Hi Team,
I wanted to start today’s Loop by sending a big thank you to the 300+ Sodexo Live! Experience Makers who joined us for last week s Town Hall. It was such a special event, celebrating not only the strong results from our North American business in H1, but hearing first-hand from Nathalie Bellon-Szabo (Global CEO), Frank Chanevas (France CEO) and Suzy Kitcher (Airport Lounges CEO) about the tremendous success of our entire global team. You asked so many thought-provoking questions in the Q&A and I do think we might have hit the record for most emojis used in a 90-minute meeting! Your enthusiasm for each other is truly contagious.
As those who joined us know well, our Town Hall was held in the city of Vancouver, the crown jewel of our great Canadian market. This was the host location for Nathalie s global leadership team meeting which our North American leaders also participated in and based on the informal votes received in the Town Hall, is a top contender for host city of our 2025 national meeting.
Recently, buzz words from media outlets covering our space, consultants leading RFP processes, and new client partners have converged to state trending observations about who Sodexo Live! is and what we represent… authenticity, quality, and one to watch. Team Vancouver embodies all three of these things, so it was poetic to be celebrating our brand’s evolution in the eyes of our industry in a home that so aptly reflected it.
During one of the team meeting sessions, I listened to Nathalie speak passionately about the founding values of Spirit of Progress, Service Spirit and Team Spirit, and couldn t help but notice how beautifully Team Vancouver reflected them. The culinary team’s creativity, execution and presentation is truly second to none, from bubble tea stations in the convention center, to nitro ice-cream in the stadium, they are always pushing always seeing around corners. The spirit of service is everywhere, uniquely supported by Experience Makers being trained in the service elements that transcend not just the hospitality team, but the entire venue team. Despite the awe-inspiring innovation spirit and service culture, what struck me most was the way commitment to these values was not an obligation reserved for associates it is a philosophy most conveyed by the leadership teams, knowing that their responsibility is to set the tone for all. There is clear thoughtfulness around being of service to their teams and each other first, knowing that when we take care of our team, our teams take care of our guests.
May we all continue to be inspired by and aspire to teams like Vancouver who embody the founding values that undoubtedly fuel us as the one to watch.
Belinda
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Welcome, Natasha Russ!
Natasha joins our Sodexo Live! team as Vice President, Human Resources. She has deep industry expertise having worked with Madison Square Gardens, Levy Restaurants, and most recently, Legends Hospitality. She possesses 20+ years of experience with talent acquisition and development, and much more. She is based in Los Angeles and will report directly to Belinda with a dotted line to Boris Pincot, our Global HR leader.
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Welcome, Alina Haseeb!
Alina joins our team as District HR Manager over California! She was most recently an HR consultant for McDonald’s and a Senior HR Assistant for Amazon, among other similar roles. She has a degree in Human Resources Management, and Services from Roosevelt University and is based outside of Los Angeles.
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Welcome, Franklin Diaz!
Franklin has been appointed to Executive Chef, Delta Sky Club – JFK (Terminal A). He has nearly a decade of culinary experience across different cuisines and techniques. He was recently the Head Chef at Paul Evans Catering in New York where he led all kitchen operations including menu planning, food production and team development.
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Welcome, Alyssa Hubbard!
Alyssa joins our Airport Lounges team as Bid Manager, North America. Based in the Durham, NC area, she was most recently with Red Hat as a Senior Proposal Specialist, and prior to that worked as a Marketing and Business Development Coordinator at DMRP. She has proven expertise in proposal preparation, project management, and strategy development, and will help our lounges team continue to shine!
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Congrats, Thomas O’Gara!
Thomas has been promoted to Associate Vice President of Operations, Delta where he will oversee operations in Atlanta and the greater South. Most recently, he was Chief Culinary Director for Delta Sky Clubs where he led the culinary team and was responsible for the program across the portfolio.
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Congrats, Antoine Winckler!
Antoine has been promoted to Associate Vice President, Senior National Client Executive overseeing boutique lounges as part of the Star Alliance team. He will lead Qantas, All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific, Air New Zealand and Lufthansa teams across north America.
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New Admirals Club Spring Menu
New menus are now available in the American Airlines Admirals Clubs for springtime at DCA, JFK and LGA! Our culinary team created these new dishes by drawing inspiration from regional flavors and what’s freshly in season. The vibrant colors and attention to detail make each dish a hit!
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Legend Cards: Team Banff’s Internal Shoutouts
Our team at Banff Sunshine Village has been using “Legend Cards” as a platform for team members to uplift, appreciate, and acknowledge their colleagues’ contributions at work. Each card begins with the phrase, “You’re a legend for ___,” allowing them to fill in the blank with a brief reason for the recognition. Every week, cards are collected and a raffle is held with the lucky winner receiving a special prize. Following the draw, they proudly display all cards in a designated staff area, showcasing the team’s collective appreciation for one another.
