Last month, when Sri Sundaram, dean of USF St. Petersburg’s Kate Tiedemann College of Business, had a conference call with his counterparts in Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee, they recognized that the hospitality industry was in dire straits due to the economic fallout from the coronavirus. They felt a responsibility to help, but needed to learn what specific assistance industry leaders desired.
In order to find out, KTCOB partnered with USF’s Muma College of Business and USF Sarasota-Manatee’s College of Hospitality and Tourism Leadership (CHTL) to organize a virtual roundtable discussion with hospitality leaders across Tampa Bay and even some from out of state.
“We wanted to better understand the needs of leaders in the hospitality industry,” said Sundaram. “How can we assist them? What are their needs today and in the future?”
Coronavirus lockdowns have caused economies to slump and businesses to shutter globally. Few industries have felt the crunch like hospitality. Few states have been impacted as significantly as Florida.
Once bustling with sun-swept tourists, local restaurants, hotels, bars and theme parks are now virtually empty. As owners and general managers scramble to adapt, USF hopes to help them overcome the harsh new economic realities by offering initiatives designed to guide hospitality leaders through this difficult time.
An inter-campus virtual meeting held on April 3 saw USF business deans and faculty fielding questions and offering advice for ways to address the economic impacts of the coronavirus lockdown, which has led to a historic increase in unemployment numbers and left a quarter of Tampa Bay workers furloughed or laid off. Led by Sundaram, Muma dean Moez Limayem and CHTL dean Pat Moreo, the meeting included nearly 40 participants from companies such as Busch Gardens, Columbia Restaurant Group and Sarasota Westin Hotels. A follow-up webinary will be held on April 24.
“We believe in being a resource for the community,” said Limayem. “How can we help you navigate and set you up for success once this outbreak is over?”
Advice included guidance on loans and future pricing strategies, as well as the importance of offering professional development for employees and rethinking the services companies provide in light of the pandemic.
Shivendu Shivendu, an associate professor of information systems for Muma, cautioned participants to be mindful of the impact the coronavirus will have on consumer habits.
“People will try to postpone discretionary expenses for some time,” he said. “Customers are…changing and we need to consider that when reintroducing products and services.”
Hospitality leaders voiced interest in free online courses to help employees up-skill while out of work.
“We’re lucky to have a partner like USF to step up in situations like this,” said Ryan Griffin of Trophy Fish and Mandarin Hide. Griffin suggested digital marketing courses for his employees.
Additional words of wisdom were shared by Richard Gonzmart of Columbia Restaurant Group, whose family saw their historic restaurant through the Spanish flu and Great Depression over a century ago.
“What I was taught by my grandfather was to show confidence,” he said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to put a little paint on.” The company is investing in new equipment and adding a new roof to its St. Augustine location as a show of optimism despite the difficult circumstance. “Let [people] know you care about them because this is temporary and they will return.”
Building on this momentum, a webinar hosted by KTCOB’s Hospitality Leadership Program (HLP) one week later gave owners and general managers advice on ways to weather the storm and rebound from the current crisis. More than 51 participants attended the Leading Through Crisis: Practical Advice for Navigating COVID-19 Disruption to Hospitality, which was organized by David O’Neill, director of KTCOB’s Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership.
The conversation was framed around two main areas: what leaders should do today and how they should prepare for tomorrow.Leading the call were industry experts including HLP lead instructor Miguel Miranda, USF communication professor Ron Spinka and business attorney Andy Gaunce.
Spinka advised participants to pay close attention to communications with employees, customers and the community during this time. “It’s about the right person sending the right message through the right channel at the right time,” he said.
Miranda stressed the importance of brand image and encouraged leaders to have foresight about the end of the crisis. “The first question to ask yourself is, ‘What will my world look like after we reopen? And how should I prepare today for that new reality?’”
At the end of the meeting, participants were invited to schedule a 30-minute consultation* about their business’s specific leadership needs with one of the HLP instructors.
“When we look back on this crisis years from now, it won’t be so much about what we experienced but what we did,” said Miranda. “Good leadership is needed now more than ever.”