Belated best wishes to Larry Rodkin, Lawrence of Florida, on moving his offices into new digs. All other info except his street address remains the same (phone number, fax, email). His email is: larry@lawrenceofflorida.com
Gabrielle Gannaway, General Manager, Sawgrass Mills, Neiman Marcus Last Call, 1208 West Sunrise Blvd, Anchor E, Sunrise, wants all members of HSMAI to know about the special savings at their store. If you send your email address to her at gabriele_gannaway@neimanmarcus.com, you will be sent a savings coupon and receive info on their featured sales and special events. Call Gabrielle at 954-846-977 for more details.
Adrienne Chiron with Traveltrackers is willing to offer members of HSMAI a discount on her city tours, if up to four people (after that she’d have to arrange special transportation.) For more information, contact Adrienne at 305-205-0219. You may wish to check out her company’s website first to see what’s offered at www.traveltrackers.net
Congratulations to Mark Thaler of the Thaler Corporation, for completing their 21st year in business -- for handling 35 national conferences and many corporate incentive programs (heavy in the Jewish wedding and entertainment market).
Check out Mark’s website at: www.4Greatmeetingsandevents.com
The prize for best salesmanship this month goes to: Bryan Daniel at Ya Da Chef. Bryan was the first person to email me (before I had emailed him) after our business card exchange at October’s HSMAI lunch meeting. Bryan also holds the distinction for being the first person THIS YEAR to send me his company brochure via regular mail. To contact Bryan at his catering company, email bryan@yadachef.com.
Just announced: The Greater Fort Lauderdale CVB has extended its meeting planner incentive program to generate group business for next summer. Planners who book groups at the Convention Center for August and September 2008 with a minimum contract for 600 peak-night hotel rooms will receive free rental of convention center floor space. Pass it on!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Oct 25: Members of the Hospitality Industry - Accident or Planned?
When I meet members of the hospitality industry, one of the things I like to ask is how they came to be a member of our industry. Was it planned or by accident?
Years ago I’d served on the Hospitality Industry Advisory Committee for Broward Community College and in the fall of 1999, I was an adjunct instructor teaching the introductory course there in Tourism Industries Administration. In the “old days”, you basically had Cornell University. It was only much later that locally FIU and other schools added courses in our field and students could choose our industry as a career. It seems, however, that most long-time members of our industry “fell” into the business for a variety of reasons.
Don’t know if you recall a past Table of Eight newsletter column in which I mentioned a gentleman at our luncheon whose father had been in the hotel business. His father spent summers in the New York mountain resorts and winters in Florida working for a hotel company. As a child he spent half his year in one location or the other. So I guess you could say he literally grew up in the business. Linda Gill of the Gill Hotels and Walter Banks of Lago Mar continued their family’s hotel business, too. But these are probably the exceptions.
Most people didn’t have that “family” advantage. They started out at the bottom:
Some first jobs included: front desk clerk, cashier, waitress, sales department secretary, receptionist, intern, or reservationist. A couple of people I know had been in Florida for a while when they decided to make a career change. Looking around, they recognized that tourism/hospitality was Florida’s number one industry and figured there was an opportunity for them there.
So, what’s your story? How did you join our industry?
Years ago I’d served on the Hospitality Industry Advisory Committee for Broward Community College and in the fall of 1999, I was an adjunct instructor teaching the introductory course there in Tourism Industries Administration. In the “old days”, you basically had Cornell University. It was only much later that locally FIU and other schools added courses in our field and students could choose our industry as a career. It seems, however, that most long-time members of our industry “fell” into the business for a variety of reasons.
Don’t know if you recall a past Table of Eight newsletter column in which I mentioned a gentleman at our luncheon whose father had been in the hotel business. His father spent summers in the New York mountain resorts and winters in Florida working for a hotel company. As a child he spent half his year in one location or the other. So I guess you could say he literally grew up in the business. Linda Gill of the Gill Hotels and Walter Banks of Lago Mar continued their family’s hotel business, too. But these are probably the exceptions.
