Thank you Anuj Sood, Senior Director, Global Strategic Sourcing and Carl Montgomery, Procurement Manager from our client partner Radisson Hotel Group, for a highly productive meeting with the Source1 Purchasing team. Our Food and Beverage Program offers a complete purchasing solution to all limited and full service Radisson Hotel Group operations and management groups.
Thank you Georgette Cartagena- Human Resources at Source1 Purchasing for your presentation on #interviewstrategies this morning to the freshmen class at Florida Atlantic University!
#JobSearchSkills
#StudentDevelopment
#Internships
On behalf of the Source1 Purchasing team, thank you to Elvis Morris Donkoh from The Global Opportunity (GO) Fund for joining our team for lunch in Boynton Beach Florida today!
To begin, Elvis shared his life experiences with us detailing how he began his journey growing up in Ghana, West Africa. Today he has dedicated his time towards creating a better quality of life for his home community. Georgette Cartagena, our Human Resources Generalist, was so inspired, she couldn’t resist asking Elvis to take a selfie with her!
Furthermore, the Global Opportunity (GO) Fund is a non-profit organization that promotes the empowerment and enrichment of the lives of women and children in Africa. They do this via educational, social support and entrepreneurial projects.
Additionally, they work hand-in-hand with African-based grassroots organizations to simultaneously build their capacity to serve their own communities while launching sustainable development projects that will carry on their work for years and generations to come.
Learn more at https://thegofund.org/
Learn how Corporate Caterers creates upscale culinary focused menus, directly from Greg Halton, President & CEO of Corporate Caterers!
An Upscale Culinary Focused Menu
“Corporate Caterers is a franchising system that has been in business in 1997. We deliver catered presentations to our clients for breakfast and lunch.”
We Like to Say we Make Meetings Better
There are 26 franchisees in our system. Corporate Caterers is on a very solid growth curve. Source1 Purchasing has been a very big part of our ability to continue to grow. When you’re operating a franchise brand like corporate caterers, you need to be able to extend opportunities across a vast system. Our franchisees are able to access Source1 Purchasing’s knowledge base. This makes their purchasing capabilities really advantageous, which is especially important for a network as far reaching as ours.
Modernize our Menu
For instance, one of the initiatives we’ve taken is to modernize our menu. Source1 Purchasing has been excellent at helping us find the appropriate supplies and materials and ingredients to be able to launch a more upscale culinary focused menu. We get a lot of input from our local chefs looking for certain ingredients. With Source1 Purchasing’s help and focus on upscale culinary focused menus, we’re always able to find them.
I am very excited about our future with Source1 Purchasing, and the future of course for Corporate Caterers!”
Corporate Caterers was founded by Dennis McGinley and Jim Gass in 1997.
The entire Corporate Caterers system is based on the importance of great food, appealing presentation and very reliable service. This commitment has helped Corporate Caterers become a leader in the corporate market. We have set the bar high, creating and developing a branded office catering service that is extremely compatible with the high tech world of today. Our catering system with its strong website and easy online ordering features has become partners with thousands of corporate clients across the country. We have joined our client’s workforce and sales teams through technology enabling us to know how it works, thinks and communicates.
Hospitality professionals know how important it is to keep up with the latest trends in travel and lodging. Understanding shifts in travel behaviors can help you better serve your guests and increase future bookings. Here are some emerging travel trends that all hoteliers should be aware of:
Hotels are seeing more guests traveling with their extended family. Not only are young millennial parents traveling with their small children, but they are also bringing along grandparents and, in some cases, great grandparents. The multigenerational travel trend is a great opportunity for hotels to fill more rooms. The key to attracting these larger groups is to create accommodations that allow each member of the group to have enough space to be comfortable, but also stay within close proximity to the rest of their group. Adjoining rooms are a popular solution, but there are other amenities hotels can have on hand to accommodate multigenerational travelers. Work with your trusted furniture supplier to source high-quality pull-out sofas for larger suites. Rollaway beds and cribs will also be in high demand for guests traveling with small children.
When it comes to multigenerational groups, it’s not uncommon for the grandparents to be the ones covering the hotel bill. However, it is their millennial children who are doing most of the planning and booking. Even when they are not traveling with their children, parents of millennials will often look to them for help with choosing a hotel and making reservations. This is largely due to the increasing popularity of online booking systems. Millennials are savvy when it comes to researching hotels and finding the best deals online, so their parents trust them to make travel decisions for them.
More than ever, travelers are looking to partake in authentic local experiences when they travel. Today, travelers don’t want to spend as much of their free time checking out typical tourist attractions. Instead, they want to explore the parts of the city that the locals love. Hotels should work with their local activities partners to offer guests some unique local experiences. Is your town known for making great craft beer? Consider offering tickets for a local brewery tour. Your guests will appreciate you recommending activities that they might not otherwise have found themselves.
From furniture to food, Source1 Purchasing can help you stabilize your supply chain and secure all of your hospitality supplies at the best prices. Contact us today for a free cost savings analysis.
