Student Membership Requirements
To qualify for IFWTWA Membership as a student, you must be enrolled in the study of journalism, hotel and hospitality, communications, culinary sciences and/or enology, writing, broadcasting/media in an accredited college or university or technical school and currently signed up for a full course of work.
The applicant must submit the following evidence of student status with application. Scan or email with
subject “my application” to: admin@ifwtwa.org (1) your current student ID and (2) proof in the form of a letter or
other document from the institution of higher learning certifying your course of study.
You’ve heard it all before:
“Get some real world experience.”
“Show us a portfolio of your work.”
“You need relevant experience on your resume.”
It’s the old “rule” in the workplace. You must have what an employer wants to start your career. You have almost no control. But you do have an alternative.
Instead of joining the latest student society, join us and meet pros in the travel and hospitality industry.
7 Great Reasons to Join
Reason #1: Grow At Our Conferences
As a student member you can attend one of our popular annual conferences. You’ll attend group events. You’ll network, connect and rub elbows with the pros. You’ll walk away with a notebook full of ideas for stories. And you’ll probably walk away with a fistful of member business cards — some willing to give you a chance to publish through their outlet.
And that’s not all …
- You’ll gain access to the backstories and notable figures driving local and regional topics relevant to our industry
- You’ll meet new people, explore new areas, get a chance to discover more about yourself and the world and, you’ll see places the typical tourist might miss
- You’ll meet speakers that are accessible, smart with lots of experience
- Our conference pros team up with local experts with a laser-sharp focus to hone in on and bring you exclusive and unique access to the latest and unique food, wine and destination travel experiences
Reason #2: Network Online Daily
What good is joining an Association if you can’t associate with anyone? We’ve got you covered.
Our Association membership website is jam-packed with social community features you’ll just love. Our site is for members only.
- Want to set up and network with a group about just one topic? You can. Set up a “circle” of like-minded members and collaborate on ideas to your heart’s desire at all hours of the day and night
- Want to chat with colleagues while on the run? No problem. We can set you up with an Email list so you can message one another at will
- Do you need help with digital photography or videography? Create or join discussion a forum.
Reason #3: Present Your Stories to The World
Publish your stories with us. Our flagship Association publication Food, Wine, Travel Magazine is our online worldwide consumer magazine and gateway that presents the travel experiences of our members. This site gets 16,000-page views a month.
- You’ll become known as a travel writer or other content creator specialist in the industry
- You’ll get your name out in the travel and hospitality industry circles
- You’ll claim bragging rights about having the coolest job where you get your stories out for all the world to see
You’ll need to send your best work to our editors to show them you’re up to the challenge. Publication of your stories is not a guarantee. But, if you do the hard work of crafting great stories, we can help you get them out on the world stage. After all, all you ever wanted was a chance, right?
Reason #4: Build Your Reputation on Social Media
Our members are all over the ‘Net’. Every week of the year, they share and publish social media posts with one another. It’s easy to join in. Just check out our Association Calendar on the front page of our website at ifwtwa.org and keep an eye out for the following:
- Travel Tuesday
- Wine Wednesday
- Instagram Thursday
- Foodie Friday
When you network our members on social media, your posts will thread their way through the Internet, and your followers will grow like magic.
You’ll also gain access to our private Facebook group where you can ask questions, share travel plans, and collaborate on social media posts, and more. Many members tell us this group is worth the entire cost of membership!
Reason #5: Volunteer Your Way to Industry Visibility
We’re a volunteer-run organization. Whatever gets done, gets done by volunteers who contribute their time and talents to making our Association the resource-rich organization it is for the travel and hospitality industry.
Many of our members would not be known in the industry were it not for their visible roles promoting the interests of our members through volunteer work for the Association. There’s much you can do to help out. And by so doing, you’ll become known in the Association, online, and grow your professional network.
We need volunteers to:
- Imagine, shape and run regional events
- Help out at conferences
- Research and collect information
- Assist as copywriters and editors
- Shape our Hospitality Education Scholarship Program
- Contribute to online training
- Grow our membership base
- Bring a new or unique skill set or perspective to further Association goals
Reason #6: We Help Protect You Online
Online theft of photos and stories is a constant threat to writers and artists. Internet scammers threaten and try to extort users into paying fees for alleged copyright violations. We are very much aware of this threat and take the lead among industry Associations with a unique proactive approach to protect the work of our members online.
Thanks to our exclusive sponsor – affiliate arrangement with Digiprove, you can take advantage of our member-only discount and start protecting your stories, photos and other intellectual property online while you set up your reputation and brand.
If you run a blog, you can get the same tools we use to protect our stories and photos in our online magazine. And if you write for publications, you can get tools to secure all of your stories and photos before you put them online.
Reason #7: We Don’t Just Talk: We Do
When you think about it, we just don’t talk about helping you start your career path. We open important doors for you.
When you join us, you’re not signing up to be an invisible, numerical cog in an Association wheel in cyberspace. You’re joining a unique group of international specialists who work together to evaluate and improve the travel and hospitality industry. The mission of our California mutual benefit not-for-profit corporation is to advance the interests of the industry and to project a substantially favorable image.
Yes, you have every reason to join and no reason not to do so if you want a chance to jump start your journalism career as a professional. Student Associations tell employers little about your achievement. An association with us shows them.