July 5, 2008 Outrigger on the Lagoon - Fiji Welcomes Leon Pink By Darren Shaw I am pleased to join Human Resources in welcoming our newest member, Leon Pink, to the position of Director of Rooms Division at our five-star resort, the Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji (FOR). Leon and his wife Kim, a graphic designer, moved to Fiji s beautiful Coral Coast from Australia, where he was most recently Sunshine Coast Area Manager for Stella Resorts Group, overseeing more than 300 rooms. Leon Pink As Director of Rooms Division, Leon is responsible for managing a range of operations, including Housekeeping, Front Office, Guest, Concierge, and Tour Desk Services, along with our exclusive Bebe Spa Sanctuary comprising day spa, wedding chapel, and hair and beauty salons. Leon will also be involved in overseeing the continued maintenance of operational standards and systems to ensure consistency in service delivery, quality, and yield management. Continued on page 2 Ke Ano Wa a: The Journey and the Celebration Continue! By Ka ipo Ho Last month we introduced the Ke Ano Wa a 6-Paddles Process and shared a few of the innovative things our Alaka i were doing with Paddle One, Celebrating Who We Are. I recently visited the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation Resort for their Paddle One launch which included a department ohana poster contest that had teams hysterical with laughter! They plan to keep the event going by rotating their posters throughout their six departments. Continued on page 4 Preparing for the DNC Hoteliers throughout the greater Denver area are working hard to prepare for the Democratic National Convention (DNC), scheduled to begin August 25, just seven weeks from now. There are thousands of details to consider and many unknowns to anticipate when some 50,000 media personnel and delegates converge, along with an expected contingent of vocal protesters. For sure, the 2008 DNC will be strikingly different from the one held in Denver exactly 100 years ago. In those simpler times, Denver was awarded the 1908 convention by pledging $100,000, outbidding Atlantic City, Chicago, Louisville, and St. Louis, according to the Denver Post. Wagons full of snow were brought in from the mountains to cool the delegates in those pre-air conditioning days. Five women were credentialed as delegates, a first for a major party convention in the days before the 19 th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote in 1920. Security was not a big issue. The city merely hired a few Pinkerton guards and 16 extra police officers. Their biggest challenge was to break up a snowball fight between delegates. Continued on page 10 Page
Leon Pink Continued from page 1 Leon s experience in hotel and resort management includes working at Australia s most iconic five-star property, Hayman Island Resort, in addition to leading boutique hotels in the United Kingdom and Europe. A key member of The Soho Hotel management team, Leon also played an integral role opening The Sanderson Hotel in London and Blakes Hotel in Amsterdam. He is looking forward to sharing his experience with the Rooms Division team and adding to the FOR s dynamic team. Please join me in welcoming Leon to the Outrigger on the Lagoon Fiji family. Aloha and Mahalo, Poshu Cheng! By Trina Tory On June 30, a retirement celebration was held for Poshu Cheng, who retired after 18 years of service. Gary Mano extended Outrigger s appreciation for his hard work and dedication and presented Poshu with gifts of aloha in recognition of his many years with Outrigger. A dedicated and loyal employee, Poshu will be missed by the Outrigger ohana. He expressed his appreciation to the company, his coworkers, and managers and said he will miss the many friendships he has made over the years. Poshu plans to enjoy retirement by spending time with his family. He is looking forward to traveling to Taiwan with his wife and daughter. We are very proud of Poshua for his years of dedication and service and wish him the very best in his retirement. Mahalo and a hui hou! Happy Birthday! July 21: Caralyn J. Merrill, Stephen C. Craig, Joanna L. Demeo, Micah P. Ota, Milagros C. Tungpalan, Eric S. Ishikawa, Burton M.H. Kong, and Kenneth G. Lau. July 22: Fiti C. Seloti, Sherrielynn B. Loo, Dean I. Howard, Mia M.N.C. Lau, Jimmy L. Hill, Ana K.D. Bermoro, Jonelle O. Garcia, Aldrin Ortaleza, Jenny K. Narca, Violeta P. Ramaud, and Qi Qi Li Yang. July 23: Su Lian Li Xu, Nelia G. Navarro, and Julia R.W. Liang. July 24: Naanise Lotulelei, Patti L.H. Blezard, Chris A. Deleon, Kathleen Dehne, and Dennis C. Maher. July 25: Kristy J.I. Lum, Caroline A.P. Suetos, Ben S. Melchor, and Rita A. Gleave. July 26: Cecilia S.K.C. Yip, Lono T. Padilla, Ka ipo Ho, Shao King L. Lui, Glenn S.C. Goo, and Jinfeng Han. July 27: Chad A. Nakagawa, Leslie J. Apoliona, Kristen Cross, and Julio V. Erorita. Gary Mano, Poshu Cheng, Smilie Espaniola, and Glenn Nagasako is published by and for the employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group. Editor-In-Chief: Richard Kelley Senior Editor: Marie Casciato Assistant Editor: Lehua Kala`i Contributing Writers: Employees of Outrigger Enterprises Group Visit us online at: www.outrigger.com/sb or www.ohanahotels.com/sb Submit suggestions, comments, and news tidbits to Marie Casciato at marie.casciato@outrigger.com or via interoffice mail to OEH/Executive Office, or contact her at (808) 921-6601. 2008 Outrigger Hotels Hawaii An Equal Opportunity Employer Page 2
