Les Clefs d'Or USA Winter 2014-2015
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Transcript of Les Clefs d'Or USA Winter 2014-2015
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eason’s
Greetings!
As we
prepare to
ring in the New
Year, we reflect
on what the
current year has
taught us. We wish each other good health,
happiness and prosperity. We make resolutions
and do our best to stick by them. I’m happy to
say the 2014 Board resolutions have been
fulfilled. We’ve accomplished a great deal in a
short period of time. Please take the time to
read the Board’s reports.
In Los Cabos, the Recognition and Retirement
Fund was established. Thank you to those who
contributed to the fund. Donations are always
appreciated. The recipients of mementos have
been most grateful for the acknowledgement. If
you learn that a member is soon to retire, please
inform home office.
This summer, all full members were given the
opportunity to receive a new set of non-spinning
keys. Many cities had celebrations to mark the
occasion. It was a wonderful way to celebrate
the “year of giving back.”
You should all have received your new
Directories in September.
In late November, the Board of Directors
gathered in Las Vegas for their face-to-face
meeting. It was great to meet with members
and prospective members during a Clefs d’Or
Mixer at Hakkasan. During the reception, the
first annual Eugenio Chinigo award was
presented to Sarah Dandashy. New York
selection committee members and Eugenio’s
son, Diego, flew in for the inaugural celebration.
Attendees also selected the three lucky winners
of the Mendoza raffle. Congratulations again to
Claudia Abma, Ryan Lettier and Fredo Vita.
While in Las Vegas, the Board also met with
Timothy Lam and Dr. Bayot of The International
School of Hospitality. Les Clefs d’Or USA is
working with TISOH and the American Hotel and
Lodging Educational Institute, to create a
concierge certification class. The chapter
authors are all current members of Les Clefs
d’Or USA. Holly Stiel’s book, Ultimate Service,
will also be used in the class.
Les Clefs d’Or USA continues to partner with the
Lincoln Motor Company. We look forward to
another year of collaboration in the development
of Phase II and Phase III of Lincoln Academy.
In February, we’ll be doing a site inspection of
New Orleans. The committee is working
diligently to bring you a great experience. We
have fantastic speakers lined up and hope to
inspire you with the educational program. The
congress registration site is open to full and
provisional members until February 15th. On
February 16th, it’s open for general registration.
In April, it will be great to see many of you in
Mendoza.
All members should do their best to attend
congresses, both national and international.
Meeting your colleagues face-to-face offers a
level of networking that can’t be duplicated.
Enormous fundraising is done for national
meetings to bring an affordable price to our
members. The actual retail value of most
national congresses is many times more than
the registration rate. If you’ve never been to a
congress, or haven’t been to one lately, please
join us in Mendoza, in April, or New Orleans, in
July.
Wishing you all the best in 2015!
Shujaat Khan
President
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
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Board of Directors Face-to-Face Meeting Las Vegas
November 2014
Our thanks to our host,
Adam Clough, The MGM Grand
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Dr.
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The First Eugenio Chinigo Award
Presented to Sarah Dandashy, The London West Hollywood, during the
Face to Face meeting in Las Vegas. Miss Dandashy will represent the USA at
the Andy Pongco competition to be held at the 2015 UICH congress in
Argentina.
Diego Chinigo attend the special reception
and dinner in honor of his late father
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S 2014 comes
to a close, we,
as members
of Les Clefs
d’Or USA, have much to
be proud of. All across
our country, our
members continue to
demonstrate our
unique ability to solve
dilemmas, provide exceptional service and create
incredible memories for tens of thousands of guests.
I’m pleased to be a part of the Board of Directors’
efforts to acknowledge the members of Les Clefs d’Or
USA and to promote our unique brand.
In 2014, with the President’s guidance and the Board’s
support, we found ways to acknowledge and give back
to our members. From on-line webinars, to
complimentary, new, non-spinning keys, to raffles for
free registration to the Pan-American and
international congresses, to the creation of the
Recognition and Retirement fund, this year of giving
back to the members has been an enormous success.
While these efforts were directed towards 2014, the
Board continues to seek new ways, in 2015, to give
back to our members. New raffles, for complimentary
registrations to New Orleans, will be announced in
January. Stay tuned for more information.
