, Sport management, Outdoor recreation management, & Community services management.
Continue reading Concentrations ►
Second to None
RPTA boasts an award-winning faculty and staff who are devoted to student success, dedicated to Learn by Doing, and committed to fostering a sense of community.
Continue reading Staff Directory ►
Experience Industry
We teach students how to manage the organizations that create opportunities for experiences to come alive — whether through travel, a sporting event, or a slackline above Bishops Peak.
Continue reading Career Paths ►
Office With a View
RPTA alumni work in settings where their “offices” are often unconventional —whether a Napa winery, AT & T Park, a beachfront hotel, or a kayak in Morro Bay.
Continue reading Alumni Spotlight ►
Rho Phi Lambda Initiation
Rho Phi Lambda Professional Honorary Society aspires to recognize, promote and encourage students in the recreation, parks and leisure industry. Cal Poly Rho Phi Lambda president, Kenna Dougherty is doing just that!
Kenna transferred from Food Science to RPTA at the end of her sophomore year. She joined Rho Phi Lambda to meet RPTA students and faculty and to gain skills and knowledge in the industry. Serving as Rho Phi Lambda president, Kenna practices her event planning and management skills through the implementation of professional development trips.
Kenna welcomed Rho Phi Lambda’s newest members on November 4 at the SeaCrest hotel in Pismo Beach. Later this month, Rho Phi Lambda will be be traveling to the Bay Area for a tour of Levi’s Stadium and a professional meeting with the leading experiential marketing company George P. Johnson!
SLO Blues Baseball General Manager Adam Stowe and Cal Poly RPTA Department Head Bill Hendricks extend partnership!
General manager and co-owner of the SLO Blues Baseball, Adam Stowe awarded Cal Poly RPTA a signed baseball and engraved plaque in appreciation of RPTA support!
Adam Stowe came to campus this week to meet with RPTA student leaders and Dr. Bill Hendricks, RPTA Department Head and Dr. Brian Greenwood, RPTA Faculty and advisor of the sports management concentration to share his appreciation of the Cal Poly RPTA internship program and extend the Cal Poly RPTA partnership with the SLO Blues Baseball for 2016 season.
The SLO Blues are a Summer Collegiate Wooden Baseball Club during the months of May to July. The SLO Blues strive to provide affordable family entertainment and to allow baseball players to continue the development of their professional athletic skills.
In support of this community program, Cal Poly RPTA actively sponsored the SLO Blues Baseball providing learn-by-doing student interns with academic focus in sports management and event planning & management promoting academic programs and a hands-on internship program.
Stowe emphasizes the importance of this internship program. During the 2016 season, the Blues are expected to hire 26 interns to help with game day operation, marketing and promotion. Many of their interns are RPTA students who will gain unique skills and knowledge to help shape their professional careers.
Roughly 16 percent of Blues interns and employees go on to work for a Major League Baseball team.
For more information on the SLO Blues, please visit bluesbaseball.com.
SAVE THE DATE for the 2016 RPTA 40th Celebration Dinner and Auction at The Cliffs Resort on February 27, 2016! Registration is now live.
Mark your calendars for a red carpet night at The Cliffs Resort in Pismo Beach -- up to date info on the live and silent auction here.
Please join us on Saturday, February 27, 2016 for an exciting 40th year celebration experience at The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach. Share this evening of "RPTA in the Spotlight", honoring students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Cal Poly's Recreation, Parks, & Toursim Administration Department [RPTA] from the past 40 years!
The event, featuring live and silent auction items as well as dinner, brings together alumni, students, parents, faculty and friends of the department to support the continued growth of Cal Poly's nationally recognized RPTA program. Your donations are used for student and program development.
We want to invite you to attend this event entirely planned and managed by a committee of undergraduate RPTA students, applying learn by doing for you!
Please save the date and visit our online reservation experience to reserve your seats today! We have reserved hotel blocks for you at The Cliffs Resort, Inn at the Cove, and the SeaCrest Hotel. Additional information on registration site.
