January 10, 2014
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
I hope you and your family enjoyed some quiet and happy times over the holidays. If you were alone please know that your Centerplate family is with you in spirit and we are only a phone call or text away. Everyone has people who care for them. If you know of someone who is alone, please reach out. The impact that your one call can have is profound. Caring comes back twofold.
As you know from my note earlier in the week we acquired Heritage Portfolio Limited. We are starting the year off strong and are committed to profitable growth with the right dynamics. We will not become buyers of business. We earn business the old fashioned way through hard work, vision and results. Underscoring that our strategy is the right one, this week on ESPN the commentators were discussing why there could be a potential black out of 3 of the 4 playoff games, they noted that the teams and venues are simply not evolving and one of the anchors went on to state, “It is clear that the teams have not made it better to be there”. This is priceless. We will use it to pivot our brand positioning of being totally committed to Making It Better To Be There.
I came across a great quote that made me think about how we can live up to our brand positioning, “You can work for what you want or settle for what you have”. We must never settle and always strive for continuous improvement. The question is how do we keep alive the ambition to constantly move the needle? Leadership and motivation are critical along with solid communication which underscores a point made by Gregory Berns, “A person can have the greatest idea in the world. But if that person can’t convince enough other people, it doesn’t matter.” Think about how you are communicating with your team – are you inspiring or aggravating? Work on how you are moving our agenda forward and look for ways to make the difference. Make sure you are truly Making It Better To Be There for your employees, clients and guests alike.
I had the pleasure of joining the Chargers organization for their playoff game versus the Bengals. Our relationship with the Chargers organization has never been stronger. I thank Ron Lee and our entire team for not dropping a beat over the last few seasons. We must never forget that we are in the relationship business.
All 4 winners of last weekend’s Wild Card round are Centerplate teams. The only home team to win was the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the win was both on and off the field making it better to be there. We wish all of our teams much success throughout the playoffs.
E3 moments of the week …
Congratulations and good luck to our Colorado Convention Center Team! Centerplate has been selected as one of three finalists in the category of Best Caterer-Denver Metro for Colorado Meeting + Events magazine’s 8th annual Best of Colorado reader’s choice awards. The winner will be announced at a Best Of celebration on March 10th.
A recent article on the Winnipeg Jets and the MTS Centre in Stadium Journey gave rave reviews noting that fans can look forward to a first-class NHL experience and one of the best the league has to offer. Highlights of our food and beverage program mentioned were the Jumbo Jets Dog and the Classic Poutine. Our client is delighted with the new Local 204 concession stand featuring locally grown ingredients and the newly activated atrium space both of which are driving incremental growth. Great job by Lynda Baker, Pat Bonne, John Couture, Ellery Friesen, Mike Law, Jordan Leclair, Emanuel Machado, Kim Mullin, Amanda Pollick, Karen Rainka, Rejean Roch, Tod Trudeau, Rob Williams, Gary Scott, Brian Selmon, Michael Smith, Sean Swan, Craig Vidal, Roger Wilton and our entire team at the MTS Centre!
We will never settle. Lead and motivate your team, communicate effectively and great things will happen in 2014 and beyond.
Onwards!
