Quintessentially, a global, luxury-lifestyle provider, with its core business in concierge services, has key hub offices located in New York, London, Dubai and Hong Kong that are open 24/7, as well as 58 other offices located around the world. They have more than 1,500 employees poised to assist you as needed and get you access to wherever you want to be.
“We are very much known for fulfilling useful requests,” says Emma Sherrard Matthew, Quintessentially’s CEO. Recently, for example, a client requested a surprise flash mob for his family, with pictures of each family member up on every billboard. “We can help our members however we’re asked. With CEOs, their time is so precious, and they want the right support around them. They are busy individuals, and even if an army is taking care of them, they don’t always have their entourage with them.”
Quintessentially’s employees work hard to build relationships with nightclubs, restaurants and other venues to get preferential rates and treatment for its members. “Whether they want five-star venues with lots of gold and bling, or [they] want our help finding hidden gems, we are very proactive,” says Matthew. “We cater to a like-minded group of individuals who want events that are curated especially for them and experiences in places and with people that have been vetted.”
Some concierge services specialize in a specific type of service, such as Vitesse Worldwide, which is a global, no-membership-fee VIP service that handles every aspect of travel but focuses on scoring hard-to-get tickets to Broadway shows and prestigious sporting, entertainment and special events, ranging from tickets to the Olympics or the Grammy Awards to major sport championships—with only a few days notice. Depending on the event, Vitesse will add a percentage (usually between 5-20 percent) to the cost of the tickets, and they can provide chauffeured ground transportation, private air-charter and concierge and executive protection services for corporate clients.
Then, there are the offerings from services like The Bluefish, for whom no request is ever too unusual. “We’re not errand boys,” says CEO Steve Sims. “We come into play when you want to take a submarine ride to see the Titanic, go to the Vatican or get backstage tickets to hang out with Sting.”
Most requests The Bluefish receives are travel-oriented, says Sims, who notes that his firm’s execution is designed to ensure clients “are not tourists when they land but insiders within seconds.” Sometimes, however, the requests go far beyond simply getting a client past the velvet rope. For example, Sims recently received a request from a client, the CEO of a major European energy company, who was taking his new wife to Florence, Italy as a birthday gift and wanted the trip to make a lasting impression.
During their three-day stay, Sims arranged a private tour of the Accademia Gallery that came with a special surprise. “At around 9 p.m., as the tour was ending, my client suggested to his wife that they ‘pop in’ to see David, Michelangelo’s iconic masterpiece sculpture,” recalls Sims. The client politely asked the security doorman if they could come in, to which the doorman replied, “Only five minutes,” and as the door opened, a red carpet led from the front door directly to the feet of David. At the base of the statue, was a dinner table set for six. “Midway through appetizers, as a string quartet performed, I let the group know that we had a local tenor ready to perform for them if that was all right. Then, the singer Andrea Bocelli came out to sing six songs, including ‘Happy Birthday.’”
While far from typical, that well-orchestrated evening demonstrates just how extensively concierge services have come from the days of liveried butlers packing picnic baskets. “This is a creative service industry, and it’s not about being subservient; it’s about delivering,” says Sims. “If you need something special done, employ someone you can rely on to get it done.”
No matter where you are, where you are going or where you want to be, if you need help getting something done well, there’s a concierge service that’s right for you. To get a sense of the depth and breadth of the services out there, the International Concierge & Lifestyle Management Directory (www.iclmdirectory.com) is a great place to start. But if you prefer to cut to the chase, we’ve assembled a veritable who’s-who list of leading global concierge services (in alphabetical order) for your convenience.
Alberta La Grup, www.albertalagrup.com
The Bluefish, www.thebluefish.com
Bon Vivant, www.bonvivant.co.uk
John Paul, www.johnpaul.com/uk_en
Luxury Concierge China, www.luxuryconciergechina.com
Pure Entertainment Group, www.purentonline.com
Quintessentially, www.quintessentially.com
Red Butler, www.redbutler.com
Ten Lifestyle, www.tenlifestyle.com
Vitesse, www.vitesseworldwide.com
Chief Executive Group exists to improve the performance of U.S. CEOs, senior executives and public-company directors, helping you grow your companies, build your communities and strengthen society. Learn more at chiefexecutivegroup.com.
0
1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