As Secretary, my goal in 2014 has been to increase
and improve the communication between our
members and the organization. With email, regular
mail, eblasts, the newsletter and good old fashioned
phone calls, I’ve tried to ensure that members are well
informed and have the opportunity to easily interact
with the board. One of the best ways to ensure a
good two-way flow of communication is to make sure
we have the most updated information to contact
you. If you’ve changed positions, or any of your
contact information has changed, please make sure to
contact home office to update your record.
An important way to stay in touch with your world-
wide colleagues is to make sure that your correct
information is listed on the UICH website. If you have
not visited the UICH site lately, please visit it soon.
http://www.lesclefsdor.net
Part of our success has always been open
communication and our ability to call upon each other
for assistance and information. I hope you will
continue this tradition of communication and will
always feel comfortable contacting myself, or any
other member of the Board, should you ever need
assistance.
In January, the annual member recertification form
will be mailed to you. Please remember, in order for
your recertification to be accepted, your form must be
filled out completely and accurately, attach your
business card, have the title of concierge listed and
ensure that your affiliation with Les Clefs d’Or USA is
spelled correctly.
Thank you for making 2014 such a dynamic and
successful year. I wish each of you the best holiday
season and a healthy, happy and successful 2015!
Robert Marks,
VP/Secretary
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ear Members,
Hopefully, this finds you
warm and cozy from the
winter weather. Last
summer and fall went by
incredibly fast; it seems
like just yesterday, we
were in Los Cabos.
Now that I’ve settled into the role of Director of
Membership, my main objectives are to ensure the
application process is user friendly and the
membership process remains fair and consistent.
We’re resolving website glitches and updating
pages to help achieve these goals.
The application and sponsor forms were
reformatted to be streamlined and more user-
friendly. The examination now bears more weight
in the application process. It was revised to be
more relevant and more interesting for candidates.
Every question has a point value based on the
complexity of the question and/or the expected
thoroughness of the response. The final score is
included in each candidate’s evaluation.
As we work to continue to improve the application
process, I’d like to remind everyone about
sponsoring. Responsibilities of the sponsor include
actively assisting the candidate through the entire
process. Advising, mentoring and thoroughly
reviewing the application before it’s submitted, are
all part of a sponsor’s job description. Many
candidates submit applications that contain errors,
are incomplete, or both. Applications are delayed
and sometimes disqualified due to sponsor
oversight. Candidates clearly need assistance and
mentoring. If you’re unable to fulfill all the duties in
the sponsorship job description, please disqualify
yourself from sponsoring candidates.
Each year, good standing full members are given
the opportunity to sponsor up to two applicants.
Provisional members, or those in transition, may
not sponsor applicants. You should only sponsor
concierges you know and have a professional
relationship with. If you’re approached by a
concierge living in an area without Clefs d’Or
members, take time to observe them at work and
to establish a relationship with them, before
agreeing to sponsor them.
Sending you all my sincere wishes for a wonderful
holiday season, and all the best for the New Year!
Leigh Anne Dolecki
Director of Membership
reetings from
a very holiday-
filled New York City!
After returning from a
very successful Face-to-
Face meeting held in Las
Vegas (thank you SNHCA
for everything!), I returned to a city that was
gearing up for the holidays in full force. The crystal
star above 5th Avenue had been installed, the stores
were being decorated and the famous windows on
5th and Madison Avenues were being prepared to
dazzle the passers-by.
In the season of giving, let’s not forget the good
fortune that is our job; to serve. Whether it be to
the general public, our guests, or those less
fortunate than we, always remember that it’s better
to give than to receive, for it comes back to you
tenfold.
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As the Director of Development, I continue to
develop relationships with like-minded companies,
interested in partnering with Les Clefs d'Or USA.
Please remember your local and national sponsors
(shown on our website) and thank them for being a
part of what makes our job seem effortless.
If you come across a vendor or business partner
that you feel merits a larger audience, remind them
of our upcoming USA Congress in New Orleans, in
July. Congresses provide an exceptional
opportunity for vendors to showcase product or
service. We’ve already contacted the International
New York Times, Enterprise, Tourneau, Hugo Boss,
Porche Design, GoConcierge, BigBus, SuperShuttle,
XCom Global, Starwood, American Express, SIXT,
Guest Services Worldwide, Alliance Tickets, Texas
de Brazil and MyAssist, to name a few. Please send
your ideas for sponsorship to me at
Texas de Brazil has already fulfilled their $25,000
commitment to New Orleans. Their sponsorship,
over the last few years, has assisted us in keeping
congress fees affordable. Please show your
appreciation by referring your clients to this great,
ever-expanding, restaurant group.
