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Creativity Boost

Submitted by designer on Fri, 06/07/2012

Trying to be innovative feels, at least for most people, nearly impossible.

Don't believe me? Try it. Go ahead. Be innovative. Think of something amazingly new and different. I'll wait.

Give up? (Don't feel bad. I gave up before you did.) Most of us don't have a "creativity switch" we can turn on and off at will.

Our employees don't either. Gathering your team in a room and saying, "Okay, we really need some innovative ideas... what do you have?" never works--unless you play "Kill a Stupid Rule."

Kill a Stupid Rule is one of the tools described by Lisa Bodell, the founder and CEO of futurethink and the author of Kill the Company.

Playing Kill a Stupid Rule is not only easy, your employees will think it's a hoot. Here's how it works:

1. Gather a group of employees.

Then break them down into two-or three-person teams. If possible, pair up people from different functional areas.

2. Give the smaller groups 10 minutes to answer one question:

"If you could kill or change all the stupid rules that get in the way of better serving our customers or just doing your job, what would they be and how would you do it?"

Source: http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/how-to-make-team-more-innovative-instantly.html?cid=em01020week27&nav=su

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Mobile Marketing

Submitted by designer on Wed, 20/06/2012

Hotel Mobile Marketing & Distribution Do’s and Don’ts | By Max Starkov

Earlier this month I presented at EyeForTravel's Online Marketing Strategies for Travel 2012 Conference in Miami. The session, titled "Best Practices for Mobile Strategies in 2012 and Beyond," focused on the expanding mobile distribution channel and explored tablets as a distinct digital marketing device. This article is a continuation of my thoughts shared at the conference, as well as an attempt to help hoteliers realign their mobile marketing strategies mid-year, by providing valuable action steps they can take now and beyond 2012.

The Mobile Marketing and Distribution Channel is Exploding

The mobile channel is not just a mere extension of the traditional "desktop" channel. Morgan Stanley projects that by 2014, mobile web users will surpass "traditional" desktop Internet users. This exploding distribution and marketing channel has its own rules and best practices, providing immense revenue opportunities and competitive advantages to smart hotel and travel marketers.

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4056518.html

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VITAMINS

Submitted by designer on Sun, 17/06/2012

Vitamins Part One! As the summer progresses it is time to stock up on essential nutrients such as vitamins. We will cover the most important vitamins in two parts; from a to b6, which will cover one part and then the rest. What is important is that in a healthy diet one seeks nutrients that are balanced out over the different groups and hold the essential oils, vitamins and mineral, something we will cover in future issues. What I have done is I have made a selection of the most needed vitamins what they are doing in the body and which sources are rich of them. Vitamin A Important for skin, helps with eyesight, and it is a powerful antioxidant. Richest Sources: Cod liver oil, halibut liver oil, ox liver, chicken liver, lamb’s liver, pumpkin, spinach, sweet potato, dried apricots, broccoli, cabbage, mature carrots, cooked carrots, cantaloupe melon, cheddar cheese, cherries, eel, kale, papaya, mango, sweet peppers, chilli peppers, peaches, prunes, tomato, watercress, dark green leaves and herbs, water melon, whole powdered milk, eggs, fresh apricots, organic butter. Vitamin B1 Essential it is, for the proper functioning of nerves, and all muscles including the heart.

Source: Blanc Vite

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Meeting Future

Submitted by designer on Wed, 06/06/2012

Maritz Research Conducts Comprehensive Study To Gauge What The Future Holds For Meetings

Technology and social media are key themes

If you"ve ever lost your way in a huge convention center, confused by a maze of booths and meeting rooms, there just may be an app to help you get where you need to go. In fact, the use of apps for conventions and meetings offer a one-stop-shop or clearinghouse experience for everything from scheduled appointments, floor layout, seminars, social media, news and much more - all on smartphone and tablet devices. And bid a fond farewell to PowerPoint presentations because in the meetings of tomorrow, they are "yesterday." Maritz Research conducted an extensive project combining survey results, in-depth interviews and a review of industry literature to produce The Future of Meetings white papers. Meeting planners, designers, venue managers, exhibitors, suppliers and even attendees were asked to share their predictions and talk about the things they considered most important.