Most people didn’t have that “family” advantage. They started out at the bottom:
Some first jobs included: front desk clerk, cashier, waitress, sales department secretary, receptionist, intern, or reservationist. A couple of people I know had been in Florida for a while when they decided to make a career change. Looking around, they recognized that tourism/hospitality was Florida’s number one industry and figured there was an opportunity for them there.
So, what’s your story? How did you join our industry?
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Oct 24: Nights in November on SeaEscape
Attention hospitality industry: Nights in November are going to be filled with food, fun and action on SeaEscape. If you haven’t sailed on SeaEscape recently, you should join us and see what happens after the sun goes down. In addition to Latin and Caribbean Nights, in November we will be introducing a Taste of Israel with regional cuisine and entertainment along with Greek Night featuring guest chef and restaurateur Yanni, from Avra Taverna.
On Friday nights, SeaEscape offers a discounted fare and drink specials for ladies. Saturday nights we feature Comedy Jam hosted by Razor in Neptune’s Cove. Chris MacDonald will be back this month with his famous Memories of Elvis Tribute Show as well as the debut of our all-new Las Vegas-style revue.
So, get a group of friends and neighbors together and sail SeaEscape to a ship full of fun…after dark. www.seaescape.com
-Janet Langfur, SeaEscape
On Friday nights, SeaEscape offers a discounted fare and drink specials for ladies. Saturday nights we feature Comedy Jam hosted by Razor in Neptune’s Cove. Chris MacDonald will be back this month with his famous Memories of Elvis Tribute Show as well as the debut of our all-new Las Vegas-style revue.
So, get a group of friends and neighbors together and sail SeaEscape to a ship full of fun…after dark. www.seaescape.com
-Janet Langfur, SeaEscape
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Oct 21: FLL Airport Makes the Grade
In “The Business Travel Awards” survey published in the October 2007 Conde Nast Traveler magazine, the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport ranked 10th of the top 10 listed. Portland, Oregon came in number one. Tampa (the only other Florida airport in the top 10) was number three.
The survey of their magazine readers (mainly business travelers) looked at six basic categories: location/access; ease of connections; customs/baggage; food/shops/amenities; comfort/design; and perceived safety/security. FLL received high numbers in the category of location/access and received low numbers in the food/shops/amenities category.
Do you agree? Of the six categories, what do you think is our best and our worst features?
The survey of their magazine readers (mainly business travelers) looked at six basic categories: location/access; ease of connections; customs/baggage; food/shops/amenities; comfort/design; and perceived safety/security. FLL received high numbers in the category of location/access and received low numbers in the food/shops/amenities category.
Do you agree? Of the six categories, what do you think is our best and our worst features?
Friday, October 19, 2007
Oct 19: Upscale Hotel Charges
Recently while traveling, I was charged a daily $18 resort fee (even though I was in meetings all day unable to use the resort) and $26 daily for the privilege of letting my car sit in the hotel’s parking lot. It got me thinking…
The general theory was that travelers on business expense accounts don’t care what anything costs. Their company is picking up the tab. It seems, however, that many companies are no longer able or willing to pay for “martini lunches” and other non-essential items. They have become more cost conscious. At the same time the current tax rules on deductible items have tightened. Are more people turning to mid-priced hotels that are including web-access, free parking, and free breakfasts in their rates?
And, where’s the line? How does a hotel today balance finding new sources of revenue without incurring a backlash from customers? Have you changed what is included to be more competitive?
The general theory was that travelers on business expense accounts don’t care what anything costs. Their company is picking up the tab. It seems, however, that many companies are no longer able or willing to pay for “martini lunches” and other non-essential items. They have become more cost conscious. At the same time the current tax rules on deductible items have tightened. Are more people turning to mid-priced hotels that are including web-access, free parking, and free breakfasts in their rates?
And, where’s the line? How does a hotel today balance finding new sources of revenue without incurring a backlash from customers? Have you changed what is included to be more competitive?