As we gear up for yet another fantastic holiday
season, I wish to thank all those colleagues who
came through New York City and stopped by to say
hello, dropped a note/gift, or called to say hello. I
am thankful to all of you and look forward to seeing
you in either Mendoza or New Orleans. Wishing you
all the best during the holidays!
In Service to YOU!
Harald Mootz
Director of Development
ear Friends;
I hope your holidays are
delightful and your new
year will be amazing!
As the cold weather of
winter is here for most
of the USA, cabin fever
may give you the urge to travel. Hopefully, your
travels will include attending congresses in 2015.
The 62nd UICH Congress will be held in Mendoza,
Argentina, April 10–15, 2015. Registration remains
open until April 1st or until registration sells out.
http://www.uich2015mendoza.com.ar/ to register.
Before the congress, I’ll communicate with all USA
Mendoza registrants and provide information on
things to know before you go.
We’re getting closer to “Unmasking Our Potential,”
at the national congress, July 13–17, 2015, in my
hometown, New Orleans! Attendees will be lodged
at the newly renovated Le Meridien Hotel.
Conveniently located in the central business district,
Le Meridien is also close to the French Quarter.
Ten years have passed since the Big Easy hosted Les
Clefs d’Or USA (and right before Hurricane Katrina).
We have so much to show you. The city shines in
preparation for the bicentennial of the battle of
New Orleans. We continue to seek sponsorship and
finalize congress plans. Concierge members are
invited to register by visiting Les Clefs d’Or USA
National Congress Registration Site. Registration
will open to all members on February 16th.
The 2016 Pan-American congress will be hosted by
Canada. The dates and location will be shared with
you once confirmed. The 63rd UICH Congress will be
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held January 11-16, 2016, in Dubai. Show your
management the value of congress attendance to
garner their support of congress expenses. Being a
member of Les Clefs d’Or is so much more than
wearing keys.
Les Clefs d’Or USA continues to seek bids for our
national congress in 2017. If your city is interested
in hosting this congress, please contact me at
[email protected]. The development of a
successful congress is built on great support from
your local members and hospitality partners.
Artfully yours,
Danny Alford
Congress Liaison
ello everyone,
This is my favorite time of year
with Les Clefs d’Or. Not only
do I get to design the Board of
Directors’ greeting card to
send to the membership, but
also the fourth quarter holiday newsletter. I try to
include many photos of Les Clefs d’Or members, at
holiday events, around the country. You’re all
reminded and encouraged to send me coverage of
new member pinnings, awards, promotions or
participation in community events for future
newsletters.
Postings to Les Clefs d’Or USA Facebook page are
updated regularly based on appropriate
newsworthy events. If you’d like to post something
to our Facebook page, please send it to me at
[email protected] Twitter is more a conversational
exchange, postings are less frequent.
Facebook: Number of “likes, visits and
reaches” for Fourth Quarter = 28,600
Google Analytics for Website for Four
Quarter:
Sessions 8,019
Total number of Sessions within the date range. A session is the period time a user is actively engaged with your website, app, etc. All usage data (Screen Views, Events, Ecommerce, etc.) is associated with a session
New Sessions % 74.20
An estimate of the percentage of first time visits
Users 5,637
Users that have had at least one session within the selected date range. Includes both new and returning users.
Page Views 32,253
The total number of pages viewed. Repeated views of a single page are counted.
In the meantime, more improvements to our
website are underway. Areas include revisions to
the membership application section to streamline
the process. Separate listings for Affiliate and
Honorary members are being reformatted to
ameliorate search capabilities.
Here’s to a happy and prosperous 2015!
Kathleen Fitzgerald
Director of Media
eason's Greetings!
It's been a busy
year in the "Warm
and Fuzzy" department of
Les Clefs d'Or USA! This
past October the annual
Leadership Summit took
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place in Dallas, TX. Andrew Bottomley, Kris Wood
and members from the Dallas Hotel Concierge
Association worked tirelessly to coordinate a
seamless and extremely successful meeting. This is
an annual gathering of Presidents and upcoming
leaders of local associations around the country to
discuss ideas on how to be effective and
inspirational for you, their members.