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4056330.html

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Herbs and Spices

Submitted by designer on Thu, 31/05/2012

As promised, here are the spices we have identified for you to have a look at. Spices have become very popular in contemporary Western cuisine. What would an apple pie be without cinnamon? Or a piece of roast meat without some freshly ground black pepper? Indeed, we use many spices and some of them come from very far. As their cuisines already reveal, India and Sri Lanka are some of the richest spice countries on the planet. When going a bit further east we find the Thai and Malay kitchens where also lots of fresh herbs and spices are used. We have a Thai Shrimp Soup on the menu in which I use lemon grass, black pepper, coriander, coriander leaves, lime leaves and Garlic. It’s fantastic. However for some really good Indian food I can just recommend Sue’s Indian Raja, they prepare very authentic and delicious Indian dishes. My favorite is palak with mushrooms instead of paneer. It contains lots of spinach, some cardamom and other spices and is ideal with some Naan bread and a salted Lassi! (Courtesy of Raymond Blanc, from the Book Blanc Vite) Cardamom is a natural diuretic and can help digestion.

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Online Reputation

Submitted by designer on Wed, 16/05/2012

For hotels, online reputation management starts on property | By Daniel Edward Craig

"How is everything going with your stay?" the doorman asked as I waited for a taxi.

"Oh, fine," I said automatically. But wait—it wasn"t fine. The hotel had lost my reservation, and my room had been downgraded. Eventually they had sorted things out and had offered to move me, but by then it was too late.

But he asked, so I told him.

"I"m very sorry about that," he said. "Is there anything we can do to make it up to you?"

"No, no … Actually, yes. I could use a late checkout."

"Let me see what I can do." He left to make a call.

A moment later, as I was climbing into a taxi, he hurried over. "Will 2:00 work?"

"That would be perfect."

As the taxi pulled away I reflected on the interaction. How is everything going with your stay?, he had asked. It"s a question asked all too rarely, and yet it strikes me as one of the most important a hotel can ask its guests these days.

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Tavira Sal

Submitted by designer on Wed, 09/05/2012

Flor de sal is the Portuguese fleur de sel, the flower of salt. This salt comes to us from Rui Simeão a producer on the southern coast of Portugal in the Ria Formosa area. Their flor de sal is collected by hand using special tools that skim the surface of the salt pan to collect the thin layer of salt "flower" that forms on top of the water as the water evaporates.

Flor do sal is prized for its small grains, lightly crunchy texture and balanced, briny flavor. This flor de sal is certified by the French environmental organization Nature et Progres to be free of the industrial contaminants sometimes found in mechanically harvested sea salt.

Source: www.chertoproducts.be

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First Things First

Submitted by designer on Thu, 03/05/2012

First Things First – How to Start a Successful Mentoring Program | By Bob Taylor

In our consulting and training work, we frequently are invited to evaluate mentoring programs. When we ask leaders to describe their mentoring programs today, the answers run the gamut from "we don"t have one" to "ours is best in class" and just about everything in between. Some organizations report "informal" mentoring programs, a few attempt to thoughtfully match mentor and protégé, and the remainder appear to leave their programs completely to chance.

For those of you considering the establishment (or refinement) of a mentoring program in your organization, we offer you the following:

Source: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4055934.html

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Knife Sharpening

Submitted by designer on Mon, 23/04/2012

Section Five: Sharpening Step by Step

Knife Sharpening

Submitted by designer on Thu, 19/04/2012

Section Four: Sharpening Basics Before we get into sharpening systems and the actual mechanics of sharpening, it helps to understand some of the basic principles. These are the burr, the sharpening angles, the abrasive, consistency and sharpening strategy. They apply no matter what sharpening method you choose. The Burr First and most foremost is the burr. The burr is your friend. A burr, or wire edge, is a rough, almost microscopic, raised lip of metal that forms when one edge meets the other. It is the only way to be absolutely certain that you have fully ground an edge. Essentially you grind one side until it meets the other and pushes up a small curl of metal. If you stop sharpening before the burr is formed, your knife will not be as sharp as it could be. Sometimes you can’t see a burr, but you can always feel it. You check for a burr on the side opposite the edge you have been grinding. Hold the knife blade horizontally and place your fingers or thumb at a 45-degree angle to the edge and pull gently down and away. DO NOT PULL TOWARD THE TIP OR HILT; YOU MAY LOP OFF A FINGER. PULL AWAY FROM THE EDGE. Remember, check the side opposite the one you've been sharpening.