Students in two University of St. Thomas-Houston Cameron School of Business classes – Introduction to Marketing (undergraduate course) and Foundation of Sales (graduate course) recently had the opportunity to visit Houston First Corporation (HFC) offices and talk with Director of Global Sales, Daniel Palomo, MBA, MSc.  

Dr. Habib Chamoun-Nicolas, a visiting scholar teaching both courses, said, “Students learned how to promote Houston globally, working with a mission and vision to create an emotional appeal and demonstrate how vital the community is for the city. Students also had the opportunity to discuss international association meetings and industry case studies.”

About Houston First Corporation

Houston First Corporation is a local government corporation, which operates performing arts and convention facilities in Houston. Its mission is to enhance quality of life, advance economic prosperity, and promote the Houston region. HFC aims to market Houston’s diversity in culture and its four cross-vertical markets in energy, medical, aerospace, and non-biotech. In 2007, Houston joined the International Congress Convention Association (ICCA), later hosting the largest ICCA Congress in North America. Houston also hosted the 23rd World Petroleum Congress in 2021 for the first time, bringing more than 5,000 attendees from approximately 70 different countries.

Junior marketing major Khloe Rodriguez said this about the visit to HFC. “I enjoyed our class visit to Houston First Corporation! It was a great, immersive learning experience. We learned the importance of marketing Houston as the best global destination.”

About the Professor

Chamoun- Nicolas is an author, professor, and international business development and negotiations consultant. He earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Business Management from Technologic de Monterrey in 1982 and an M.S. and Ph.D from The University of Texas at Austin. From 2001-2003, he attended the Program on Negotiation Executive Education, Negotiation, and Conflict Resolution at Harvard University.  Chamoun has published several books, including Deal-Guidelines for a Flawless Negotiation and Negotiate like a Phoenician.  His latest book isTranscend Quo Vadis Negotiator.