The lighting choices throughout your hotel will have a big impact on how your guests perceive your establishment. The wrong lighting choices can make your hotel feel uninviting and your interior design look dated. Avoid a bad first impression by following these lighting best practices.
Use lighting to separate the major public spaces in your hotel. Lobbies, restaurants, and foyers all require different levels of brightness and warmth. This is something that many managers don’t consider when updating lighting fixtures in their hotel. A lighting specialist can help you make sure that all of your public spaces are setting the right tone.
In certain areas of your hotel, such as in a restaurant or lounge area, you want to make sure that your lighting is flexible so that it can be adjusted during the day. During breakfast hours, you will want the lighting in your dining areas to be bright and inviting, while in the evening the lights should be dimmer and warmer to help set a relaxing tone.
Like in the common areas of your hotel, the lighting in your guest rooms should also be flexible. Consider all of the activities that guests do in their room and set up your lighting accordingly. For instance, there should be adequate lighting for reading near the bed and appropriate lighting for shaving or applying makeup in the bathrooms.
Part of what makes your in-room lighting set up functional is ease of use. Make sure that guests don’t have to struggle to figure out how to turn on the various lights in their room by being strategic about where switches are located. Above all, you always want to invest in high-quality lighting fixtures for your guest rooms. In-room lighting fixtures should be attractive and hold up to regular use.
There are many benefits to switching to energy-saving lighting options such as LED bulbs. Not only will they save you money in the long run, but they can also help you expand on your lighting design. LED lights offer flexible sizes with adjustable brightness that allow lighting designers to illuminate rooms and common areas in ways that are not possible with larger, traditional fixtures. For that reason, they can be a useful addition to your current lighting design if completely replacing fixtures isn’t an option.
Source1 Purchasing can help you make the best lighting choices find the best lighting suppliers while saving you money on all of your hospitality supplies. Contact us today for a free cost savings analysis.
If you are looking for easy ways to promote health and wellness at your hotel, then you should create a relaxing environment for your guests. Even guests who are traveling for business want a relaxing place to retreat to at the end of the day.
As health and wellness trends continue to grow in popularity, hotels are looking for more ways they can add value to their health-minded guests.
Here are some easy ways to promote wellness and healthy foods and beverages at your hotel.
Many travelers see exercise rooms as one of the most attractive amenities a hotel can offer. This is especially true for guests visiting for an extended stay.
While many hotels do have an on-site exercise room, these areas often go neglected.
Make sure that your exercise facilities are always well-kept and that your equipment is in good working order.
If your hotel does not have the space for an exercise room, you can still help your guests stay active in other ways.
Consider publishing a map of safe walking or running routes around your hotel, or partner with a nearby fitness studio to offer guests access at a discount.
Many common areas, such as lounges and restaurants, are noisy by default.
However, sometimes, guests simply want a quiet place to sit down and decompress after a long day.
If possible, create quiet areas away from busy public spaces for guests to enjoy some peace and quiet.
These areas should include comfortable seating, warm lighting, and only soft music if any at all.
By now, you likely know that more and more guests are demanding healthy food options.
Once you’ve improved the food and beverage at your hotel, add healthy choices to your menu and make sure that they are easy for guests to find.
Special menu items for guests with dietary restrictions such as gluten intolerance or nut allergies should be clearly marked on your menus.
Today, guests are more particular about the ingredients in the products they consume, including toiletries.
When possible, avoid products with parabens and other ingredients that can be harmful to guests with skin sensitivities.
In addition, products that are environmentally friendly such as biodegradable soaps are quickly growing in popularity.
There are many eco-friendly products on the market that are just as affordable as their traditional counterparts. Ask your reputable supplier what type of options are available to you.
From eco-friendly toiletries to healthy foods, Source1 Purchasing can help you saving money on everything you need to promote health and wellness within your hotel. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.
The maintenance staff are some of the most important team members at a hotel. The hotel maintenance staff makes sure that issues are handled quickly and efficiently. This ensures that hotel guests can enjoy their stay with minimal disruptions. It’s important that your maintenance team is equipped to quickly react to any situation. However, taking preventative measures to avoid as many issues as possible is even more crucial.
Hoteliers are committed to providing their guests with a comfortable, worry-free stay at their hotel. Part of ensuring that guests have a positive experience at your hotel is sparing them from any sort of inconveniences. This is where preventative maintenance comes into play. By taking regular steps to mitigate issues throughout your hotel and maintaining its appearance, you can rest assured that your guests will have the opportunity to experience your hotel at its best. Here are some of our top preventative maintenance tips for hotel operators.
Your support staff should spend a significant amount of their time inspecting every area of your hotel for signs of wear or other issues. This includes identifying paint, carpet, tile, and other finishes that may be in need of repair. Although these may seem like minor details, guests do take notice of them. Additionally, make sure the rest of your staff is trained to communicate any issues they see with the maintenance team.