Giants Named 2015 Recipient of the Commissioner's Award for Philanthropic Excellence
Club Recognized for Its Junior Giants Youth-Focused Program
Abbreviated article with references directed to Cal Poly and RPTA research partnership: The Junior Giants has had a positive impact on the youth of the many underserved communities the program reaches, including on the physical health and social-emotional learning. According to a California Polytechnic State University survey administered to Junior Giants parents, coaches and participants, 76% of Junior Giants participants engaged in more physical activity, with the majority practicing healthier habits; at least 83% engaged in behaviors aimed at preventing bullying; and at least 80% saw improvements in character development traits such as integrity, confidence, leadership and teamwork.
In addition, the Junior Giants Ambassador program was mentioned in the article as well. This program employs approximately 90 college students annually to assist in league affairs and collect data for our Junior Giants research. The idea originated through our research partnership. Approximately 50 Cal Poly students have served as Ambassadors during the last 4 years.
Press Release |
Major League Baseball and Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. have named the San Francisco Giants as the 2015 recipient of the Commissioner's Award for Philanthropic Excellence, it was announced today at the MLB Owners Meetings in Dallas.
The Giants were acknowledged for their Junior Giants program, a free, noncompetitive initiative for boys and girls, ages 5 to 18, which provides character development and baseball instruction. In partnership with community-based organizations, Junior Giants provides a safe environment in which children challenge themselves, connect with mentors and learn life skills. The Giants Community Fund will receive a $10,000 grant from Major League Baseball Charities as part of this recognition.
Commissioner Manfred said: "I congratulate Larry Baer, the Giants Community Fund and the entire Giants organization for the continued success of the Junior Giants program, which is a perfect example of our commitment to reaching young people both inside and outside the game. For many years, the program has used the popularity of our sport to help change thousands of young lives. The program teaches healthy habits, improves literacy and prevents bullying. I thank the Giants and all of our Clubs for their year-round efforts to reach out to their respective communities."
"As individuals, we know it's important to help our neighbors, our community. As an organization, that role is not only multiplied by the employees and players, but also increased exponentially by the image and reach of the team through fans, sponsors and the league," said Giants President and CEO Larry Baer. "It's a responsibility that we take to heart. The San Francisco Giants and the Giants Community Fund are tremendously proud to be a recipient of The Commissioner's Award and look forward to expanding our service as representatives of Major League Baseball."
Junior Giants, which is administered through the Giants Community Fund, is the largest youth baseball program managed by an MLB Club with more than 25,000 participants in 91 leagues throughout California, Nevada and Oregon. The primary goal of the Junior Giants is to use baseball and softball as vehicles to foster character development, academic achievement and improved health among underserved youth, with an additional focus on bullying prevention. The program is implemented thanks to partnerships with local recreation departments, Police Activities Leagues, Boys & Girls Clubs and other community organizations. More than 5,000 coaches and team parents devote time throughout the summer to teaching players both baseball and life skills. The Giants Community Fund handles the majority of administration duties for Junior Giants leagues, including providing all supplies necessary to run a league (equipment, uniforms, program curriculum and incentives, coaches training online registration, background check infrastructure and special liaisons to each league, called Junior Giants Ambassadors). The tenets of Junior Giants are also the main focus of the future Junior Giants Urban Youth Academy, which is planned to be built on the campus of San Francisco State University.
Junior Giants is sponsored by Bank of America and is supported by organizations such as Positive Coaching Alliance and Futures Without Violence, which offer expertise on a number of different topics. Giants players and alumni are integral to the program, especially through financial donations, appearances at events and participating in promotional components. Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey is the Junior Giants Commissioner. The Giants Community Fund provides Giants game tickets for participants, many of whom have never had the opportunity to attend a game. The Junior Giants has had a positive impact on the youth of the many underserved communities the program reaches, including on the physical health and social-emotional learning. According to a California Polytechnic State University survey administered to Junior Giants parents, coaches and participants, 76% of Junior Giants participants engaged in more physical activity, with the majority practicing healthier habits; at least 83% engaged in behaviors aimed at preventing bullying; and at least 80% saw improvements in character development traits such as integrity, confidence, leadership and teamwork.