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Here's what previous participants have to say:
From the 2009 Tour
I thought the tour was outstanding the first year, but it just gets better! The quality of the venues we visited and the back of house tours were brilliant. To meet with leading operators and international delegates and speak with the manager and chefs who so openly shared all their marketing and management strategies was an experience that money can't buy. Also, my visit to the NRA Show this year has potentially saved our venue tens of thousands of dollars in major kitchen purchase decisions.
Tony O'Donnell, Food and Beverage Manager, South Australian Cricket Association 2009 & 2007
My goal in joining the Profitable Hospitality Tour was to learn and experience as much as I could, in the short time I had. The seminar program was outstanding offering a broad ranging choice and was perhaps even more value for me than the show floor itself. Service was the other standout. In most restaurants there was always a queue and at least thirty minutes wait. Rather than this being considered an inconvenience, due to the skilled people management skills of the wait staff, not only did you enjoy the time spent in the bar waiting, you also happily put your hand in your pocket for a drink or two, boosting the venues profits.
Andrew Stewart, Executive Chef, Eastern Suburbs Leagues Club
"The customer service in the US is unparalleled. Our opportunity is to achieve this level of excellence in Australia, which I am sure would have a significant impact on the bottom line.
Michael Dennis, Owner Ocean Beach Hotel, Shellharbour, 2009 & 2005
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From the 2008 Tour
I thought the tour would be a great way to discover if there were any cutting edge innovations and trends that were being set, not only in the US, but other parts of the world that had representatives at the NRA show in Chicago. The back of house tours of large chain operations were very relevant to a company like ALH which operates in a similar fashion. My team and I made some valuable contacts at the NRA show, which we are already initiating to implement into our existing food business. I felt it was a truly worthwhile venture.
Domenic Di Deo, National Food Operations Manager, Australian Leisure & Hospitality
We enjoyed every aspect of this tour. From a business development point of view, educational perspective, to sharing time with such great people, with similar interests yet such diverse experience. It offered outstanding value and was a most worthwhile investment.
Karen Jubb, Manager, Customs House Hotel
There is the potential to save thousands of dollars on equipment and supplies if you do your homework, which far outweighs the cost of the tour. Traveling as part of the PH tour also offers a great opportunity to observe at close quarters the way restaurants operate, and speak with industry experts, which would not be possible on your own.
Tim Sanford, Purchasing Manager, The Prince Hospitality Group (this is his 3rd tour)
I have proved in the very first week back that the contacts, information and insights gathered were conducive to the profitability of our business. The Brasserie (the club's main dining facility) is closing down for one month due to renovations. The Eureka Café, which I manage, will be the sole supplier of food during this period. Without being a part of the 2008 Profitable Hospitality Tour and the access it provided to ideas, resources and industry experts, I would have been reliant on the internal information available and have danced to a familiar tune. Instead, I have created opportunities for increased capacity, and up-selling our offerings, which have been applauded by the board.
Donna Stevenson, Catering Manager, Sutherland District Trade Union Club
Well, what a trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I could not compare it to my previous trip in any shape or form. It was a most enlightening and entertaining tour. I must thank you and Ken for the great organisation and company - it was fabulous. It had the right mix of organised tour and free time to allow one to learn, and see the things that one wished to get to.
Michael Foulkes, Catering Manager, Cabra Vale Ex Active Servicemen's Club
The opportunity to speak one-on-one industry experts such as John Buchanan and Ed Culleeny of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises provided insights into the Achilles heel for us all -- recruitment. I felt motivated and confident that the challenges along the road to success are well worth the effort, and in a tough industry, I am heading in the right direction here in Australia.
Craig Penglase, Kitchen Manager, the Prince Hospitality Group (this is his 2nd tour)
From the 2007 Tour
The NRA Show in Chicago is immense. With more than 10kms of aisles I
was pleased to take time out to attend some of the very informative educational seminars. The extra-curricular
activities organised by Profitable Hospitality opened doors, and offered behind the scenes visits and insights
that would otherwise not have been possible. We learned a lot about the operations in the United States. Of
particular interest was how different areas of operations interacted and supported each other. Some of the
areas were very relevant to our own work environment in Australia.