"What is your Leadership Style?" was how we
started the brainstorming session at the beautiful
Joule Hotel in Dallas. Adjectives that came to mind
when thinking of some of history's greatest leaders;
Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Nelson
Mandela, to name a few, were: inspiring, activist,
visionary, brave, authority, honest, selfless, and the
list goes on. To successfully lead an association
requires strength, patience, determination and the
desire to inspire. We were reminded, "A mark of a
great leader is knowing what you want to do and
finding the people to help make it happen."
Topics of discussion included membership,
participation, attendance at monthly meetings,
balance between business and social content,
proper decorum, and mentorship, and this only
scratched the surface. As members of local
associations, we all have a responsibility to make
membership beneficial, not to leave all the work to
those who generously give their time. If there is
education that is needed or a new idea to improve
efficiency, please let your local board know so they
can make the appropriate changes. For example,
LACA's theme for 2014 was the year of the
museum, so each monthly meeting was held at a
different museum. What a perfect way to combine
education, location and networking!
Among the many benefits of conducting a
Leadership Summit is the fact that associations
without LCD members can also understand the
value and meaning of "In Service through
Friendship". Nonmembers saw firsthand the
camaraderie and cooperation which took place as a
result of membership. We were able to complete
the Presidents' Manual, a tool for any future leaders
to use as a resource when they assume the role of
President. It was a collaborative effort; teams were
assigned various topics such as tax laws,
membership, by-laws, ethics, etc. A big thank you
to all who contributed to your legacy, which will be
passed on to the future generation of our
profession. This brainstorming session took place at
the beautiful Mansion on Turtle Creek after which
we ended our day with lunch and a tour of the
impressive Bush Library.
On the fun side, we were treated to an evening at
the Texas State Fair, where you can try almost
anything fried; ice cream, snickers, bourbon and
coke! That was definitely an experience! To
become official 'Texans' for the weekend we were
given the opportunity to select a cowboy hat that
best suited our personality, generously sponsored
by Wild Bill's Downtown. Many thanks to Andrew
and his team for a very successful brainstorming
session combined with fun and friendship, not to
mention great food! It was announced that the
2015 Leadership Summit will take place in Las
Vegas. Stay tuned for future dates!
Next on the 'field trip' list was the First Annual
California Concierge Symposium, orchestrated by
Justin Sondgeroth, President of the San Diego
Concierge Association, and all of his Board
members. Since many travelers coming to the West
Coast enjoy visiting both Northern and Southern
California, what better way to educate ourselves
than to share information from all of our respective
areas at one meeting. At the incredible venue of
San Diego's Sea World, presentations took place in
the Turtle Reef by the NCCA (Northern California),
OCCA (Orange County), LACA (Los Angeles), and
SDCA (San Diego). We covered highlights of each
area, various 'must do' activities, restaurants, side
trips, and much more. Now we can comfortably
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share information with our guests traveling up and
down the West Coast. We were fortunate to have a
keynote speaker, Mr. Jeff Campbell, Director of the
Master's program from San Diego State University's
School of Hospitality. He challenged us with the
task of how we must remain relevant in this current
age of technology i.e. Air BNB. We were honored
by the presence of Tom Wolfe, who shared the
history of Les Clefs d'Or and how it has grown to be
recognized worldwide as a symbol of professional
service. Robert Marks, VP and Secretary, stressed
the importance of knowing our value as LCD
concierges, and that constant education and
networking is vital to our profession. My message
to current and aspiring members is consistent,
"Always strive to be the best that you can be", and
the value of membership in Les Clefs d'Or is
priceless as it is the perfect combination of
friendship and professionalism. The California
Concierge Symposium was a perfectly organized
event by Justin and his hardworking team. We look
forward to this becoming an annual event.
This past year has been very productive in the
world of Concierge Relations. Thank you all for your
trust, confidence and hard work to make this past
year a success. 2015 promises to be just as positive
and productive. Wishing you all a very Happy,
Healthy Holiday Season!
In Friendship,
Charisse Farazzi
Director Concierge Relations
In thinking about what to share from the
Foundation Board this quarter, it actually feels like a
double-edged sword.
On the one hand, we are deeply thrilled to be able
to offer assistance and have been very busy doing
just that.
