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Hello Everyone,
May 23, 2023, was a good day. It was the day Sodexo Live! first had the opportunity to show Desert Champions – executives of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells – our passion and commitment to delivering elevated hospitality, a true collaborative partnership, and one-of-a-kind experiences for the “fifth” Grand Slam, as it is commonly known. Look here to travel back in time with us behind the scenes to presentation day.
June 6, 2023, was an even better day. It was the day we first discovered that Desert Champions were as excited about a partnership with us, as we were with them. And so began this extraordinary journey!
The first year of doing anything is the hardest. Most of us can’t think of a single chapter of life where the first year, the first few months, the first step, wasn’t the most difficult. Imagine coupling that challenge with a venue that’s a sleeping giant almost 50 weeks of the year, and then welcomes 450,000 fans and players for two weeks, along with incredible new partners who push you (and themselves) to discover a new level of magic each year, aiming to not just be a lifetime bucket list item, but an annual bucket list destination.
While we are often our toughest critics, let’s start with what real critics said… Forbes named it not just tennis paradise anymore, but a “food paradise” with a glowing review found here, Venues Now printed the moniker of a “culinary Disneyland” here, but how about our most important critics of all? Well, the fans are suggesting it’s been a pretty meaningful upgrade as we are seeing year-over-year revenue increases of 30+%.
I had the opportunity to see the team in action this week and I could not possibly be prouder – which I know you all would be too. The press will tell you everything you need to know about the exceptional food offerings, so I won’t say anything more than “DITTO.” But let me tell you about the people who made it all happen.
Tennis is hard and new account openings are particularly exhausting… especially when two weeks only covers the fan and player experience! Tack on the preparation week and the close out week and you have… well, you have long days, sore feet, complications from the dry desert air and countless nights away from the people you love. With 300+ employees and almost 130+ visiting managers and supervisors who traveled in to support the event, this incredible year one performance took a village.
While we are usually pretty adept at keeping any stress or challenges from the customer view, a walk through the kitchen will usually tell you the real story. So, what was it like? It had the hum you find in a kitchen where everyone is busy, but intently focused. Quiet in many ways due to the concentration, but light in spirit and confident in action. At every bench, I saw teams. Teams from Miami. Teams from Seattle. Teams from Texas. Teams from California. I also saw leaders within every team… and of course familiar leaders in our incredible Regional Chefs! This was a kitchen filled with our best and brightest from all over the country. They were tired, but excited to be delivering what they knew was a cut above the rest. And they were so appreciative of the leaders around them, throwing compliments to Chefs JC, Jeff, Alex and Marc for their endless support and guidance.
Now this was just the kitchen… from IT and finance team members I saw effortlessly buzzing in and out of sub-contractor stands with smiles and a spirit of care, to ‘Team EZ Planit’ – who should go into careers in topography after printer mapping madness – or our HR dream team working from ‘the trailer,’ and thoughtful mood boosters coming from the travel coordination team, every single member of this village had the same spirit about them.
That’s culture… and culture is always set by leadership and preserved by the leaders within everyone. So last but by no means least, to fearless leaders Carmen Callo (SVP Culinary), Laurence Rua (SVP), Bobby Ramirez (RVP) and Shawn O’Keeffe (GM), as I told you, I have no notes for you other than “thank you.” You have made plenty of notes that I know you will use to be even better next year, but all that is needed now is to celebrate extraordinary delivery in our first year of this incredible event.
After this weekend, it’s off to Miami for the second half of the Sunshine Double, as the tennis world calls it. Or what will forever be known as the Sodexo Live! Tennis Month. Good luck, Team Miami!
Wishing you all a wonderful Women’s History Month. As one of my favorite sayings offers… “Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
Belinda
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Welcome, Sabrina Beasley!
Sabrina re-joins our Sodexo Live! team as General Manager, Virginia Beach Convention Center. She previously worked with us from 2004-2020 across Orlando, Miami and Virginia Beach in roles such as Catering Sales Manager & Accounts Receivable, and Director of Sales and Operations!
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Welcome, Randy Morales!
Randy joins us as General Manager, Miami Beach Convention Center. He began his career at Baptist Health before transitioning to spend 15 years with the Hillstone Restaurant Group, working around multiple markets, including D.C., L.A., San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Dallas, before returning to Miami. He then pivoted to an HR management role with Mr. Hospitality Group, contributing to the success of some of Miami’s most iconic dining and nightlife venues. In October 2022 he joined Sodexo Live! as a beverage consultant for the opening of the Rum Room at the MBCC.
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Welcome, Bobby Ahmed!
With a few months under his belt, please welcome Bobby to our team as General Manager, National Gallery of Art. He previously worked with us at the DC Convention Center for 12 years but most recently served as the Director of F&B at IHG Hotel.