Michael Borg, Marketing Manager, North Ryde RSL Club, NSW
Highlight: themed venues - the themes start from your view from the street - from the appearance of the venue, to the staff's attire, to the décor, to the menu, everything is designed and coordinated to enhance the experience (at times you felt like you were in another country altogether)
Michelle Foster Marketing Manager, Canley Heights RSL
The tour provided me with an excellent opportunity to source unique products knowing they wouldn't turn up at our competitors' restaurants - in conjunction with expanding my knowledge on upcoming technology and management procedures. In addition I visited many kitchens and spoke with successful business owners, which also revealed the commitment of US hospitality operators and the passion towards training in customer service and management. I'll be back again!
Craig Penglase, Kitchen Manager, The Prince Hospitality Group, Melbourne
The jam-packed PH tour program meant we had many opportunities to get a behind the scenes perspective of how successful restaurants in the US operate - I could not have experienced any of this on my own. It was valuable to note the emphasis on staff, training programs and customer service, and come home with some exciting ideas - and confirmation that we were on the right track with many of our own!
Craig Robertson, Head Chef, Twin Towns Resort, Tweed Heads
I believe a visit to the world's best hospitality show in Chicago is money well spent - add to this 11 days on the Profitable Hospitality tour, in the company of like minded business colleagues, and the trip offers a great return on investment. As well as endless opportunities to visit places and speak to industry experts that would otherwise be impossible, time spent with the group allowed me to share experiences, investigate options and explore the correlation between our business models. It is a unique and very worthwhile business investment - I'm sold!
Alistair Drayton, Owner, The Dunes Restaurant & The Mex, Victoria
The people were simply the greatest group, that instantly blended together. It really does show what our industry is all about when you can put together a group of people from many different sectors of the industry that are able to work together from day one, and after a few days relate to and support each other as if they were old friends.
Wayne Abrahams, Food & Beverage Manager, North Ryde RSL Club
Joining this tour to the US opened up a new world. The magnitude of the NRA show was mindblowing; new trends across all facets of hospitality; great menu board technology; rostering solutions; creative packaging concepts; novelty items and much, much more. Various Back of House Tours exposed me to key people who shared their different management techniques and experiences and above all else, the unique networking opportunities were outstanding. Speaking with dynamic professional people of a similar psyche, who grapple with similar issues and challenges back home was invaluable. I made many friends and trusted confidantes.
Andrew Charlton, Food & Beverage Sales & Operations Manager, Dreamworld, Queensland
Six days on tour with Profitable Hospitality in Chicago - one of the best cities in the world for food and restaurants - was an outstanding experience, specially if you go with an open mind. While valuable to have the NRA Show as a focal point, and I made a couple of excellent purchases, for me the stand-outs were the back of house visits, behind the scenes conversations, peeks 'behind the fridge', and the opportunity to speak openly with top chefs and restaurant owners. The philosophy behind the packaging, presentation and even just terminology and expressions used by front of house staff, all demonstrate clearly why Americans are so good at up selling. Whatever opinion we may have, there is no question of the power of courteous and polite communication which comes across as completely authentic, well delivered customer service and genuine commitment to staff training and development. Having introduced a number of subtle phrases inspired by my visit, to our team, we are already seeing results.
There was something on this tour for everyone - the best part being that you can be as involved as you want and have company at all times if desired, or as I did occasionally, be completely free to spend time doing your own thing. The one essential to make this trip work for you is to go along without any preconceptions and an open mind. That way you just soak up what is going on around you the entire time and will find huge value in the experience. In addition to the value for the business this trip is a perfect break. The Profitable Hospitality Tour will definitely be a regular event on my calendar.
Catherine Kerry, Owner, Art Gallery Restaurant, Adelaide SA
From the 2006 Tour
The most valuable parts of the trip from my perspective were:
-- The back of house tours of great restaurants - owned and operated by industry leaders with innovative and progressive views on how to stay ahead of the pack. The fact that they were willing to share the secrets of their success in all areas of the business was generous and inspiring. I can't remember ever taking in so much new information in such a short period of time.
-- The diverse nature of the restaurants was also important - allowing us to put the financial and customer service information into perspective with relevant properties back home.
-- The opportunity to listen to the views and questions of other hospitality professionals from Australia ensuring that very few points of interest were missed.
