July 11, 2014
CEO Newsletter
Te3am,
Over the long weekend I had the chance to reflect, as always, on where we are as a company, where we are going and more importantly how do we successfully bridge from today to tomorrow. From my perspective crafting forward-looking plans is always a high wire balancing act between continuity and change.
We have the right plans and tactics in place so as we enter the second half of the year flawless execution needs to serve as a force multiplier for our agenda. I am confident that you will step up.
The reality is that ordinary acts of braveness live daily within Centerplate. The E3’s that we post every week underscore this. I encourage you to move forward with that same spirit of unstoppable grit and resolve and totally commit to deliver.
To quote a bit of Taoist wisdom that roughly translates as “to lead, one must see the larger picture.” It is critical that we refine our offering to become even more competitive and get this bigger picture in a place it can really be seen. When we do this we can move beyond the stale debates and false choices. To achieve our vision requires adherence to a set of standards higher than those of the prevailing industry. It is our willingness to accept this heavy burden that will ultimately set Centerplate apart.
Unfortunately our competitors with their current leadership remain frozen between the past they can’t let go of and the future they can’t bring themselves to embrace. There’s a zero sum outcome where they believe they are winning by adding accounts but getting no meaningful return. In essence they are committed to working more for less and somehow think this is a successful path. Our belief is we win when we create value for our clients. We do this by generating greater returns while building the reputation of their brand. We must execute our agenda and play to our strengths.
In the words of Andrew Pollard, it is Maggots versus Magic. Take a look at the Twitter feed for Aramark where 75% of the tweets are about maggots in prison food, which incidentally now has the ACLU calling for the cancellation of their prison contracts in Ohio, and other scandals. Then look at the Centerplate feed and all of the tweets going back several months are positive, glowing – simply magic. This is our differentiation – delivering a better long-term financial return and building our client’s reputation by Making It Better To Be There!
E3 moments of the week …
Our first event at the Mid-Ohio Sports Course was a great success. Working with a short opening window, our team increased points of sale throughout the site and introduced our signature Mid-Ohio Pulled Pork Sandwich concept resulting in a sales increase of 50% over last year. Excellent job by Michael Crabtree and our Mid-Ohio team members, and visiting team members Brandon Fruzen, Jason Hougard, Dan Mixan, Chef Jamie Miller, Mark Pickett, Anne Rabeau and Joshua Stamper!
Great news from the Orange County Convention Center – Microsoft’s MGX Program will be held at the center in 2015, 2016, and 2017! Congratulations to our entire Orlando team!
For sure, we will suffer setbacks but our carefully stitched fabric of hospitality will remain firmly secure. We will keep our cool and press on where others would unravel.
Onwards!
