Executive Council Upcoming Events:
Executive Council heads to Massachusetts
The Executive Council is pleased to announce our inaugural Technology Edge Dinner in Boston, being held on May 23rd at the Downtown Harvard Club. Like the NYC Venture Edge Dinner Series, this will be a private event for VC/Private Equity professionals and entrepreneurs.
The guest speaker at this event will be Chris Gabrieli, former Gubernatorial candidate, senior partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and Co-Founder and Chairman of Massachusetts 2020. A special thanks to Accenture, Mintz Levin, TriNet and Shift Central for sponsoring this inaugural event. If you know of a venture capitalist or CEO that would like to attend this event, please send an e-mail to kimr@execcouncil.org. If your firm is interested in sponsoring a future dinner, please contact bobj@execcouncil.org
Executive Council’s Latest Partners
The Executive Council is partnering with several key organizations this year. We wanted to introduce you to our latest partner and our upcoming partners events.
 AlwaysOn ignited the open-media revolution in early 2003 by being the first media brand to launch a global blog network. In 2004, AlwaysOn continued to lead the media industry in innovation by introducing a social network where members can connect and engage. AlwaysOn is also revolutionizing the media business by applying its open-media principles to its executive event series (Stanford Summit, AlwaysOn Hollywood, AlwaysOn Media and GoingGreen) and quarterly print “blogozine” by empowering its members to post and share their ideas and meet each other online. As our loyal readers know, AlwaysOn is committed to the free-market, merit-driven approach to reporting and event programming. No other media brand has dared to create such open interaction with its readers and event participants.
http://alwayson.goingon.com/
Upcoming Partners Events
The BG US Challenge presented by Fortune takes place from October 11-13, 2007 in the beautiful Pocono Mountains in eastern PA – a short drive for tri-state companies. Over the two days, teams will experience a variety of thrilling physical, mental and strategic challenges in an adventure specifically designed for business executives, with up to 70 teams participating from various business sectors across the United States.
The BG US Challenge is part of the Intelligent Sport® World Series and a unique event testing body, mind and team spirit. It also raises valuable funds for the event Charity, St Jude Children's Research Hospital. To learn more and view the BG US Challenge event guide, or visit www.bg-uschallenge.com.
To register a team for this event, please email Doug Billman at doug@challengerworld.com.
The Brevard
Conference on Music Entrepreneurship (BCOME) explores exciting career tracks beyond the traditional job pathways. Workshops, lectures and instruction will help you envision and forge a career as a music entrepreneur as well as help you design college curricula in entrepreneurship. The three-day conference offers unique tracks specifically tailored for performers, college faculty and music industry professionals. This year's keynote speakers will be Bill Ivey, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts under President Clinton and Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise, and Public Policy at Vanderbilt University, and Arlene Shrut, Founder and Artistic Director of New Triad for Collaborative Arts. Also new this year is presentations of academic papers on entrepreneurship. All of this takes place under the backdrop of the Brevard Music Center in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. Conference registration includes tickets to all BMC concerts and meals. Please visit our website for further information and registration: www.bcome.org
Limited scholarships are available. Early registration is encouraged as last year's conference sold out in advance.
The Stanford Summit taking place July 31- August 2, 2007 at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA is a two-and-a-half-day executive gathering that highlights the significant economic, political and commercial trends affecting the global technology industries. The Stanford Summit features the most innovative companies, eminent technologists, influential investors and journalists in keynote presentations, panel debates and private company CEO showcases. The Stanford Summit’s goal is to identify the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.
At the Stanford Summit, our editors will also honor the AO 100 Top Private Companies. Fifty of the top CEOs from the AO 100 will pitch their market strategies to a panel of industry experts in our “CEO Showcase.” To learn more about thise event click here
To view the summit agenda click here
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Executive Council Events:
2007 Ten Awards Launch!
The Ten Awards — the Academy Awards of New York Business — is celebrating its fifth year and will take place on November 5th, at Cipriani Wall Street. Each year, ten extraordinary business leaders are honored at the gala, amongst an audience of New York business leaders and press. Do you know of a business leader who should be nominated? If so, see the link below to nominate him/her.
 To get things rolling, the Executive Council hosted a Ten Awards Kick-Off Reception on May 9th at the newly-renovated NASDAQ MarketSite in Times Square. Over 175 people were in attendance. A special thanks to Bruce Mosler, CEO, Cushman & Wakefield, for serving as Ten Awards Chairman this year, as well as Executive Council board member, Jeff Singer, of NASDAQ, for his support.
NOW is the time to nominate your favorite business leader for an award. This year’s award categories include:
 CEO of The Year
CFO of The Year
CIO of The Year
Hedge Fund/Private Equity Firm of The Year
Best Executive Team
Best Female Executive
Best Media Executive
Best Non-Profit
Best Up & Comer
Dealmaker of The Year
If you know of an exceptional business leader in one or more of the above categories, click here to download and fill out the one-page Ten Awards Official Nomination Form (in Word Format) and tell our Judge Committee or contact Kimberly Racciato at kimr@execcouncil.org.
Stay tuned into this newsletter for Ten Awards updates, leading up to the awards ceremony on November 5th.
Thank you to the Kick-Off reception's sponsors
   
  
  
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The Executive Interview
Q&A with 2006 Ten Award Innovator of the Year, SeamlessWeb
SeamlessWeb provides a comprehensive Web-based system for ordering food to the office. Employees order online from the best local restaurants and caterers, and companies receive one invoice for all food orders. SeamlessWeb also provides the same benefits to individual consumers who order food online.