Outrigger Down Under Shines at the Australian Tourism Exchange By Narelle Ecihorn The southern hemisphere s largest tourism industry event, the Australian Tourism Exchange (ATE), was held in the West Australian capital of Perth in June. Attending for Outrigger Hotels & Resorts was Vice President Operations, Cliff Olson, our new Sales Executive Frances De Belle, and myself. While Frances and I handled meetings with industry wholesalers and operators, Cliff held a series of meetings with some of Australia s top industry officials from Tourism Australia, ATEC, and the Tourism Task Force. The positive response from all corners of the world was overwhelming. With up to 100,000 networking and business appointments conducted during the weeklong event, the importance of getting your product in front of hundreds of industry delegates is very competitive. It was extremely encouraging (and exhausting!) that Outrigger was one of just a few exhibitors that had fully-booked appointment schedules for the duration of ATE, and I believe this is testament to the strength and respect for our brand throughout the world. Underpinning the strong interest for Outrigger was a lot of excitement amongst wholesalers that Outrigger is rebuilding its brand in Australia. Many operators wanted to know about our expansion plans Down Under, with three wholesalers requesting to include our new resort under development on the Sunshine Coast (Outrigger Noosa Resort & Spa) in their next brochure print runs. Having a presence at ATE this year has also generated positive results for Outrigger Twin Towns Resort on the Queensland and New South Wales border. Working Outrigger was one of just a few exhibitors that had fully-booked appointment schedules for the duration of ATE closely with Gold Coast Airport Corporation, Outrigger Twin Towns will continue to benefit from the growing business generated by new carriers selecting the Gold Coast as a stopover destination en-route to Asia. Only weeks ago, Qantas budget carrier, Jetstar, announced the commencement of five direct flights per week from Japan. Singapore Airlines AirAsia X has also selected the Gold Coast for direct flights to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Outrigger Twin Towns Resort s location, just minutes from Gold Coast Airport, places it in a very good position to capitalise on the increasing international arrivals and departures, and we are looking forward to a lot of new business for the resort following our hectic week at ATE. Employment Opportunity If you are interested in the position listed and meet the qualifications, please submit an in-house application obtained from your Supervisor or Human Resources. If you have any questions, please call Eric Ishikawa at (808) 921-6989. Application deadline is July 11, 2008. General Maintenance (Full Time) Must have three years experience with interior and exterior maintenance and the demonstrated ability to install, repair, service, inspect, and maintain FF&E facilities. Must also have experience with heating, cooling, plumbing, ventilation, water, electrical, and mechanical systems and be flexible to work all shifts. Page 3
The Outrigger at Lae Nani Resort and Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa on Kaua i also held several Paddle One activities that began with a Can You Guess Who I Am game that required matching employees with their baby pictures and specific phrases. Employees were also partnered up with a coworker to discover all they could about each other, and then chose a candy bar that best described their partner. Because of their fairly close proximity, the two properties share Alaka i resources to help each other out. The Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach (OWK) has begun publishing a bi-monthly newsletter as part of their Ke Ano Wa a activities. Each issue of the Outrigger Waikiki Taro Dispatch features Ke Ano Wa a highlights and a General Manager column called Jim s Corner. There s also a Who s Who at OWK section, introducing a randomly-selected employee to the rest of the team. While Paddle One celebrations continue, some of our Alaka i have already begun planning and launching Paddle Two, Celebrating Where We Come From. In last week s, the Outrigger Reef on the Beach featured their Paddle Two launch with their annual Flavors of the Reef and a collection of foods and cultural presentations highlighting the rich ethnic mix of the Outrigger Reef hosts. Today, Outrigger is more