FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN DIEGO, CA — August 17, 2026 — The AI Hospitality Alliance (AIHA) today announced the launch of Mastering AI for Hospitality: From Beginner to Builder, a free eight-part workshop series designed to help hospitality professionals understand, use and ultimately build with artificial intelligence.
The live online series will be taught by Ira Vouk, Founder of the AI Hospitality Alliance, hospitality technology and AI strategist, author and professor at the San Diego State University L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Presented by the AI Hospitality Alliance in partnership with the SDSU L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the program adapts the AI curriculum Vouk teaches at SDSU for working hospitality professionals and makes it available free to the broader industry.
The first workshop, “50 Shades of Intelligence: What AI Is — and What It Means for Hospitality,” will kick off Thursday, September 3, 2026, from 8:00–9:00 AM PDT. Additional workshop dates will be announced throughout the series.
“AI is moving so quickly that there is a growing gap between hearing about these technologies and actually understanding how to use them,” said Vouk. “The goal of this series is to close that gap for hospitality. We’re starting with the fundamentals, but we’re not stopping there. By the end, participants will have gone from understanding what AI is to working with agents, creating digital products and even building software with AI.”
From AI Beginner to Builder
Each workshop is approximately one hour and focuses on practical application rather than theory alone. No technical or coding experience is required.
Participants may attend individual workshops based on their interests, while the full curriculum is intentionally structured as a progression from Beginner - AI User - Power User - Builder.
The eight workshops include:
1. Fifty Shades of Intelligence: What AI Is - and What It Means for Hospitality
An introduction to AI, machine learning, generative AI, LLMs, predictive AI, agentic AI and the ways these technologies are being applied across hospitality.
2. The LLM Toolkit: Mastering Text GenAI
Hands-on use of tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, NotebookLM and others for prompting, research, analysis, writing, document interrogation and problem-solving.
3. From Prompt to Picture: Images, Design & Presentations with AI
Using generative AI to create and edit images, presentations, infographics, marketing materials and other visual content.
4. Give AI a Voice: Music, Speech, Podcasts & Audio Generation
Exploring AI-generated music, realistic speech, podcasts, voiceovers, audio enhancement, translation and synthetic voice technology.
5. Lights, Camera, AI: Video Generation & Digital Avatars
Creating video from text and images, working with digital avatars, synthetic voices, translation and AI-assisted video production.
6. From Assistants to Agents: When AI Starts Doing the Work
Moving beyond chatbots into AI assistants and agents that can access tools, work with files, interact with applications and complete multi-step tasks, combined with practical AI productivity workflows for everyday work.
7. Build It Yourself: Websites, Web Apps & Dashboards with AI
Using natural language to move from an idea to a functioning website, calculator, dashboard, interactive report or internal business tool.
8. Vibe Coding: Build Anything You Want - and Ditch Some of Your Subscriptions
An introduction to AI-assisted software development, demonstrating how professionals without traditional programming experience can work with AI coding agents to create, modify, troubleshoot and improve software.
Throughout the series, participants will work with and see demonstrations of a broad range of current AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, NotebookLM, Canva, Gamma, ElevenLabs, Suno, Runway, HeyGen, Claude, Codex, Lovable, VS Code and others.
Free and Open to the Industry
All eight workshops will be offered free of charge as part of the AIHA Academy. Sessions will be delivered live online, with recordings subsequently available through the AI Hospitality Alliance website.
The inaugural workshop, Fift Shades of Intelligence: What AI Is - and What It Means for Hospitality, takes place September 3 at 8:00 AM PDT.
Register for free here**: AIHospitalityAlliance.com/education**.
About Ira Vouk
Ira Vouk is a hospitality technology and AI strategist, author, educator and Founder of the AI Hospitality Alliance. She teaches hospitality and artificial intelligence at the San Diego State University L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and works with hotel companies, hospitality technology providers, investors and industry organizations on technology, AI, product and commercial strategy.
She is the author of Hotel Tech 101: How Everything Works Together (...And Does It?), Hospitality 2.0: Digital Revolution in the Hotel Industry, and Revenue Management Made Easy.
Learn more at www.iravouk.com.