HelmsBriscoe CEO to speak at OSU Hospitality Days

Thursday, February 1, 2018

HelmsBriscoe founder and CEO Roger Helms will give the keynote address for the Oklahoma State University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management’s Hospitality Days on February 19.

Helms, an OSU alumnus, will speak from 1-2 p.m., in Jorns Hall, located in the Human Sciences building. Now in its 62nd year, OSU’s Hospitality Days, a two-day event that is planned and implemented by hospitality and tourism management students, will be held in the north wing of Human Sciences.  

In 1992, while working as a sales executive with the Registry Hotel Group, Helms recognized that many clients could utilize assistance in identifying venues and negotiating rates and contract terms for meetings. With this idea as the primary building block, he founded HelmsBriscoe, and since its inception, has spent each day driving the organization's vision and culture. 

Today, HelmsBriscoe is the highest volume purchaser in the meetings and event industry and boasts the most expansive and experienced network in the market with 1,300 associates operating in more than 55 countries. In 2017, HelmsBriscoe experienced the strongest year in the company’s history as a record $1.275 billion in group room revenue was booked, representing 6.4 million room nights and more than 50,000 programs in 110 countries worldwide.

Prior to embarking on his career, Helms graduated from OSU, where he was an active member in the Sigma Chi Fraternity and was recently recognized as a Significant Sig. Helms began his career in the hospitality industry working the front desk at the Ramada Inn in Stillwater, Oklahoma, while he was still a college student. Helms has been recognized as an OSU Distinguished Alumni and has been named on multiple occasions to Business Travel News' list of the 25 Most Influential Executives of the business travel industry.

In addition to Helms’ keynote address, Hospitality Days features a career fair and networking opportunities for students with recruiters from local, national and international companies on the Stillwater campus. 

The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the College of Human Sciences at Oklahoma State University is an 81-year program of distinction, providing future hospitality and tourism professionals with a high-quality, business-focused curriculum, hands-on learning labs and the opportunity to engage with industry partners through signature events.