In addition to providing a large network of restaurants and caterers available to employees, SeamlessWeb can offer significant cost saving benefits to companies. SeamlessWeb eliminates the need for employees to submit reimbursement forms. In fact, the invoice that SeamlessWeb provides is capable of including billing codes, department codes, client matter numbers, and other billing information that streamlines accounting processes. Companies can also implement budget rules and time restrictions through the system, eliminating employee abuse of meal policies. SeamlessWeb has worked with hundreds of companies to customize solutions for many different needs.
We serve thousands of companies internationally, in dozens of different industries. SeamlessWeb is available in 14 markets across the US and London.
SeamlessWeb Business Solutions provides a suite of services:
SeamlessWeb Individual Meals simplifies dining for employees who order overtime and other meals to the office.
SeamlessWeb Group Order streamlines the process of placing orders for multiple people.
SeamlessWeb Catering Solutions saves time, cuts costs, and offers better selection.
SeamlessWeb In-house Dining maximizes the profitability of your in-house dining facility and makes it easier for your employees to order food.
SeamlessWeb Virtual Café provides an easy way for companies to increase employee morale and retention by providing them with an online food ordering platform that includes hundreds of their favorite restaurants.
SeamlessWeb Gifts & Supplies simplifies purchases of cakes, flowers, alcohol, gift baskets, pantry supplies and other items.
For more information and to set-up a corporate business account contact SeamlessWeb www.seamlessweb.com or at 800.905.9322
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Johnston/On
Jonathan Tisch, CEO of Loews Hotels
Interested in meeting Jon? He will be speaking at the Barnes & Noble Business Breakfast Series on Thursday, May 24th (Barnes & Noble, 46th & Fifth), 8:15am. Doors open at 8am.
In the hotel industry the key to attracting lifelong patrons is changing transactions into experiences and transforming customers into guests. This means behaving not like salespeople, but like hosts, with all the human qualities that implies--warmth, openness, generosity, welcome. Today, every organization needs to capture this spirit to build a growing fan base of loyal and appreciative patrons—especially at a time when customer loyalty is on the way out.
Thanks to the Internet, blogs and the ubiquity of choice, customers have more power and are more knowledgeable and skeptical. Add to that increased price sensitivity and the emergence of new competitors and it’s clear that brand loyalty is shrinking. To attract and retain customers in today’s competitive marketplace, companies have no choice but to think of new ways to engage them.
Companies need to start treating a customer like an insider instead of one of the masses. This is how In ‘n Out Burger managed to stand up to huge competitors in the fast food industry. One of their most distinctive assets is their “secret menu.” Variations on In ‘n Out’s classic offerings are created by customers themselves, who spread the secret menu to one another through word of mouth. Any company can learn from this example by shedding their masses approach and creating insider customer experiences
We look for ways to delight our guests throughout their stay. Whether it’s a complimentary beverage waiting for them in the lobby when they check in, the pool concierge at our resorts, or evening turn down service before they go to bed at night, we want them to be supremely comfortable and to feel special. Small touches, attention to detail, and the positive attitude of the employees go a long way toward turning a customer into a guest. People are looking for an experience and the individuals ultimately responsbile for creating and delivering memorable experiences are our incredible team members at each of our hotels. That’s why we invest heavily in people skills training, with such unique programs as Living Loews and Genuine Personal Engagement. Once the employees have a customer-centric mindset, the other pieces of the business fall into place.
Customization is one of the most effective ways to make a customer feel that you are attentive to their unique needs as an individual. And new technology has expanded the limits of what we can customize. The successful Build-A-Bear stores have carefully designed the experience of building your own teddy bear to be even more memorable than taking home the finished product. Clothing retailers are also catching on to the customization trend so you won’t ever have sleeves that are too short or collars that are too tight. In a pioneering effort, Lands End has developed technology that customizes clothing to fit any customer’s body almost perfectly. The result has been new customer fans and new profits.
The more organizations try to make themselves accessible to their customers, the more intimate and positive their relationships will be. For example, 20 U.S. city governments decided to operate 311, non emergency telephone information services. By calling a toll-free number, citizens can easily cut through red tape, navigate government services and register complaints. As chairman of NYC & Company, New York’s nonprofit tourism agency, we worked with Mayor Bloomberg to include travel, dinner, entertainment, and cultural information on 311 to further enhance the transparency of the Big Apple.
Airport security is an expected necessity that certainly doesn’t enhance the customer experience, but many organizations are winning customers by providing a sense of safety where it is least expected. For example, Target decided to protect their customers from deadly mistakes by redesigning prescription drug packaging that is much easier to read. That gives customers an unexpected sense of safety that will enhance their brand loyalty. At Loews Hotels, several managers have won loyal customers for our brand by going beyond the call of duty to provide security. For example, Loews New Orleans managers used creative ways to find enough vehicles to evacuate guests during Hurricane Katrina.
Absolutely. A lot more goes into my show “Open Exchange” than just choosing interesting business leaders to interview. We think carefully about how to attract viewers with an inviting and stimulating experience.
My first lesson was to make a meaningful connection with a customer from the very first interaction. Believe it or not, I first learned this when I was only eight years old. I would amuse myself by answering the phone at the counter of the Americana Hotel in Bal Harbor, Florida. The Americana was one of the first hotels in what is now known as the Loews Hotels chain that was founded by my father and uncle, Bob and Larry Tisch.
Without a doubt. As a founder of the Discover America Partnership, I’ve recently been on Capitol Hill seeking support for a new plan to make the United States more hospitable to international tourism. Chief among the reasons why travelers are not coming to the U.S. are concerns about the difficult U.S. visa process and the perception of unfriendly treatment at the point of entry. America has to have an open door policy for international tourists just like any organization has to be welcoming and accessible to its customers.
Send your comments to bobj@execcouncil.org
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Why do you, a hotelier, feel you have useful advice for executives in other industries?