The Art of the Impresario. By John Hendrie
These are the men of Hospitality performance art, and every company needs someone in this role.
They bring intense energy, creativity and flair to the business. You know them, you have seen them and you want to get closer to them and soak up the vibes they radiate.
In the Gaming world you have Steve Wynn, with Hotels you have Ian Schrager, in Travel and Leisure you have Sir Richard Branson and every major city has a shaker in the Restaurant arena (in the Boston area, we have Christopher Myers and the upcoming Sean Griffing). Some might even include Donald Trump. At their core, they conduct the performance of their enterprises on the business stage. What great fun to watch and absorb the lessons of the masters.
Somehow they have their fingers on the pulse of public perception and dreams – the aspirations - what might fly. They continually push the envelope, making us all more creative and competitive. In many cases they move their respective industries forward.
Typically, in our own businesses the closest we have to an Impresario is our Marketing leader. Their role is to visualize the essence of our business, do the research and due diligence of the marketplace, distill our message and deliver that to our audience, creating our edge, our distinction. It is more than tactics and strategies – it is energy, creativity, and a touch of theater. Most of our marketing folks have those ingredients, not always evident, for business tends to be very conservative. But, if we give them the curtain call, they can perform, and we become spellbound with their capabilities.
Showmanship can also result in a comedic parody, a bit of the old snake oil salesman. We have seen them, too – bigger than life, just too big. Yet, we are still bedazzled with their moxy and chutzpah. They understand entertainment, and isn’t that what it is all about and what sells. The true impresarios know how to package those concepts, presenting the excitement, stimulating the senses and creating the WOW. They ooze confidence.
Kudos for these Impresarios, maestros of the mystique, conductors of Hospitality theatre. They push us to do better, to craft a more memorable Guest Experience. Otherwise, we have a bland, homogenized product, a sentiment to mediocrity.
Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
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