Movers and Shakers January 19, 2011
Circling Raven director to present at expo
Circling Raven Golf Club's director of golf, Tom Davidson, will be a presenter for a conference titled "Planning Your Merchandising Business Retail" at the 2011 PGA Merchandise Show in Florida.
The hour-long session will take place Thursday, Jan. 27, at the Orange County Convention Center, in Orlando, Fla. Davidson will cover topics such as how to build an anchor display, creating visual interest in displays, conducting what he calls value-added promotions and taking advantage of unique aspects of a facility.
"Following some best practices in retail can make the difference between a profitable golf shop and one which wishes it were profitable," said Davidson, who oversaw a 15 percent year-over-year increase in golf-shop sales at Circling Raven in 2010. "The most crucial element in the plan at a resort facility is knowing your customers and creating an environment that stimulates excitement, comfort, and curiosity."
Davidson's seminar will be one of many at the PGA show, the golf industry's largest international business gathering that runs Jan. 27-29, at the convention center.
Davidson also will be on hand at the PGA show to accept his club's 2010 PGA "Merchandiser of the Year" award for resort facilities.
The merchandiser of the year award was created in order to recognize PGA professionals who excel as businesspersons and merchandisers in the promotion of golf.
The PGA criteria are demanding, focusing on growing and servicing the customer base, shop displays, financial details, ongoing training for staff, and other components.
Masselow's Restaurant receives award
Masselow's Restaurant at Northern Quest Resort and Casino has been awarded the Four Diamond Restaurant Award from AAA for 2011. Receiving the AAA Four Diamond Award less than a year after opening is a reflection of Masselow's exceptional quality and service.
Masselow's opened along with a $200 million hotel expansion a year ago. It's modeled after the caves on the Kalispel Reservation. Servers greet patrons in the Kalispel's native Salish language while offering a gift from the Kalispel people in the form of an amuse bouche.
"During the early development of the menu it was imperative that we understood the culinary influences of the tribe," said Scott Miller, executive sous chef at Northern Quest Resort and Casino. "Only then were we able to represent the communal, seasonal and natural beauty of the regional cuisine."
Chief Masselow was the Tribe's leader, who was pressured by the U.S. government to move the Tribe away from its native homeland to a distant reservation. Under his leadership, the Tribe stayed together. Masselow retired in 1912, two years before the Tribe received its reservation through an executive order by President Woodrow Wilson.
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