than a company with roots in Hawai i. Our larger family comes from many different places with unique histories, cultures, and stories. We truly are a family of diverse cultures working together in harmony, and Paddle Two is all about celebrating our rich cultural make-up. Paddle Two is also a great opportunity for all of us to learn more about our family beyond our own familiar shoreline. Page 4 Continued on page 5 Ke Ano Wa a: The Journey and the Celebration Continue! Continued from page 1 Dale Verkaaik and Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation Resort s Alaka i Fernando Constantino Housekeepers Caroleta Mata, Mercy Cabutaje, and Paulina Ypil study baby photos of their Outrigger at Lae Nani Resort coworkers for the Can You Guess Who I Am game
Ke Ano Wa a: The Journey and the Celebration Continue! Continued from page 1 The 6-Paddles Process is ongoing. In other words, as we progress from one Paddle to the next, let s continue to celebrate who we are and where we come from. With each new Paddle, our canoe will gain momentum! When you have the chance, give your Alaka i a pat on the back and a big mahalo! In addition to their daily responsibilities, our Alaka i are committed to finding ways to make Outrigger a great place to work and visit! Mahalo e na Alaka i! If your area has not selected an Alaka i, it s not too late! Please contact me at kaipo.ho@outrigger.com for more information. Eric Dillingham shares a baby photo of Vicki Valenciano during the Can You Guess Who I Am game Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation s Maintenance Team participated in the Paddle-One activities Back row: Keith Hardy and Lance Koerte Front row: Clarence Aki, Aeson Puu, Darren Alcos, Correy Naumu, Richard Arruda, and Caeser Duarte Page 5
The Outrigger at Lae Nani Resort and Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa s Mahalo Celebration By Vicki Valenciano The Outrigger at Lae Nani Resort and the Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort & Spa hosted their employees to a Mahalo Celebration, held at Lydgate Park on a sunny, breezy, cool afternoon. The program opened with a mahalo from Regional Manager Gregg Enright who thanked the ohana for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to excellence. We surprised the employees with a buffet line that included poke, crab, and boiled peanuts and main dishes, including pansit noodles, garlic prawns, roast pork, and chili. As if that wasn t enough, a chocolate cake and butter mochi, made by employee Feme Ganir, sweetened the buffet. The rest of the afternoon was filled with games. The big hit of the afternoon was a special game called da Boss Splash-o-rama. Each manager took their turn behind a screen of chicken wire and had water balloons tossed at them by the employees. By popular demand, the employees asked that the managers huddle together so they could do a group splash the unofficial count was 980 balloons and six soaking-wet managers! The games ended with a Tug of War challenge resort against resort. The war went on for nearly 15 minutes, and when it finally ended, the rope-burned hands belonging to the Outrigger at Lae Nani team won. The trophy was presented while the Outrigger Waipouli Beach Resort team issued a challenge for a re-match at the next gathering. It was a great celebration that was relived many times over by the ohana who continued to talk and laugh about the event. See more photographs on pages 7 and 8 Vicki Valenciano and Gregg Enright display the ono Mahalo cake Employees line up for WOW, WOW, WEE, a game we picked up from the Filipino Channel Page 6
Mahalo Celebration Continued from page 6 Managers Gregg Enright, Vicki Valenciano, Eric Dillingham, Fran Basuel, Jeanne Ross, and Leona Sa-McDermott huddle behind the wire screen during the da Boss Splash-o-rama game Prescilla and Dolly Constantino gather their balloons for the da Boss Splash-o-rama game, while Eric Dillingham and Caroleta Mata look on Employees wait their turn for to bean the boss Page
Mahalo Celebration Continued from page 7 Employees gather as the games begin The Outrigger Waipouli team pull with all their might but the Outrigger at Lae Nani team pulled harder and won the Tug of War Page
Outrigger Enterprises Participates in Hawaiian Cultural Immersion Program By Ka ipo Ho In 2007, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) received a three-year federal grant from the Administration for Native Americans to develop and implement a Hawaiian Cultural Immersion program. In their search for corporate sponsorship, NaHHA invited Outrigger Enterprises to participate in the program. Outrigger s values-based corporate culture of Ke Ano Wa a and our long-standing commitment to perpetuating our host-culture were cited as primary reasons for NaHHA s invitation. Outrigger participates at three levels: 1) in an advisory capacity during the development and evaluation phases of the training curriculum, 2) in a participatory capacity during the