| Doral Arrowwood: More than You Expected |
| Featured Spotlights | |||
| Written by Meghan Flynn | |||
| Tuesday, 01 September 2009 | |||
 One of the oldest conference centers in the country is relying on experience to cope with tough times and develop new ways to deliver more for its guests.
“They say the three top priorities in business are location, location, location, and we have the best spot,” said General Manager Steve Mabus. “Visitors feel like they are in a secluded country estate, but they don’t have to travel extensively to get there. That makes focusing on the subject at hand much easier.” Doral Arrowwood hosts mostly executive meetings and promotes productivity and creativity by offering meeting packages that encompass the important components of an off-site meeting and adding value all around. Mabus said the excellent reputation of the property has put it in a position of strength to cope with the current economy, though volumes are lower and the type of visitors have changed.  Steve Mabus, general manager Mabus explained that now more than ever, customers want to get the most of their scheduled conferences or retreats, and the team at Doral Arrowwood is continually adding programs and services to meet that need. In the last year, many companies have dramatically reduced their special events planning departments, putting more pressure on the remaining staff. Once a company decides to meet at this conference center, however, the seasoned team takes over. The average tenure for a manager at Doral Arrowwood is 10 years; for the line staff its closer to 13, and Mabus said there are several 20- and 25-year veterans of the conference center. With that many years of experience, the company knows the best practices for hosting an event of any size down to a science. The process starts with a conference planner assigned to each client as its go-to person. That manager meets with the client extensively to understand exactly what its objectives and special needs are, and then coordinates with the food and beverage, transportation, audio/visual, and other departments as necessary to meet those needs. Usually, the manager and representatives from each department meet with the client for a pre-conference meeting to make sure everything is in place, and, depending on the complexity of the event, the client is assigned a concierge for the day to keep things running smoothly. Any organization at Doral Arrowwood has access to the facility’s full-service conference desk. A few years ago, the center instituted e-mail groupings and issued BlackBerrys to team leaders so everyone could be in immediate contact if necessary. More recently, Doral Arrowwood adopted a 48-hour red flag system to better track changes as they happen. Mabus said another challenge of the current recession has been shorter lead times for events, so an efficient operation is especially important. “Doral Arrowwood has a legacy of efficient management; we haven’t reduced our staff because we want to retain the excellent people we have when our volumes come back,” said Mabus. “With the amount of experience and training our staff has, we can provide anticipatory services so our customers never have to worry about logistical issues while they are working.” In addition, the conference center has implemented a number of value-add services. Its transportation department now is available for guests as a shuttle from any nearby airport to their meeting sites, for example; Mabus said the shuttle makes as many as 20 runs a day. The center also recently updated its business center, making each workstation private, and added an executive boardroom with a private dining room. “Right now, it’s all about giving the customers what they need to be productive and get the most out of their meeting,” said Mabus. Training and retention To compound the experience already available for Doral Arrowwood guests, in the last two years, Mabus and his team instituted a new training program called Five Diamond Service. The center broke down the requirements for Mobile’s Five Diamond rating system into a series of training programs and tests that all its employees went through to earn five diamond icons for their nametags. As of this spring, all employees had earned their fifth diamond, but for Mabus and the center’s full time training staff, that simply means its time to up the expectations. “Many organizations are cutting back on training to cut costs, but the only way to continue to deliver a high quality product is to maintain high expectations and keep your staff sharp,” Mabus said. Two years ago, Doral Arrowwood also instituted an orientation boot camp for new hires. The boot camp covers the first four diamond tests, which include understanding of the center’s culture and procedures, as well as computer skills needed in the employees’ future departments, among other skills. New hires earn their fifth diamond from the designated trainer in their department, who guides them through as many weeks of on-the-job training as they need. Mabus added that the secret to retaining high quality people is to work with them. At Doral Arrowwood, employees are able to set their own schedule to a certain degree, are reimbursed for good ideas they suggest that are implemented successfully, and receive a financial incentive when they recommend a friend who is hired. “It’s not just about the money; it’s about feeling part of a team and feeling appreciated,” concluded Mabus. |
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