-- The NRA Show - the exhibitors and the seminars were fantastic and I am very keen to get a copy of the CD Rom with the power point notes. I believe there is plenty of relevant information in these that I can quickly put into action with our group of stores.
Thanks again for being such amazing hosts and making the whole trip feel like a working holiday with great friends. If I had not been part of the tour I would not have been able to benefit from Profitable Hospitalities local knowledge and contacts. This I believe is what makes the tour a definite 2 week block on next years calendar to attend again.
Robert Sawkins, The Coffee Club Group, Queensland.
The trip gave me an opportunity to gain a fantastic insight into the American business and service culture that they adopt in their hospitality venues. We also had the chance to look at some of the latest innovations and products coming soon to our industry at the trade show. It truly is a tour not to be missed.
Jason O'Sullivan, Sky City, South Australia
Being part of the Profitable Hospitality Australian delegation, where we were treated with such incredible generosity, was terrific in terms of the ability to discuss each experience and assess it's applicability to the Australian culture/produce/ wage structure etc.
The opportunity to network with International delegates was also highly valuable as were the many and varied speakers associated with the NRA show. There was vast opportunity to select and tailor the experience to suit each traveler, acknowledging that different delegates had different expectations from their tour.
This tour is an invaluable resource for hospitality professionals and will inspire and educate delegates on learnings from the USA restaurants and their Association."
Sally Neville, CEO, Restaurant & Catering South Australia
The location and the standard of your choice of hotel was excellent (I loved my hotel room thankyou). The daily Convention Centre transfers were smooth and the return airport transfer was perfect; the back of house tours I attended, were most informative and very useful to me in a practical way. It was also very impressive to see the operations at such close quarters; the NRA Show in itself was outstanding - everything that I had envisaged plus more.
Thank you to Ken Burgin and the Profitable Hospitality team. Your organisational skills and professionalism were obvious to all and you truly did us proud."
Wendy Vaughan, Royal Pines Resort, Queensland.
Thanks to Ken Burgin for his skill in arranging this excellent study tour. The contacts we made were most valuable. I have returned to Australia with some very worthwhile initiatives, which will help our Club to grow, and improve our catering side of the business. I believe there is much we can do in Australia to encourage the focus on customer service, especially through thoughtful value adds and superior service
Martin Taylor, Bribie Island Bowls Club.
While this was the most educational and well-planned tour I could have imagined and I returned motivated and inspired, the opportunity to spend time with top professionals from a diverse range of hospitality businesses was invaluable. A must for any hospitality employer.
Carmen Nardi, Campbelltown Catholic Club, NSW.
As a major dairy supplier, the tour really gave me a greater appreciation of my customers' needs and businesses, and equipped me with the knowledge to serve them better. I highly recommend the New Trends Study Tour to all in the hospitality and foodservice industry - it's an industry 'MUST DO' tour!
Tony Telgenhof, Parmalat Australia Ltd.
This experience exceeded all my expectations. It opened up extraordinary avenues, presented an international perspective on the hospitality industry, inspired me and gave me many ideas to put it in place in my club. On the tour I formed friendships and strong hospitality networks with those in our group, as well as meeting leading international hospitality professionals, which I could not otherwise have done.
Amanada Ne'Roi, Mingara Recreation Club, NSW
With limited time in Chicago and Las Vegas, the well planned Profitable Hospitality tour program offered great value and made so much possible. Delegates enjoyed a wide range of experiences from tours through casual dining restaurants, to discussing with international industry operators how they manage to provide the exceptional service for which they are known world wide."
Stuart Burrows, Club Marconi, NSW.
Participating in the Profitable Hospitality Tour is a real incentive for our team. We expect a lot from our managers, they work extremely hard and this is one way in which we can reward them for their efforts and loyalty. Accessing new trends, networking with Australian and international hospitality professionals, seeing other catering operations, sharing ideas and gaining first hand information is essential as we grow our business. We do not want to be dependant on the gaming side of our business for our success. The Profitable Hospitality Tour, with its focus on education and first hand learning is a unique opportunity for our catering managers. This is the second year we have sent two of our managers and I see this tour becoming a regular event on the training calendar.
Rod Laing, CEO, West Tamworth League Club and Wests Diggers, NSW.
