November 27, 2013
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
Read a couple of good quotes this week that struck a cord with me and hopefully will with you as well. The first is Halston, “You are only as good as the clients you serve.” I could not agree more and it gives me great pleasure to know that our client roster is deep in all our major channels. However, it is not just the quantity of clients we serve but the quality of services we provide that gives me the most pride. Today we are recognized as having the #1 hospitality program in the NFL, MLB, college football, college arena and convention center channels. In fact, just this past week, Lucas Oil Stadium was named the #1 Best Stadium in the NFL by Thrilllist. When others state that they operate in our league, please know that due to our combined hard work, effort and leadership it is okay to state that they are dreaming.
The second quote from Carl Jung, “You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do” clearly is aligned with our overall operating mandate of delivering Results not Rhetoric. From my perspective the more we deliver on this quote and our mandate the more we will catch the attention of clients that want to partner with us and perpetually self-fulfill Halston’s belief of attracting good company. I saw firsthand this in play at the NHL Panthers game at the BB&T Center where our operation is simply awesome. The Club Red and suite presentation were phenomenal; our general hospitality is better than our competitor’s clublevel. Bob Hough, Executive Chef Orlando Morales and our team at the arena continue to amaze.
We are in the Event Hospitality business and for years we have stated that we are a client-centric model. As we are approaching the holiday season there is no better time to reach out to our clients and thank them for their business, loyalty, friendship and partnership.
E3 moments of the week …
Our team at the Vancouver Convention Centre donated all food and labor for the recent Typhoon Haiyan Charity Lunch. Centerplate, the VCC and local suppliers came together to break bread and join in a caring effort to help those in need and most attending gave more than the $5 minimum donation. Helen Mah, our HR Coordinator, took a step beyond and baked Red Velvet Cupcakes at home to be sold to boost the funds raised. With both the Provincial and Federal governments matching the contributions, more than $6000 has been raised. Wonderful joint community spirit with our clients – kudos to our Vancouver team!
An update on a previous E3 – at the Toronto Board of Trade Awards Gala last week Centerplate did win the Local Impact Award from the Toronto Board of Trade! Recognized for creating over 300 new jobs over the past few years; diversifying our supply chain and utilizing over 80 local small/medium businesses; developing a menu strategy that incorporates ethnic dishes reflective of area neighborhoods and our contributions to the local economy, this award acknowledges the Centerplate Way of developing locally relevant one-of-a-kind programs. Congratulations to our team in Toronto!
Make sure that you are busy preparing to close out the year strong and engaged in developing a killer plan for Y14 and beyond. I know we have the best team in the business. I also know that we can and will get better!
Onwards!
