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By Luther Villagomez
When a $165 million expansion project was
completed at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center in late 2003,
we were enthralled by the possibilities of having nearly 1.2 million
square feet of exhibition, meeting and registration space connected to a
1,200-room hotel.
It was easy to get caught up in the grandeur and new scale of our
building. After all, we were ready to host two events that would use
every inch of the facility: the America Online NFL Experience, the
interactive theme park affiliated with Super Bowl XXXVIII, in January
2004, and Major League Baseball’s John Hancock All-Star Fan Fest in July
2004. (In 2006, we would host events associated with the NBA All-Star
Game.)
The Super Bowl and All-Star Game festivities were special opportunities
when we were able to use our million square feet for a single event. We
are always in the hunt for a wide variety of convention business and
corporate meetings to fill our facilities.
After test-driving our new capacity for several years, we have
reaffirmed a simple truth of facility management: Nothing is more
important than customer service.
Raising the Bar
At the George R. Brown, we understand how important marketing and
operations are to ensuring the success of an event or convention. Every
convention center has four walls and a roof. Our “big box” is comparable
to many of our competitors’. What separates us is our quality of
service. It’s not a sexy message, not one that lends itself to glossy
magazine ads or billboards or industry buzz. But our clients see the
difference, and they love it.
Nothing – not facility size, not location – matters to the client if you
can’t properly manage their event. I’m not talking about achieving the
bare minimum of opening the doors, turning on the lights, sweeping up
afterward, and generally staying out of the way. That’s a low standard.
 Great convention centers raise the bar by adding value to every show by
partnering with clients to enrich their overall convention experience.
Value does not come from last-minute, low-cost add-ons. The GRB staff
begins marketing and operational discussions with clients one year out,
sometimes earlier.
Business Partners
We’ve developed a state of mind we call “Partnering
for Success.”
It’s about investing in the success of our clients. Literally. We are
not afraid to incur costs to strengthen our client relationships. The
costs can vary from providing directional signs and other graphics,
street and door decals, various marketing materials or hosting
receptions and special events.
Clients appreciate strict attention to detail and warm hospitality.
Together, they go a long way. In our facility, it’s the event services
and marketing divisions that are usually on the front line in this
initiative.
Event services. Operationally, we have given our event managers greater autonomy. We’ve
stripped away barriers to decision-making and allowed them to cut
through red tape to make on-the-spot decisions. We resolve the thornier
issues in one or two days, not one or two weeks. Our event managers work
with clients to help them brand their shows in public locations
throughout the building, not just in their contracted lease space. Our
event services director gets in the trenches with her staff and they
work shoulder-to-shoulder with clients. Everyone rolls up his or her
sleeves and works – rank has no privilege.
Marketing.
In this business, marketing professionals typically put together
collateral materials and magazine ads. Increasingly, our marketers are
functioning in the realm of customer relations, working directly with
our clients.
The GRB marketing team meets with show officials to identify goals and
brainstorm ways to attain them. This could mean providing public
relations assistance, arranging for activities such as group sporting
events, discounted theater tickets, special events or promotions, or
touting a client’s show in our print materials and Web site or through
our speakers bureau.
Service at Every
Level
We started slowly in this customer relations pursuit, delivering on
small ventures initially before ramping up to provide greater amenities
for multi-layer shows. There’s no cookie-cutter approach in this
program; each client desires a different level of input. Some want the
facility personnel to be proactive, others prefer you to be reactive and
ready to assist.
Our staff gained international recognition for our response to Hurricane
Katrina in 2005. The formula used to operate a massive relief shelter
for 22 days is the same one we use in executing every show that comes
into our facility. We worked as a cohesive team with staff and in-house
partners and relied on one another to manage those areas they normally
oversee and give assistance when necessary. Rick Noriega, the Texas
state representative and lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army Guard
brought in to manage the multi-agency relief mission, said: “I am proud
to have been a part of such an incredible operation. The team of the
George R. Brown Convention Center was second to none. I hope that we
never have to do this in the future -- but if need be, this is the team
that can do it.”
The point is every person should be engaged in directly assisting
clients, from general manager on down. Make it a hands-on approach.
Nobody knows a facility and its capacity to serve clients better than
your staff. Every facility should strive to be a one-stop service
provider for everything a show manager needs.
Empowering employees to be
a true part of the client’s success also develops a more dedicated
staff. The result builds a stronger relationship with clients and
creates allies in a very competitive industry. Feedback we received
after hosting a technology conference reflects that.
 “The cooperation between all of your staffs provided a phenomenal
experience for all of our attendees,” the client wrote.
“Your group stepped to the plate and bent over backwards to make sure
this program was a success,” echoed the client’s third-party planner.
In-House Partners
In addition to the customer service that staff provides, upgrading the
service of in-house partners is also key. We recently opened a FedEx
Kinko’s storefront in the building to give our guests access to the same
services they enjoy at home. Our busy Starbucks Coffee outlet is always
a welcome sight for visitors to the building. Two concierge service
desks and our visitors center add that touch of hospitality. Think of
operating your convention center like a hotel in this regard.
Our food and beverage, telecommunications and audio-visual partners are
each industry leaders who share our commitment to the client by offering
services and features unique to our facility. It’s critical to remember
that you are in the same boat with your service partners, rowing as one
to provide unmatched customer service.
This year marks our 20th year of operations at the George R. Brown
Convention Center, and we’re continually learning how to better serve
our clients. Every city has a “big box” capable of hosting conventions
and large trade shows. Every city has unique attributes that make it
attractive to meeting planners.
After two decades in the business, and after adding space, adding
experienced staff, adding great in-house partners, adding all the
customized programs and catchy tag lines – it still adds up to one
thing. Providing the best customer service, from the day of the first
site visit to the last day of move-out, is what makes you a leader in
the convention business.
Luther Villagomez,
general manager of the George R. Brown Convention Center, has been part
of the management team at the facility since it opened in downtown
Houston in 1987. |
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