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From the 2005 Tour
It was huge value just to rub shoulders with people in
our industry.
We made contacts with new suppliers and have sourced some great
products that aren't yet available in Australia. Now I've seen the show I can't wait to get back next year to
spend more time on the educational side of things.
George Dannaoui, The Moody Chef, St Leonards NSW
The networking, Back of House Tours and exposure to the
latest trends and products at the world's largest hospitality
trade show in Chicago were invaluable. I will be recommending
to the board that participation on this tour is incorporated
into our training calendar.
Garry Walsh, Operations Hospitality
Manager, Wests Entertainment Group, NSW
The tour is an opportunity for all enterprising business
owners to broaden their knowledge, keep abreast with the trends,
enjoy invaluable networking opportunities and take advantage
of being in one of the world's most fascinating cities. Value
added tax deductible opportunities (check with your accountant) like this are few and far
between. We will certainly be recommending more restaurateurs
and caterers come along in 2006.
Con Castrisos, President Restaurant
& Catering Australia, Owner, Café San Marco, Brisbane
My trip to Chicago gave me an appreciation of what is
possible back home in terms of size of the market, how well
things are done, speed of service, the level of professionalism
on the floor - the Americans operate at a high level.
It was fascinating to see what the concept of tips does in the
US, in terms of motivating staff and even increasing turnover.
I am now looking at developing motivation and incentive programs
(like profit-sharing programs) to get selling staff more accountable/responsible for increasing sales.
Fel Bevacqua, Owner, Vroom Cafés, Brisbane, QLD
He's come back with renewed vigour and cleaned us all
up, and is more organised than ever! You guys did something
right on that tour!
Rules that were once loosely followed he's now made absolute
law!
From a staff member at Berowra Waters
Waterside Restaurant on the return of Executive Chef, Glenn
Gulliver.
I would recommend the NRA Show to any of my members. There
is something for everyone, no matter what your business. Being
part of the Profitable Hospitality tour group enables you to
spend less time planning and more time doing and seeing. I am
sure anyone who attends will not regret it for one moment.;
Wendy Jones, Chief Executive Officer,
Restaurant & Catering Victoria
The Back of House Tours really helped me see the value
of systems and procedures. Just interacting with everyone else
on the tour and hearing how others in the industry operate back
home, was also a huge benefit.
The Profitable Hospitality Tour to Chicago was a worthwhile
business investment, a great education and has inspired me to
make changes to my business to make it more profitable.
Teresa Lane, The South Australian
Hotel, Mt Gambier, South Australia
Speaking with Managers and Chefs who were so open and
willing to share their experiences and demonstrate some innovative
systems, excellent set-ups and streamlined functionality in
their operation was immensely valuable.
Neil Gates, Executive Chef to Kitchen
Manager, Hard Rock Café, Melbourne, VIC
Day to day demands on our time are immense. We find that
unless we make the opportunity to attend trade shows of the
calibre of Chicago it is difficult to keep up with the trends
in our industry. Our visit was probably one of the most cost
and time effective ways to access information about new products
and services, attend seminars, identify the trends and network
with industry colleagues.
Mary Pollifroni, Owner, Polly Bar,
Brunswick, Vic
The NRA Show has to be seen to be believed. It is impossible
to imagine anything of this magnitude until you actually experience
kilometers of aisles flanked by thousands of booths. I learnt
so much, discovered many products and picked up many great ideas
for the food side of our business. From a tourist perspective
I think Chicago is one of the most beautiful and underestimated
cities in the world. And the music and nightlife are phenomenal
- jazz in Chicago is not to be missed.
Chris McIntyre, Executive Chef, Wests Ashfield, NSW
From the 2004 Tour
I came back buzzing with ideas, and some great initiatives
to introduce in our restaurant. It was an eye opener to see
so many impressive point of sale systems, while the creative
menu designs and concepts were of particular interest.;
Wayne Roby, Fox Balkan Seafood
I always think if you come away from a trade show
with just one new product or initiative you are doing well -
this year I found three. I really enjoyed the Back of House
Tour to Nacional 27 and see the innovative management - there
is a lot done with very little in the kitchen, when it comes
to space maximisation.;
Tony Hall, GIBPAT Pty Ltd. suppliers
of quality commercial catering products
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