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Centerplate Launches Innovation Labs to Develop and Share Best-in-Class Service Solutions for Sports, Entertainment and Convention Venues

Posted on: Wednesday, 6 May 2009, 07:30 CDT

New Program Leverages Firm's Service, Culinary and Technology Expertise to Aid Venues in Boosting Financial Performance and Improving Customer Experiences

STAMFORD, Conn., May 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Centerplate, the foodservice partner to North America's premier convention, sports and entertainment venues, announced today the launch of its new Innovation Labs unit to develop and share best-in-class service and efficiency solutions for arena and stadium operators and convention centers. The program is the first initiative developed under Centerplate's new Center of Excellence structure, a company-wide platform leveraging the firm's deep foodservice and concessions expertise and designed to speed creation and roll-out of revenue-enhancing, service innovations. Developed to assist venue operators in driving the success of their overall operations through improved menu, customer experience and speed of service technologies, the Innovation Labs leverage Centerplate's track record of success in providing concessions and catering at more than 140 prominent sports, entertainment and convention sites.

Incorporating all aspects of large-scale foodservice operations, the Innovation Labs are designed as learning facilities focused on best practices for maximizing both customer experience and profitability. In addition to intelligence on technology innovation, service efficiencies and menu development, the centers combine the collective expertise of Centerplate's senior management with institutional company knowledge and ongoing operational improvements in addressing areas such as human capital and front line training, marketing and promotions, error prevention, supply chain management and profitability control.

"For venues serving hundreds of thousands or even millions of customers each year, a few less seconds on a specific service process, say pouring a cup of beer, can have a significant and positive effect on the bottom line," said Des Hague, president and CEO of Centerplate. "At the same time, speed of service at the expense of quality of service or overall experience is not a recipe for success either. Our goal in creating the Innovation Labs is to provide a resource for venue operators to learn best practices for balancing the vast number of variables inherent in their businesses to deliver both the most customer-friendly and the most profitable experience possible."

The debut of the new program comes on the heels of a strong April for Centerplate, which saw the firm join its client the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC to receive a Guinness World Record for the "World's Largest Banquet Service." The award honored Centerplate's work in creating the stunning 16,206 person banquet for the centennial celebration of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. And on the sports side, Centerplate-serviced stadium, AT&T Park in San Francisco was crowned 'the champion of stadium food' by Travel & Leisure in its May issue.

"As the first program launched under the new Center of Excellence structure, the Innovation Labs enable us to implement best practices and new innovations across our client base even more quickly and efficiently than before," said Bob Pascal, VP, sales & marketing. "Not only will our clients have access to the industry's top technology and strategic thinking, they'll be able to implement any changes in a shorter period of time."

Servicing convention centers and sports stadiums and arenas across North America in such major market areas as New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, Orlando, Miami, Vancouver, Raleigh and Seattle, Centerplate regularly provides high-quality dining experiences at marquee events of all sizes. Most recently, the company helped to host more than 40,000 guests at six official Inaugural Balls at the Walter E. Washington Center in honor of President Obama.

About Centerplate

Centerplate crafts and delivers extraordinary entertainment experiences in more than 140 prominent sports, entertainment and convention venues across North America. Centerplate has provided services to Super Bowl XLII, the Belmont Stakes, key events for the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, Art Basel Miami Beach, and six official Presidential Inaugural Balls. Visit the company online at www.centerplate.com.

SOURCE Centerplate

Source: PR Newswire

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