April 25, 2014
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
Performance in 2014 is going to be more critical than ever. As Steve Jobs once said, “Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.” That quote may live and prosper in our space but never in a Centerplate powered venue. We must deliver excellence and post personal performance bests every day. In fact, it is vital that as an enterprise we never fall short if we are to deliver on being the most admired hospitality company in the world. Wishing or even wanting to be the best is not good enough. In fact, we are not talking about going from good to great. The reality is that the difference between good and exceptional has a profound impact on the business. Our competitors are seen as “good enough” and therefore we need to be great. Average in any way holds us back. Great is what we need to deliver. Watch the Van Damme Volvo clip from our Annual Conference again; that is what great looks like. How are you inspiring your own Van Damme moment? Challenge yourself and your team to be exceptional.
Over the past several weeks I have seen a stream of poor hospitality experiences delivered by our competitors at the Angels, Yankees and in Glasgow to name a few. At the same time, we have had extremely favorable write ups on many of our venues – Seattle Mariners, New Orleans Pelicans, Saks Fifth Avenue, among others – along with the attached article on AT&T Park which underscores how we don’t give lip service to our corporate brand positioning, we live it and it is clear as daylight that as an enterprise We Make It Better To Be There. This is the kind of universal great we need to consistently deliver. The stark performance difference is clear for all to see. I hope it inspires all our team members to become true ambassadors of insanely great hospitality.
Remember, it’s not about the promises we make but the promises we keep. You are the sum total of the choices you make every day. Take a moment and review the goals for 2014 that you personally signed up for in Orlando and take the appropriate actions to ensure your performance is in line.
E3 moments of the week …
The American College of Cardiology held its annual conference at the Walter E. Washington Convention, for the first time in 12 years. With 17,000 attendees over a 4-day period fueled by 900 gallons of coffee per day, the conference was a great success. Our ACC clients could not have been more pleased and sent two great letters to our team, “A buzz started with the stellar opening session and continued to the end of the meeting. Without you guys we cannot do what we do – you are an extended part of our ACC family, an integral part of our team, and we want you to also relish in the success of the meeting that we just pulled off together.” “Often in these events, it’s small but thoughtful gestures, and so much else of what you and your colleagues did, that are the most memorable and appreciated.” ACC will be our guests at the San Diego Convention Center next year and are excited to be at another Centerplate venue. Tremendous job of detailed planning by Elsa Mahari and Karla Suarez led to a very successful execution – congratulations to Elsa, Karla, Abdel Anane and our entire team at the convention center!
Guests at Whiteface Mountain took the time to write a note of appreciation for Nate Hofrichter, our Rental/ Repair Shop Manager. Upon hearing that the couple’s son was diabetic, Nate brought them emergency supplies to ensure his well-being while at the ski center. A great example of insanely great hospitality – kudos to Nate!
As the adage goes, it’s not how fast you fly. It’s about how you fly fast.
Onwards!