On the other, while helping people is our reason to
be, we wish we were less busy because our hearts
break every time we hear of a colleague in need.
Lately the grants have been plentiful.
Our colleagues in Mexico suffered financial
hardships when hurricane Odile ravished Cancun.
Thanks to our wonderful Mexican Board member,
Marco Milanez, we have been able to reach many
concierges and expedite grants to help them
through such a tough time. In addition to the
Mexican misfortune, we have also helped
colleagues suffering from medical situations that
have kept them from their desks.
It is only due to your generous donations that we
are able to be here and help when needed. On
behalf of all the recipients, we say a giant thank you
and wish you good health and joy.
This coming year marks the 25th anniversary of the
Foundation. We look forward to celebrating that
milestone together.
The Foundation Board of Directors
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Presidents’ Leadership Summit
Dallas – October 2014
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Awards, Pinnings & Celebrations
Chizuru Melendez, Sheraton
Universal, named Concierge of the
Year 2014 by LA Concierge Assoc.
LA Concierge Assoc.Holiday Gala
Kalindra Ashleigh & Jeanne Mills, Beverly Wilshire Hotel,
and Fredo Vita, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles
James Little, The Peninsula Beverly
Hills, awarded Chef Concierge of the
Year 2014 by LA Concierge Assoc.
Keilaine Ruiz, Fairmont Newport
Beach, awarded Concierge of the
Year 2014 by Orange County
Concierge Assoc.
Wendy McBeth, Lily Lyob & Jane
Marshall celebrate 10 years at
the Mayflower Park Hotel
Seattle
All five LCD members, Karen Tanaka, Lynn Wetter, Amanda Nemec,
San Wilhelm & Reiko Watanabe-George from Four Seasons Resort
Maui celebrate the newest members, Lynn & Amanda with their keys
Laura Cunningham, Hutton Hotel,
Nashville, TN, is the newest and
fifth LCD member in Tennessee
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The CCA's honor premier individuals and businesses in the New York City visitor/service industries. Chosen by the New York
City Association of Hotel Concierges, these annual awards are highly selective.
Daniel Perez, Ritz-Carlton & Kevin Howard, Plaza Athenee
Anya Orlanska, The Benjamin,
with Sergio Nieto
Claudia Iluc, Le Parker Meridien, & Michael Bordenick,
The Surrey
Regena Falling, Park Hyatt &
Maurice Dancer, The Pierre, A Taj Hotel
Michael Romei, Chef Concierge Waldorf Astoria, and UICH General Secretary
James Lamboglia, The Plaza, & Regena Falling, Chef Concierge Park Hyatt
David Moreno, Lowes Regency, Aisha Thomas, Gramercy Park & Hope Coarasa, Alvear Palace, Buenos Aires
Group of New York’s Finest Keoni Boyer, The Lowell, & Stephen Faitos
Maria Wittorp De Jonge St Regis, Michael Salvatore Sinatra, Melody Williamson, The Plaza
Frederick Bigler, Chef
Concierge The Peninsula &
Mary Gaffney Murphy, Omni
Berkshire Place
Harald Mootz, St. Regis, &
friends
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By Alfredo Caliva, Chef Concierge|Doubletree Chicago Magnificent Mile
On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, sixteen volunteers from the Chicago Hotel Concierge Association donated their free time to answer phones for the annual WTTW European Christmas fundraising telethon. Our MC and host of the evening was none other than Travel Journalist, Rick Steves! Six out of the sixteen volunteer members were LCD members. All the others will be potential LCD members to be considered in the near future. Great fun was had by all. This was a great way for our members to get better acquainted with each other. WTTW relies on volunteers to help support many initiatives / events throughout the year – especially when they are doing their pledge drives! Certificates of Appreciation will be presented to each member who volunteered at our January 2015 meeting. Rick Steves is a very pleasant, easy going and personable gentleman. He walked around the studio and spoke with every volunteer. He gravitated to Sheryl Walerski, Concierge | Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel…a lot! At the end of the taping, he invited all the volunteers to take photos with him.
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Robert Marks, our VP/Secretary, and
Elizabeth Wilson, our Administrator, met
in Dallas with Enzo Sleva, Dennis Caravale
and Andrew Ashman of Lincoln Motor
Company to review the next phase of our
training initiative with the Lincoln
Academy