I hope you were able to attend the meeting on January 29. We had a great turnout and a very well-received presentation.
Steve Pinetti, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants told the story of how Kimpton’s brand has evolved over the years from individual hotels and restaurants to a reputation for unique and welcoming places to eat and stay to an umbrella brand to … what comes next.
Steve’s insights on giving every customer who walks through the door an incredible and personal experience were fascinating. From the now-legendary goldfish at the Monaco hotels to a loyalty program that sounds more like the hotels being loyal to the guests rather than the other way around, it was clear how Kimpton maintains the reputation that they do.
Steve also gave us some valuable insights into maintaining that level of service as the company experiences rapid growth and how involving employees at all levels becomes so vitally important. I know I was impressed by the amount of time Steve and his executive colleagues spend with employees in every Kimpton hotel, and found amusing (and insightful) the story of the front-desk staff member in San Francisco who challenges guests to cut a deck of cards (if the guest wins, they get a free movie or a room upgrade).
He also discussed how Kimpton’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including their environmental efforts, helps keep the Kimpton brand on top.
If you missed the presentation (or just want to take another look), you can see Steve’s presentation here.
Check back here in a few days for information on our February 26 meeting, which will be at 6:30 PM in San Francisco. I hope to see you there!
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Steve Pinetti
Happy New Year! We hope that 2009 is off to a good start for you.
MENG Northern California is starting off the year with a timely and relevant presentation: Creating the Umbrella Brand with Steve Pinetti, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants (bio below).
Under Steve’s leadership, Kimpton made the transition from a collection of unique and individually-branded properties to the establishment of the Kimpton brand as a strong market presence, and did it without losing the “every hotel tells a story” value of the variety of Kimpton properties. Steve will discuss how they identified the brand, how it was rolled out to the individual properties, how Kimpton customers react and the lessons learned along the way.
If you’re interested in learning how Kimpton, a brand leader in the hospitality market, made the most of its brand assets, we look forward to seeing you there!
WHEN: Thursday, January 29, 2008
WHERE: JW Marriott
500 Post Street (corner of Post and Mason)
Room: Executive Suite 4 (one floor down from the entrance) Please check the signs as you enter the hotel
Parking is available at Union Square
TIMING: 7:30-8:15 AM Networking (there is a Starbucks on the third floor of the hotel)
8:15-9:00 AM Presentation & Q&A
9:00-9:30 AM Networking
If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Weinberger. If you have any difficulty with the registration site, please contact Ruth Bardos. If you register and then are not able to attend, please also contact me.
STEVE PINETTI – BIO
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING
Steve Pinetti, as the Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, oversees all sales, marketing, advertising, public relations, CRM and eCommerce activities for the hotel and restaurant management company. Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants, based in San Francisco, currently manages 44 boutique hotels and 45 fine dining chef-driven restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.
Prior to joining the Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants in 1982, Pinetti began his hospitality career with Hilton and Hyatt where he held a number of positions in hotel sales and marketing. He was recognized as a “Top Producer” for both organizations. He helped develop corporate incentive travel programs as well as breakthrough industry software that provided the foundation for PMS systems today. Throughout his career, Pinetti has been responsible for the strategic planning and openings of more than 50 + hotels and 50 + restaurants throughout the country and has worked as an independent consultant in hotel management and marketing.
Pinetti has taught various classes in sales, marketing, operations and management in the hospitality programs at University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University, San Francisco City College and Golden Gate University. He also participated in branding classes through the executive management programs at Stanford University and U.C. Berkeley. Pinetti lives in San Francisco, California.
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