For systems and equipment that your internal staff isn’t able to maintain themselves, don’t wait until there’s a problem to request a visit from your outside service providers. Your preventative maintenance plan should include them as well. For example, equipment such as HVAC units, irrigation systems, and major kitchen appliances should be inspected on a regular basis. Work with your service providers to create a maintenance schedule that will keep all of your equipment running properly.
Therefore, it can be very beneficial to have a system in place for tracking data pertaining to maintenance issues. Tracking incidents over a period of time can help you pinpoint areas where problems are most likely to occur in the future. For example, you may find that you receive a disproportionate amount of complaints about the air conditioner in a particular room. This could point to a faulty system or an electrical issue. Recording incidents will prompt staff to investigate the root of the recurring problem.
Source1 Purchasing can help you lower the costs of your maintenance supplies and services needs. We help you manage your suppliers and service providers while saving you money at the same time. Contact us today for a free cost savings analysis.
Attracting families is an important priority for many hotels. While traveling families has always been a lucrative demographic for the hospitality industry, there is more opportunity than ever for hotels who are committed to being “family-friendly”. Studies show that younger parents are traveling with their children at a growing rate. Millennial parents specifically will often travel with their young children three or more times a year. By taking a few simple steps to make sure that parents with small children feel comfortable and welcomed, a hotel can easily build a reputation for themselves as a family-friendly establishment.
Most traveling families will include some downtime in their itinerary. Even when they’re not out exploring the city, parents will still need to have some activities lined up for their children while they’re relaxing at their hotel. Hotels can help parents keep their children entertained by offering special amenities they can enjoy during their stay. Some popular choices include kid-friendly DVD’s or video gaming systems that parents can barrow during their stay. Other family-friendly hotels go a step further and offer organized activities for children such as arts and crafts classes.
For many parents, traveling with small children can be enjoyable but also stressful at times. Chances are, especially if they have a small baby in tow, parents will not be able to pack all the comforts of home with them when they travel. Family-friendly hotels can help create a safe and comfortable stay for their youngest guests by offering special accommodations just for small children. Most importantly, small babies need a safe place to sleep. Hotels should source quality cribs from their trusted furnishing supplier for parents to use during their stay. Some other popular offerings include:
It’s not uncommon for children to be picky about what they eat. Hotels should make it a point to add child-friendly menu items to their food and beverage program. Another thing to consider is that parents will need to have healthy snacks on hand for their children while they are out sightseeing. It’s a good idea for child-friendly hotels to offer grab-and-go items that parents can easily purchase before they set out to enjoy their activities for the day.
From furnishings to grab-and-go food items, Source1 Purchasing’s network of quality suppliers have everything your hotel needs to make your guests feel at home. Contact us today to learn how we can save you upwards of 9% on all of your hospitality supplies.
Dining Alliance recently launched a Game Changing GPO, Buyers Edge Platform, and announced its partnership with Sodexo Affiliate Entegra Procurement Services
September 13, 2018 Lake Worth Beach, FL – Source1 Purchasing, a leading Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) joins Dining Alliance, Consolidated Concepts, Buyers Edge Purchasing, Sundell & Associates, RP Procurement, FoodBAM and Fresh Concepts as a Buyers Edge Platform founding member.
With over $7 billion in combined purchasing power, the Buyers Edge Platform is now the largest GPO serving the hospitality industry. The company works directly with over 45,000 customer locations and possesses the affluency needed to negotiate contracts for food, beverage, and operating supplies. They also acquire profitable deals for their operators.
This was demonstrated by the recently signed agreement with Entegra Procurement services. The agreement with Entegra provides operators access to the extensive Entegra portfolio of supplier agreements, while having access to the direct supplier and manufacturer agreements available through the platform provides them with unprecedented flexibility and value.
Source1 Purchasing’s affiliation with Buyers Edge Platform strengthens its overall commitment to client service and adds tremendous capabilities to its service offerings, including:
John Davie, CEO of Dining Alliance and Buyers Edge Platform, started pursuing his vision for the company 20 years ago. Upon completing the largest and most dynamic GPO services contract ever written, John commented, “This Platform reflects a comprehensive strategy that was designed in the best interest of our client members and strategic partners. My vision going forward is for the Buyers Edge Platform to be the most open, flexible and transparent purchasing platform in the industry.”
Scott Hoffmire, Founder & President of Source1 Purchasing added, “We, as an organization are thrilled to be part of this newly formed purchasing platform. Having worked in purchasing within the hospitality industry for over 30 years, it’s gratifying to be part of this game changing initiative, which is being driven by a true visionary. To be in a position to offer our customers the most competitive and value-added services available in the marketplace today is truly heartwarming.”
About Source1 Purchasing
Source1 Purchasing is a Group Purchasing Organization and an affiliate of the Buyers Edge Platform. Founded in 1997, Source1 Purchasing provides customized group buying and procurement programs for operations of all sizes, from single-location to multi-unit operations to major corporate facilities with centralized buying functions. Today, Source1 Purchasing has more than $7 billion in purchasing power and offers customers access to over 750 high-quality suppliers and 9,000 products. Learn more at https://source1purchasing.com/, or call 888.411.9987.