pilot program to test the curriculum with a group of managers and non-managerial employees, and 3) in a resource capacity, providing meeting room facilities. On Wednesday, June 25, thirty-four Outrigger managers and supervisors completed the first Ola Hawai i cultural immersion pilot program. The 24-hour course was a combination of leadership concepts based on traditional Hawaiian principles, the familiar Ho okipa Model of Place, Host, and Guest, and sections dedicated to Hawaiian values and creating a Hawaiian sense of place. Throughout the pilot, we were given interesting homework assignments that included researching our family genealogy, writing a traditional Japanese Haiku, and identifying our mountain, river, valley, ocean, wind, and rain. In short, the Ola Hawai`i program was a great reinforcement to our own Ke Ano Wa a 6Paddles Process. The Ola Hawai i pilot ended with a special luncheon and presentation of gifts from our Outrigger `ohana to our NaHHA instructors. Special thanks to our extended family at NaHHA, for allowing us the opportunity to experience Ola Hawai i, and to our 34 Outrigger representatives for welcoming and honoring our NaHHA guests with warmth and generosity. Mahalo to Ethan Chang and Nurhan Enustun for their assistance in providing training facilities and refreshments and to Candace Au and Grant James and their Food & Beverage staff for preparing a scrumptious luncheon and venue for our closing ceremonies. Jim Heather and Conchita Malaqui work diligently to create their ti-leaf lei Ola Hawai`i instructor Makalapua Kanuha assists Bill Comstock in reciting his family genealogy in Hawaiian Page
With the nomination of William Jennings Bryan, (who would go on to lose the general election to Republican William Howard Taft), a foregone conclusion, Denver hired 40 Apache Indians to entertain the conventioneers. Writer Damon Runyon, noted for his distinctive vernacular style, remarked that the war whoops and dances made it difficult to distinguish the Indians from the Preparing for the DNC Continued from page 1 Rocky Mountain News writer Damon Runyon conventioneers, except that the latter were wearing a lot of badges and yelling all the time! For 2008, estimated costs for the convention have risen to at least $100 million $50 million from the federal government, $40 million from private donations, and $10 million from the city. Security is a major issue. Any number of groups loosely organized under the umbrella of the Recreate 68 Alliance hope to deliver their political messages through public demonstrations that may develop into chaos and turmoil similar to that experienced at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago. The city has placed all sorts of restrictions on protest activities, which has led the American Civil Liberties Union to file suits asking for relief in the name of freedom of speech. Some 90 hotels in the greater Denver area have committed room blocks to house conventioneers and Photo: Courtesy of the Colorado Historical Society media personnel. Many of the hotels are in the suburbs or near Denver International Airport. Getting people to and from the convention arena, the 675,000 square foot Pepsi Center, will be a challenge, even if the streets are not blocked by protesters. Hotel managers are developing plans to make sure personnel and supplies get to their properties throughout the week. They also face occupancy challenges, as normal business is expected to drop off several days prior to the convention and not pick up again until several days after the delegates go home. The Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering hotels and other businesses special courses on Denver attractions and hospitality. The convention has pledged to consider the environmental impact of the meetings and to have a list of programs and initiatives designed to limit the carbon footprint of the activities to the extent possible. To help handle the tons of extra newsprint expected to be produced by the convention, area hotels are being asked to provide recycling bins at convenient locations. In addition, Coloradobased Molson Coors Brewing Company, which produces ethanol from waste beer, will supply all of the E85 ethanol needed to power the fleet of GM flex-fuel vehicles that will be used by the DNC. The Hilton Garden Inn Denver Airport, which is managed by Outrigger Lodging Services, has blocked 110 of its 167 rooms for the DNC. Hopefully, they will be miles from the protests and congestion that are forecast for the downtown area and will be able to concentrate on making all their guests feel welcome, as they do 365 days a year. Good luck to all. The 1908 Democratic National Convention took place in Denver, Colorado, at the Denver Arena Auditorium Photo: Courtesy of the Denver Public Library Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan leaves the Democratic Club in Denver on a stop in the city Photo: Courtesy of the Denver Public Library Western History Collection Page 10