NILES — As hotels, breweries and restaurants prepare for the onslaught of tourists anticipated to visit Michiana this summer, jobs of all varieties will be available and ready to snatch up.

To help residents know who is hiring, Kinexus, a nonprofit workforce agency, will be hosting the second annual Hospitality Job Fair and Expo.

The event will take place from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 9, at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor and from 2 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 11 at the Lake Michigan College campus in Niles, 1905 Foundation Dr.

More than 30 different businesses between the two campuses are expected to attend. Jobs are available for full-time and part-time positions and range from roles as managers to seasonal work. Businesses from across the Michiana area are expected to attend, including Four Winds Casino, Gravity Winery, Sawyer Garden Center and Blue Fish Vacation Rentals, to name just a few. 

With the leisure and hospitality industry employing 10,977 individuals in the Tri-County area, according to research compiled by Kristin Bivens, the brand coordinator for Kinexus, the sector represents 10.9 percent of all the jobs across Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties and is the second largest sector behind manufacturing.

Mary Morphey, the manager of the corporate communications for Kinexus, said officials know how important the industry is to the Michiana area and they saw a need to help employers and job seekers in the industry get connected.

“The tri-county area is like the sweet spot for hospitality,” Morphey said. “Anything that really serves the general public is becoming more important. This is the time of year that we do shift the focus to hospitality. It’s a demand driven thing. Our employers have the need and this is our way of addressing it.”

Morphey said last year’s inaugural job fair saw more than 300 people visit the expo. This year, Morphey said they wanted to expand the fair to Niles.

She encouraged those interested in attending the free event to dress for a job interview and bring copies of their resume.

“Definitely come interview ready,” Morphey said.

Both Morphey and Bivens said they were grateful to LMC for partnering with them for the job fair.

With LMC’s culinary program, officials said they felt it would be a good way to connect students with potential employers and possibly kick start a career. Additionally, more than 30 other post-secondary schools in the Tri-County area offer academic programs in the leisure and hospitality field.

However, Becky Foster, the director of the Bertrand Crossing Campus, said just because the job fair is on a college campus, does not mean it is just for students.   

“It really, really is for everyone,” Foster said.

Rather than submitting an online application and waiting to hear back, both employees and employers alike will get the unique chance to sit down and talk during the job fair. Foster said a classroom will be set up for interviews to be conducted.

In addition to browsing from dozens of potential employers, those looking to find a new career path can get some help from experts about how to better prepare for job interviews and write an engaging resume. A resume writing workshop will take place from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and an interview skills workshop will take place from 3 to 3:30 p.m. at each respective job fair. The workshops will be taught by experts with Kinexus.

If job candidates want to learn to bolster their skills before the job fair, they are welcomed to set up an appointment with Kinexus officials and get some help.

Employers can still sign up for the event and can do so by visiting, lmc-hospitality-fair.eventbrite.com The cost is $60 for one location and $70 for two. There is a $5 up charge for booths that would like electricity. Job seekers are not required to register for the event, which is free and open to the public. For more information, call Kinexus at (269) 927-1064.