Panelists discuss the challenge of retaining talent in the industry. Panelists discuss the challenge of retaining talent in the industry.

United Arab Emirates Beverage Society (UAEBS)

The United Arab Emirates Beverage Society was set up with the aim to unite nightlife professionals to share industry best practices and offer support. At the forum, UAEBS co-founders Felix Hartmann from Media One Hotel Dubai, and Sasha Milovanovic from Fresh Express spoke at length about the project.

The UAEBS website will offer product information, newsletters, industry updates, a comprehensive listing of all bars and venues as well as suppliers and distributors for the industry, and a careers section for job seekers. It will also connect beverage managers, GMs, F&B directors, suppliers, and sponsors.

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The UAEBS website will also offer access to a global network of clubs and bartenders to keep up-to-date with global events and news.

The UAEBS membership will offer discounts to various venues in the UAE, which will offer industry peers a chance to visit outlets they may not have been able to earlier.

While the team is still awaiting approvals, the non-profit organisation will be registered as a social club and will host bi-annual meetings at different venues.

For now, the team is looking for financial support to help with expenses such as website programming, and Hartmann and Milovanovic also appealed to the audience to offer their venues to host regular UAEBS meetings and networking events.

Investing in soft skills

One of the workshops at the forum focused on investing in soft skills, led by Biz-ability general manager Bev Mileham, who offered advice on categorising employees and service and tips for improvment:
- There are four service levels: awful, acceptable, appreciative, and amazing. Customers who experience awful service can lose not just the customers that are unhappy, but more, if word spreads through social media. .
- There are three types of staff: the dragger, the plodder, and the winner. Draggers usually make up 20% of the team and tends to offer awful service, the plodder accounts for 60% of the team and offers acceptable, or sometimes appreciative, while the winner, who makes up the remaining 20% is the one who offers amazing service.
- There are five principles (or 5 Ps) of service winners: a positive attitude, passionate service, personal communication, product confidence, and proactive energy.
- Bartenders and service staff should use the GAME model when approaching a customer: Greet the customer, Affirm needs, Meet or exceed needs, and Ensure satisfaction.