Iconsulthotels director Martin Kubler, Zaya Retreats director of operations Stephen Gee and Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates marketing communications manager Elodie Patel.
“There are systems that are becoming more sophisticated so you can monitor actual conversations and content that is coming in on a number of different channels. We do see that guests actually use a number of different channels at the same time.”
Gee also explained how guests use different social media platforms based on their experiences.
“It may well be that you get a photograph on Instagram and you get a Tweet. It also resonates with the way they want their feedback to be perceived. If somebody is having a fantastic experience, and they want to share it with their friends, then they use different media – they’ll post the pictures on their Facebook page, and that will have a ripple effect of positive brand reinforcement, as opposed to somebody that isn’t having a good experience talking about it on Twitter,” he said.
| Advertisement |
Of course, positive experiences will only be shared if the right environment is created to foster them, and a key part of achieving this is a fruitful relationship between the owner and operator.
It was therefore appropriate that the final panel session of the day on the evolution of the general manager — moderated by Rupprecht Queitsch, CEO & senior partner, INHOCO Group — grappled with this issue.
The topic was hashed out by panellists Simon Casson, regional vice president & GM, Four Seasons Resorts Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Margaret Paul, resort GM Madinat Jumeirah, Laurent Chaudet, GM Pullman Dubai Deira City Centre and Jan Monkedieck, GM at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah.
Monkedieck highlighted relationships with owners as the most significant evolution of the GM role.
He commented: “The expectation of the owning company is that they know the GMs, and they expect ROI.”
Casson agreed, adding that the ownership and asset management has changed.
“The number one thing for a GM now is to have a relationship with the owner. If you don’t have this, it is very difficult to be an inspirational leader because you’re pulled into what the owner or asset manager wants,” he commented.
Chaudet highlighted that the shift in a GM’s role from purely operational to overseeing revenue management took place in the 1990s, and this has continued to evolve.
“We used to be purely focused on the operations and then with new age revenue management I think this took the GM role from an operational focus to a commercial focus.
“If you take that experience as the best indicator for what will happen in the future, you’ll see that commercial and operational role continue.”
Chaudet added that having an expert team was now crucial to supporting the GM role.
“Today we’ve got an expert team of 10 people and we’re much more competitive than we used to be,” commented Monkedieck, while Chaudet agreed, saying: “We’ll be successful in our jobs if we’re able to get a team of experts.”
Leveraging the skills of the team, according to Paul, is another part of the evolved GM role. “Being an expert in relationship management is extremely important. We are constantly juggling the many relationships.”
While Paul explained that the GM role now involves “being skilled in many areas, and dealing with a diverse range of disciplines and topics”, Casson argued that much more has remained consistent than has changed, and being a leader still requires the same qualities as ever.
Queitsch, a 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry, and the general manager that led the pre-opening team of JW Marriott Marquis Dubai — the world’s tallest hotel — also offered some sage words earlier in the day during his ‘Take 5’ presentation.
“Vision without execution is hallucination,” he said.
With plenty of food for thought offered, the fifth Hotelier Middle East Great GM Debate certainly equipped delegates with that little extra to help make their visions become a reality.
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
