Hospitality Leaders - Interviews with leaders, entrepreneurs, and supporters of hospitality.

On this episode, I’m joined by Troy Springer, President at Elevate Production Group, to hear how he’s championing a return to live, in-person meetings and how his industry has evolved in a post-pandemic world.

Event planners all over the world were forced to construct entirely new business models in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The rise of virtual meetings meant that technology played a much bigger role in these events and industry leaders became comfortable forgoing in-person collaboration.

Troy is at the forefront of bringing live meetings back but in a very different way. He doesn’t want to abandon the technology that made virtual meetings possible but instead wants to use it to elevate the capabilities of in-person meetings. He also approaches his events with a new respect for efficiency and a desire to limit wasted time.

These considerations often flew under the radar just a few years ago, but Troy is now leveraging them to curate outstanding in-person events.

Elevate Production Group - https://elevateproductiongroup.com/

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On this episode, I’m joined by Randy McKay, President and CEO at the Carolina Theatre of Durham, to hear how he’s using his organization’s available resources to create unique experiences that his guests can’t find anywhere else.

Randy’s passion for theater goes back to his childhood days of wanting to be an actor, a passion which eventually shifted to encompass the behind-the-scenes production elements of live shows and concerts.

The Carolina Theatre of Durham is one of the most unique venues Randy has been a part of, owing to its rich local history and intimate size. Randy tries to capitalize on that uniqueness to provide a special guest experience to everyone who walks in the door. He can’t just rely on the venue itself but instead goes above and beyond to provide memorable customer service to create an atmosphere that sticks with his guests, long after the show is over.

It’s an outstanding way to differentiate himself from his competitors.

Randy McKay - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randybobstmckay/

Carolina Theatre of Durham - https://carolinatheatre.org/

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

I’m pleased to welcome back Josiah Mackenzie, Publisher at HotelOperations.com, for his second appearance on the podcast, this time to discuss the role of AI in the future of hospitality.

As Josiah sees it, hospitality is a human industry through and through, and the foundation of success will always be meaningful human relationships. That doesn’t mean that technology won’t play an important role in shaping those relationships, though.

AI is an important pattern recognition and analytics tool. It has the capacity to automate monotonous tasks, freeing up associates to engage with guests in a more personal way. It can also provide important information to staff and allows them to cater to their guest on an individual level, providing personalized services and recommendations based on AI suggestions.

It’s an outstanding resource with the ability to enhance the human element of the hospitality industry, not replace it.

Josiah Mackenzie - https://twitter.com/JosiahMackenzie

HotelOperations.com - https://hoteloperations.com/

AI for Hotels | Article - https://hoteloperations.com/ai-hotels-hospitality/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

#Hospitality #Foodservice

On this episode, I’m joined by Tara Gallina, Co-Owner of Take Root Hospitality Group, to hear how she’s working to create a more empathetic hospitality industry.

Tara is a fine dining veteran, having worked at the prestigious Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York before taking her expertise to St. Louis and opening four outstanding restaurants of her own.

In each of her businesses, Tara works tirelessly to cultivate a leadership team that is understanding and empathetic towards the needs of its staff. Whether it’s through making space for employees to discuss their personal lives at work, or providing free mental health services to her team, Tara wants her restaurants to be a beacon of a new, more empathetic hospitality industry.

She’s created an outstanding culture of patience, communication and understanding that allows everyone to be their full selves at work, and it makes for a more authentic and welcoming guest experience.

Tara Gallina

Take Root Hospitality Group | Instagram

Vicia

Winslow’s Table

Taqueria Morita

Bistro La Floraison

Chris Cano

Upshift

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

On this episode, I’m joined by Tearlach Hutcheson, Vice President of Film at Studio Movie Grill, to hear how the film industry is continuing to bring people together in a post-pandemic world.

Tearlach is passionate about good storytelling and about experiencing those stories together with others. His dedication to these values drew him into the film industry. He’s been striving to cultivate an environment of shared narrative experiences for the better part of two decades.

To him, movie theaters are special because they allow strangers to get together and bond over an engaging story told on film. In a post-Covid world, technology like VR offers filmmakers the chance to provide siloed, individual movie-watching experiences. Tearlach thinks these innovations miss the point of why people enjoy going to the movies.

To him, industry innovation should be aimed at enhancing the welcoming, communal experience that theaters are known for, not creating more excuses for isolation and separation.