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Oct 17: Dressing for Success
A recent newspaper article talked about the importance of dressing for success amid the new casual dress codes. One authority recommended keeping a nice pair of shoes and a blazer in your office for those unexpected meetings. One of my friends at an upscale hotel in Sarasota wears flats in the office, but stashes a pair of heels in her desk to be ready for appointments. And an ex-boss of mine always used to have a jacket (with a tie in the pocket) on the back of his office door, just in case someone important stopped by to visit.
Selling business to business, the recommendation has been to match the look of your customers. So those selling corporate travel or to the meetings industry are advised to look like their meeting planners or their corporate exec clients.
So, it made me wonder whether or not there’s even the possibility of a casual day (most usually Fridays in most companies) for our industry. You don’t see too many of us, if ever, in jeans. If you eliminate those of us required to dress in a uniform or costume for our jobs, what should the dress code be for our industry? Is it okay to dress resort casual to sell South Florida? And at what point is resort casual too casual? What do you think?
Selling business to business, the recommendation has been to match the look of your customers. So those selling corporate travel or to the meetings industry are advised to look like their meeting planners or their corporate exec clients.
So, it made me wonder whether or not there’s even the possibility of a casual day (most usually Fridays in most companies) for our industry. You don’t see too many of us, if ever, in jeans. If you eliminate those of us required to dress in a uniform or costume for our jobs, what should the dress code be for our industry? Is it okay to dress resort casual to sell South Florida? And at what point is resort casual too casual? What do you think?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Oct 11: Hotel restaurants – No longer just for convenience
Hotels used to have to include a restaurant for the convenience of their main clients – the traveling salesman who arrived by car and was looking for a quick, predictable meal at an inexpensive price. Think chain, think original Holiday Inn.
And years ago, to obtain a certain rating (stars, diamonds, etc.) the inclusion of a restaurant (even a coffee shop) raised the level of your property.
Times have changed – hotel restaurants are often destinations in themselves. Some even have gourmet food. They may be a concession or a franchise or even use a celebrity name for increased recognition. Some hotel restaurants stand on their own merits – being listed in Zagat’s or Fodor’s.
So, if you’re a hotelier, is your restaurant a focal point of your marketing or just one of the many amenities listed? If you’re not a hotelier, when was the last time you went to a hotel for their food?
Why not take advantage of a few of our local hotel restaurants? A promotion called “Dine Out Lauderdale” takes place through November 15th (excluding the boat show dates) and offers a special priced-fix menu at $35. You can visit the Grill room on Las Olas (Riverside Hotel); 3030 Ocean (Harbor Beach Marriott); Aizia (Westin Diplomat); Council Oak (Hard Rock Hotel); Latitudes (Marriott Hollywood Bch); Ireland’s Steakhouse (Hyatt Bonaventure) and Cero (St. Regis). For more details and other restaurants participating, check out www.sunny.org/dineout
And years ago, to obtain a certain rating (stars, diamonds, etc.) the inclusion of a restaurant (even a coffee shop) raised the level of your property.
Times have changed – hotel restaurants are often destinations in themselves. Some even have gourmet food. They may be a concession or a franchise or even use a celebrity name for increased recognition. Some hotel restaurants stand on their own merits – being listed in Zagat’s or Fodor’s.
So, if you’re a hotelier, is your restaurant a focal point of your marketing or just one of the many amenities listed? If you’re not a hotelier, when was the last time you went to a hotel for their food?
Why not take advantage of a few of our local hotel restaurants? A promotion called “Dine Out Lauderdale” takes place through November 15th (excluding the boat show dates) and offers a special priced-fix menu at $35. You can visit the Grill room on Las Olas (Riverside Hotel); 3030 Ocean (Harbor Beach Marriott); Aizia (Westin Diplomat); Council Oak (Hard Rock Hotel); Latitudes (Marriott Hollywood Bch); Ireland’s Steakhouse (Hyatt Bonaventure) and Cero (St. Regis). For more details and other restaurants participating, check out www.sunny.org/dineout
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