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Earth Day in the Crescent City
To celebrate Earth Day this year, our local crew teamed up with our New Orleans Convention Center partners in conjunction with Keep Louisiana Beautiful s statewide “Love the Boot” initiative to help clean up Pedestrian Park!
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James Beard Foundation Pop Up at JFK and MIA Lounges
American Airlines and SodexoMagic collaborated to host two special culinary events at the AA/BA Greenwich Lounge in JFK and Flagship Lounge in MIA. In partnership with the James Beard Foundation, this in-lounge showcase offered the James Beard Foundation chefs a platform to exhibit their talents while delighting American Airlines guests. Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja, known for her NYC restaurants Shuka and Shukette, and Chef Timon Balloo, recognized for Miami s SUGARCANE, took center stage with delicious offerings.
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Big Dish Event With Ohio State Hospitality
Jessica Simas, Michael Barrett and Tracey Jenkins recently attended Ohio State Hospitality’s Big Dish event which showcases their Hospitality Management Program and celebrates students and industry partners, including Sodexo Live!. Our extensive partnership with the school was recognized for providing access to real-life opportunities to hospitality students.
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Vote for Shedd and New England Aquarium!
USA Today’s 10 Best Aquariums list is live, with two of our partners up for consideration: Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and Boston’s New England Aquarium. Vote here for Shedd and here for NEAQ until May 13. You can vote multiple times over the course of the next few weeks.
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Virginia Beach Convention Center’s Earth Day Fun With Client And CVB Team
The Sodexo Live! team at the Virginia Beach Convention Center had a fun morning on Earth Day hosting friends from the CVB & VBCC to celebrate! Everyone planted herb seeds and flowers in biodegradable pots to take home, and they learned about the benefits of having live plants in their homes.
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SEA for a Better Tomorrow Survey
Sodexo Live! currently has a 26% completion rate for this year’s SEA for a Better Tomorrow campaign. To be considered completed, each site must answer at least 95% of the total questions available. SEA Survey , 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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Meet Another Lobster Ink Graduate: Sous Chef Patrick Pannia, New Orleans
Chef Pannia received his culinary training during eight years of service with the US Army. He then worked in casinos, hotels, and restaurants before joining Sodexo at Tulane University in 2017 and ultimately moving to Caesars Superdome in 2021. On the Lobster Ink opportunity he said: “The Culinary Institute of America is one of the most prominent culinary schools in the country. Not many people are fortunate enough to get this level of training. Most chefs who don’t go to culinary school learn on the fly. This was the chance to challenge myself and sharpen my skills.” Read more here.
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Winnipeg Jets’ Playoff Menu, Whiteout Street Parties
Winnipeg Whiteout Street Parties are taking place again before and during every Winnipeg Jets home playoff game. Our team has also put together a delicious menu of special treats including the One-Timer Mac & Cheese (aged white cheddar, mornay sauce, herbs, bacon, panko and parmesan), and the Whiteout Cocktail (Crown Royal, triple sec, simple syrup, half & half cream, cherry garnish in a souvenir cup).
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New Orleans Pelicans NBA Play-In Special Menu
We’ve wrapped a great New Orleans Pelicans season at Smoothie King Center, feeding 523,000+ fans across 40 games, and moved right into the NBA-Play in! For the game, Sodexo Live! Executive Chef Lenny Martinsen, Sous Chef Patrick Pannia and our greater culinary team put together two specialty dishes to celebrate: A BBQ waffle club sandwich and a jumbo baked potato topped with Louisiana catfish and crawfish julie.
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AXN Recognizes Industry s Best At Annual Gala
The Awards Gala at the 2024 Airport Experience Conference attracts a broad range of airport directors and property executives along with brand and concessionaire executives, designers, consultants and others to celebrate many achievements. Our partners at Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club at Boston Logan International Airport took home the award for Best Lounge Experience!
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Fast and Flavorful: Miami Revs Up for Grand Prix
Ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix Foodservice Director covered what fans can expect in our third year of this iconic global event. From Chef Jon Cowan’s fun creations, to local partners like Italian Vice and several Vida & Estilo Hospitality Group concepts, there’s something for everyone.
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Facts and Figures Following Pelicans Season, Morgan Wallen in Indianapolis
Our business analyst team pulled together some fun stats following both the end of the Pelicans regular season at Smoothie King Center and two packed Morgan Wallen shows at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy. At SKC, they sold the most hot dogs across the 40 games this season (26.3k, up 18%), and the specialty pelican punch was the most purchased cocktail with a 40-game high of 11,700 units. In Indianapolis, the concert accounted for the most alcohol sold at a concert at Lucas Oil (well over $1M for each night). They also had record per caps both nights – $36.09 and $37.26.
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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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Belinda Oakley