Tearlach Hutcheson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tearlachhutcheson/

Studio Movie Grill - https://www.studiomoviegrill.com/

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Valerie Bihet, owner of VIBE Agency, to hear how she and her team continue to stay on top of a constantly evolving industry.

Valerie Bihet | Email - [email protected]

VIBE Agency - https://www.thevibeagency.com/

VIBE Agency | Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thevibeagency

VIBE Agency | Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thevibeagency/

VIBE Agency | Twitter - https://twitter.com/thevibeagency

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

On this episode, I’m joined by Joseph Gormley, Professor and Hospitality Management Chair at the College of Southern Nevada.

Joseph initially pursued a career in aerospace engineering but pivoted to an undergraduate degree in business which he used to start an Italian ice food truck company. Between that entrepreneurial experience, his time running a restaurant and his eventual MBA, Joseph has become the ideal candidate for training and equipping future hospitality leaders for success.

Joseph’s approach to education prioritizes hands-on experience. Students in his program have knives in hand and are actively practicing essential hospitality skills in their second week. This prepares them for real-world restaurant work and gives them foundational knowledge of all elements of the hospitality business, well before their first day on the job.

As Joseph tells it, this practical education provides the tools his students need for success.

Joseph Gormley - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gormley-a1ba4024/

College of Southern Nevada - https://www.linkedin.com/school/college-of-southern-nevada/

College of Southern Nevada - https://www.csn.edu/

CSN Department of Hospitality Management - https://www.csn.edu/schools/school-of-business-hospitality-and-public-services/department-of-hospitality-management

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

On this episode, I’m joined by Luis Rivera, General Manager at White Oak Music Hall, for an exploration of the ways that relationships between hospitality leaders at different organizations can help strengthen the industry as a whole.

While Luis was initially in training to be an engineer, volunteering at a music festival allowed the industry to get its hooks in him, and he’s been committed to creating memorable concert experiences ever since.

His passion for the live music industry means he wants to see all concert venues thrive, not just his own. He and his team regularly attend shows at venues all around his native Houston, supporting their industry peers and creating a community where everyone is challenged to learn and grow. This network of relationships creates an environment of camaraderie, not enmity.

It’s an outstanding example of the way that competition in the hospitality industry can spur organizations on to greatness, rather than create division.

White Oak Music Hall | Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whiteoakmh/

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

On this episode, I’m joined by Todd Richardson, President at the Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative, to hear how he’s using his experience in both the arts and hospitality to cultivate a thriving, connected local community.

Todd’s background in the arts has given him a passion for both individual expression and human connectivity. To him, that’s the purpose of both the arts and hospitality: to bring people together.

The Crosstown Concourse is a manifestation of that passion, where arts and entertainment venues live side-by-side with healthcare facilities, restaurants, retail stores, offices and apartments, all in one complex. Todd calls it a vertical village because it functions as its own community where people of all kinds live and work together seamlessly.

It’s an outstanding example of how hospitality organizations can help to create meaningful human connections.

Todd Richardson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-richardson-933137160/

Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative - https://crosstownconcourse.com/

Crosstown Concourse Documentary - https://youtu.be/FoZ9OV54v2E

Sears Crosstown in Memphis: From Catalogues to a Concourse - https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467147996

Crosstown Case Study - https://www.rudybruneraward.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RBA-Pub2019_BOOK_FINALhq_CrosstownConcourse.pdf

Crosstown Arts - https://crosstownarts.org/

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

#hospitality #Foodservice

On this episode, I’m joined by William “Chip” Rogers, President and CEO at the American Hotel and Lodging Association, to hear about the ways he and his organization are trying to make the hospitality industry safe and inclusive for everyone.

William has a passion for not only the industry itself but also the people who make it what it is. His efforts revolve largely around protecting the ground-level workers in hotels all over the country. Whether it be exploitative work requirements or dangerous guests, William works against many of the common dangers plaguing hospitality staff.

For him, advocacy involves both community building and legislative action. By educating local politicians on the reality of hospitality work, and the common needs of hotels and their staff, William is able to push for legal protections that safeguard employees. It’s an outstanding example of embodying hospitality’s spirit of service both internally and to the broader community.

American Hotel and Lodging Association - https://www.ahla.com/

AHLA on the Road - https://www.ahla.com/events

Chris Cano - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrismcano/

Upshift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/upsh%C4%B1ft/

If you enjoyed today’s show, please leave a 5-star review. For more information and links to all of the resources mentioned in today’s episode, visit HospitalityLeadersPodcast.com

#hospitality #Foodservice