Log In
Patti J. Shock in 2018
Events industry icon Patti J. Shock, CPCE, passed away on Nov. 22 following several surgeries. Shock, an industry educator, consultant, speaker, and author, was born in 1941, and spent 28 years as a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 18 of which she served as chair of the tourism and convention administration department. She had been a professor at The International School of Hospitality (TISOH) in Las Vegas since 2006, where there is a scholarship in her name in conjunction with the National Association for Catering & Events (NACE) for the Meeting and Event Catering Certificate program.
Shock was inducted in the Events Industry Council (EIC) Hall of Leaders in 2014. In a video tribute to Shock on the EIC Hall of Leaders website page, Chris Meyer, CEM, CMP, vice president of global sales for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, credited Shock with being an early adopter to online learning. She served as director of distance learning at Harrah College of Hotel Administration UNLV and had taught online for Florida International University since 2013.
The EIC Hall of Leaders page attributes Shock with “single-handily” creating the first academic track for meetings, events, and trade shows at the college level while a professor and later department chair at Georgia State University from 1977–1987.
Among her numerous other industry achievements, Shock was recognized by PCMA as Educator of the Year in 1996 and Author of the Year in 2002.
“While it is difficult to pinpoint the single most important contribution of an industry pioneer like Patti Shock,” according to her EIC tribute page, “her passion about her students and dedication to teaching them to be effective managers and leaders in the field of hospitality endures.”