Record numbers of attendees are expected at the Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau Hospitality Training on Monday and Tuesday.
Presented by the Chattanooga Convention & Visitors Bureau, the event will be presented by Bob Doak, president and chief executive officer; Ed Dolliver, vice president of sales; Candace Davis, marketing and public relations manager; and Tim Morgan, president, Chattanooga Sports Committee. The guest speaker is Phil Bruno, Treat ’em Right president and renowned hospitality and tourism speaker.
The 2016 Hospitality Training is for front-line service employees in the hospitality & tourism industry.
A record number of 2,000 attendees is expected.
The event will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Ballrooms H & I
All sessions are full.
Monday, June 6 8:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Monday, June 6 5:15 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, June 7 8:45 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, June 7 5:15 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Those attending will be front-line staff of area attractions, hotels, restaurants, and retail stores; bus, taxi, and limousine drivers; police officers; parking lot attendants; parks and recreation staff; and all others that interact with visitors to the city.
Developed to enhance the guest experience, the annual hospitality training program equips front line service industry employees with the information they need to better serve visitors. Focusing on standards for exemplary customer service, the training emphasizes the value of tourism to the Chattanooga area.
Tourism is a vital economic driver for the Chattanooga area. The latest figures show that tourists leave more than $1 billion economic impact in Hamilton County, funding over 8,500 full-time jobs.
Attendees will receive a hospitality fact sheet, CVB Visitors Guide and a Hospitality Training Pass. The pass is used as a research tool, providing free admission to many attractions. It enables attendees to better answer visitor questions about specific attractions and upsell their vacations.
Treat ’em Right President Phil Bruno is a renowned hospitality and tourism keynote speaker with more than 35 years' experience. A graduate of St. Louis University, with a BS in Travel and Tourism, Bruno began his career managing world-class hospitality centers for Anheuser-Busch. Today, he creates live and online education programs for communities seeking to exceed visitor expectations so they blog, brag and return.
Mr. Bruno said, "We are way beyond satisfaction now. The Experience Economy is upon us and if you don't know what that means, you need to slap yourself and dial in before it's too late... If you are not satisfying customers, you're just not in business anymore. People rate their entire experience when purchasing products or services between competitors. The new breed of employee is doing the same thing with their employment experience. You can't exceed customer expectations until you provide a very positive experience for your employees." The answer, Bruno found, came from one of his clients who simply said you have to "Treat 'em right.” Thus the name of his company, “Treat 'em Right, The Total Customer Experience.”