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Congrats, Katie Randall!
Katie has been promoted to General Manager of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and the Prelude + Post operations! She has 20+ years of F&B operations/sales experience from various companies, including Sodexo and Sodexo Live! properties like the Baltimore Convention Center, John Hopkins University, and Walter E. Washington Convention Center. More recently, Katie held the position of Director of Operations at the Colorado Convention Center and General Manager at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
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Celebrating Our Team For International Women’s Day
Did you know that March 8th was International Women’s Day, and all of March is Women’s History Month? This year, we highlighted some of the women from around the globe who will be lending their talents this summer to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games. See more on LinkedIn.
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Watch Episode Two of Our Paris 2024 Web Series
We’re recruiting a team of 6,000 people to ensure the best catering services at the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Paris 2024. Dive into an immersive video during a recruitment session in the heart of Paris for the second episode of our behind-the-scenes web series.
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Exploring Venue Sales In-Depth in Dallas
Our venue sales team recently gathered 18 events and catering team members from throughout North America to explore the latest trends in the meetings and events sector, unveil cutting-edge sales and marketing technologies, and exchange best practices for marketing and selling outstanding, memorable events to our clients, hosted at our partner venue the Dallas Museum of Art.
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Talking Fan Entertainment at the National Sports Forum
Our RVP Bobby Dichiaro and venue partner Jeff Garner, President of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, spent an afternoon at the National Sports Forum (hosted this year in Pittsburgh) leading a breakout session to discuss fan entertainment and how to keep things equitable for all guests, while still pushing the envelope of innovation.
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Showcasing Innovation at the University of Virginia
In a case study written by Panos Markou, Assistant Professor of Business for the University of Virginia, Sodexo SVP of Global Innovation Neta Meir was highlighted in an in-depth look at how we move in innovate ways, including in our Airport Lounges sector, as supported by Arica Allen, VP of Hospitality and Innovation for Airport Lounges. Both Neta and Arica recently visited the Darden School of Business to connect with students and faculty about innovation.
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Get Ready for the Annual SEA for a Better Tomorrow Survey on March 15!
The updated 2024 SEA (Site Engagement Assessment) for a Better Tomorrow survey will be available on March 15. The SEA survey is an interactive and action-oriented performance tool that empowers managers to track sustainability progress, share performance, benchmark against peers, and find best practices to enhance and expand existing programs. If any site managers have problems logging into SEA, please reach out to Molly Crouch. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete SEA and provide valuable sustainability information about your site(s). For additional information, please visit this link.
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Kicking Off Year One in Tennis Paradise
Tennis paradise has turned into a food paradise as we kicked off our first year at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden! The team hosted a hospitality preview for the media inclusive of chocolate tennis courts from our pastry team, craveable creations from our local and regional partners and a suites menu package curated by our partner and celebrity chef Richard Blais. World-class tennis in the desert continues through March 17. Read more from the Desert Sun, as well as Forbes here and here, and on Travel + Leisure’s Instagram.
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Sold-Out Vegan Blue Zone Dinner Shines at Phipps
With a groundbreaking 80+ sustainability awards and honors for the building itself, our team at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh focuses on creating dishes that equally support the health of people, plants and the planet. On Leap Day, they hosted a special fully vegan four-course menu for a sold-out Blue Zones themed dinner. The dishes draw inspiration from some of the Blue Zones, or regions in the world in which people are claimed to live longer than average. Hear more from Chef Shawn Stockdill and GM Amy Reed about the venue and dinner in our recent Instagram reel here.
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NFL Combine Sets Record in Indy
Indianapolis hosted a record-setting NFL Combine as more than 27,000 fans descended on the Circle City to get a sneak peek at football’s future stars. Much of the fun took place inside Lucas Oil Stadium and allowed fans a closeup look at the athletes as hosts added context to the different drills NFL prospects went through.
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Music City Center Team Supports the Community Through Food
Our amazing culinary team at Music City Center took part in the Tennessee Flavors tasting event at Nashville State Community College serving up delicious creations to support the college’s foundation. Special shoutout to our own Executive Chef Max Knoepfel, who is also an event chair.
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Need to make a graphic design request? Submit here!
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For the appropriate venues, always use Spark for the latest documents and updates. All vital resources are also provided on Sodexo_Net.
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Contacted by a reporter? Reach out to Paul Pettas at 203-898-0632 or Paul.Pettas@sodexo.com.
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Have insights or feedback? Share via the Voice of the Field Insight form.
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Need help managing anxiety, health, finances or more? Contact LifeWorks 24/7, 866-675-6566.
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HR questions about benefits, time off, company policies, etc.? Visit Sodexo LINK 24/7, or call 855 Sodexo HR (855-763-3964) 8am to 6pm EST.
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Belinda Oakley
