April 12, 2013
CEO Newsletter
Please join me in welcoming our new UK team members to the Centerplate family! I had a tremendous visit last week along with Chris Verros, Bob Pascal and Jeff Tandberg and we are now even more excited about what the future holds. I was thrilled with the attached photo of our Brighton & Hove Albion client’s vision statement which mirrors all that we are known to give. In the second photo, I am with one of our Tottenham clients and proud to be delivering Ultimate Hospitality with our new colleagues from over the pond. We look forward to getting to know each other and the sharing of best practices which will continue next week with several members of our UK team traveling to Miami to tour our facilities and meet their US counterparts.
In my career I have had the good fortune to work with some great people but never felt that I was part of an exceptional team. Right now, with recent events, that is what I feel about Centerplate – the whole is exponentially greater than the parts not only in North America but in the UK as well. It is clear that we collectively pull together and more importantly we learn together. While it is true we suffered early losses, those are a distant memory. We forged our resolve through challenging times and have grown together.
The old model still used by our competitors where the “top thinks and local acts” is a thing of the past at Centerplate. Our plan at the enterprise level is to have a consistently excellent hospitality program in play where our managers have the ability and the power to drive their individual account to new highs. Our strength comes from the desire to have our programs accentuated at the local level to provide that one-of-a-kind experience. The new core menu and wine programs underscore the importance of having consistent programs that are implemented with a local twist. Make sure that your team is making the most of these programs. Our success here will be a telling indicator of how we can elevate our relevance in the industry.
How are you bringing your venue or department to life to respond better, faster and more effectively to the needs of your client? In the Board room after watching the soccer match, our new client at Tottenham Hotspur asked how we can deliver better, friendlier service. I walked him and several Board members and investors through the Centerplate Connect site and showed that we post weekly developments and new programs. I also demonstrated the Centerplate Way, toured through our Annual Conference and played the clip of Michael Strahan. Afterwards Adam and I talked with one of the Board members who was impressed but stated, “That’s all good, Des, but how does all that make our staff friendlier and service better?” I told him that every venue is committed to delivering the Ultimate Hospitality program and that we hire for talent and train for skill. I ask you to double down on this and make sure you are executing accordingly.
E3 moments of the week …
Congratulations to Peggy Daidakis, our client at the Baltimore Convention Center, on her selection as an inductee into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders. It is the Council’s highest honor and the honorees represent influential leaders who have shaped the industry over a lifetime of accomplishments and whose contributions have left an indelible impression on the industry. Peggy left a historical mark on the meetings and conventions industry when she became the first woman to manage and operate a convention center in the United States. Her nomination and selection is most certainly well deserved.
The 2013 Haywood Ski Nationals were held in Whistler and the banquet at our conference centre was a great success. The client was a new meeting planner anxious about the event and could not have been more pleased, “I have had a slew of emails today from so many athletes, parents and coaches that have said this was the best Nationals banquet ever. It could not have happened without all of your amazing support, the great food and rapid service.” Our team was able to get all 690 guests through the buffet in 12 minutes with plenty for everyone, a major concern of the client as they ran out of food at another venue last year. Job well done to Cynthia Brassard, Will Charlton, Frances Dixon, Jean-Pierre Giroux, Executive Chef Neal Harkins, John Kennedy, Nicole Lauzon, Chef Denis Riefel, Logan Smith and our entire team at the Whistler Conference Centre!
The Vintners Brunch during the recent annual Vancouver International Wine Festival was an opportunity for Chef Blair Rasmussen to work his magic with food and wine. While the judges didn’t choose his pairing for a prize, one of the best food scribes in Vancouver gave it top marks, “To my palate it worked best of all. Rasmussen probably cooks more meals than any other chef in town, on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis. He continues to be one of the great and unsung heroes of the city.” Kudos to Chef Blair!
Onwards!
Vancouver Whitecaps – 4 / 12 / 13
Gordon MacDonald Allstream Centre – 4 / 10 / 13
