May 30, 2014
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
If like me you have a high school or college senior you know that graduation season is in full swing and commencement speeches are being given across the country. Attached is a copy of a speech given by a Navy Seal Admiral that caught my attention. It is a great reminder of not what it takes to win but how to win. This address underscores my belief that it takes hard work and perseverance to succeed, that we learn from our experiences, good and bad, and build character to handle them. Please take a moment and think about how your attitude and confidence level is perceived by those who come in contact with you. Identify opportunities for self-improvement and work on becoming a better leader and a better person.
Just like being a Navy Seal is not for everyone, we need to remember that Centerplate is not for every client. Centerplate is for those clients who understand the value of our hospitality offering and are interested in a higher level operating system that delivers best-in-class results. This does not mean that we will not try to win business but it does mean we will not buy it. That stated we must have the courage to constantly push ourselves to achieve greater things.
E3 moments of the week …
Western University’s School of Pharmacy Graduation celebration was held at the Pasadena Convention Center and our client was extremely pleased, “Everything was beyond impressive, from the space, to the food, to the service was really top notch. You guys do a really amazing job. The entire event couldn’t have gone any better. The Westin and perhaps many of the other hotels in the area have nothing on the convention center. See you next year.” Great job by Os Ahmed, Sal Benitez, Gail Cooper, Doug Finney, Alex Guerra, Stacy Ober, Tom Paquette, Chef Arnold Preciado, Christine Trejo and our team in Pasadena!
The ScotiaBank Baycrest Pro-Am event at the Allstream Centre was a complete success. “We have heard great feedback from players and sponsors about the food. We received nothing but exceptional service from the staff who demonstrated professionalism through every layer of the event.” With a 94% guest satisfaction rate over the past 12 months, our team is Making It Better To Be There! Kudos to Doris Bertrand, Robert Campbell, Mitzi Concha, Ramzi Gandhour, Anita Gleeson, Rolande Grant, Chef Samir Hanna, Cathy King, Gordon MacDonald, Chef Steven Montague, Ana Laura Monzon, Sonia Naeemi, Sandra Palombo, David Procopia, Chef Ron Taggert and our entire staff at the Allstream Centre!
Head Chef Damien Awford-Nash, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, is one of 10 chefs participating in the Waitrose Cricket Cook-Off. There is a panel of judges but the final decision will be made by Waitrose shoppers voting for their favorite. The Waitrose website boasts a video of the chefs cooking their dishes with the recipes available both on the website and in each of the Waitrose supermarkets. Good luck to Chef Damien! Here’s the link: http://www.waitrose.com/content/waitrose/en/home/inspiration/cricket/waitrose-cricketcookoff.html?cq_ck=1400590130921.html&wtrint=1-Content-_-2-Inspiration-_-3-cricket-_-4–_-5-banner-_-6-cookoff
We will always be challenged but we will stay together, fight together and learn together. If we all strive to Make It Better To Be There, I am confident that we will ultimately win together.
Onwards!
Life Lessons from Navy SEAL Training WSJ 5.25.14
Roger Wilton June 3, 2014 at 12:56 pm
Props to the great team in Toronto. !!
Dan Filarecki June 3, 2014 at 8:40 am
Very interesting reading the Admirals address. Starting your day off making your bed is seen as helpful in many ways. There is a saying in Buddhism and mindfulness training the goes “The state of your bed, is the state of your head” It can either be twisted up, tangled and askew or crisp and orderly, your choice.