Hospitality Design February-March 2023 - 60

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A fireplace warms a lounge at the Gettys Group-transformed
Tribune Tower in Chicago, now a residential building
The lobby at the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower,
restored by Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Andrew Fay
President and Founding Partner
The Gettys Group Companies
An Australian native now residing in Chicago, Andrew Fay has
spearheaded nearly three decades of growth at hospitality interior
design, consulting, branding, and procurement firm the Gettys
Group Companies-leading the firm to numerous awards and
hundreds of hospitality projects over the globe. Fay shares why
he's bullish on the industry and how the company is adapting to a
changing landscape.
What's your view on the state of hospitality these days?
How are things looking for the Gettys Group Companies?
We are feeling pretty great about it. Clearly the pandemic was like
a gigantic wrecking ball coming at the hospitality sector. That's one
of the reasons we see it roaring back today, because there's such
massive pent-up demand for travel and tourism. You see that when
you are on a plane, there's never a spare seat. It's hard to get a hotel
room. When you get a hotel room, the rates are significantly greater
than they were before the pandemic. That bodes well for businesses
like ours that are very much focused on hospitality, design,
development, branding, and procurement. The big brands and global
hotel companies are publishing numbers that are at, if not better
than, pre-pandemic levels. Despite all the headwinds, we are feeling
very bullish about the hospitality sector.
How have you evolved your offerings and services?
Enthusiasm for experiential travel is significantly impacting the
way that we design. The connection between branding and design
is really inextricable-more so than it was previously-because of
this whole notion of bringing the story to life. Our branding team
is writing the script and our designers are bringing that to life in
the built environment. Some of the things that are really driving
guests' decisions and their happiness relate to the environment and
sustainability and diversity, equity, inclusion, and knowing that they
are staying in hotels that are owned and operated by people who
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care. The big brands have these amazing goals and we're a small
company, but we can impact their goals one project at a time.
Any lessons learned from the past several years?
More and more, I'm committed to the importance of defining and
integrating our company's mission, vision, and values into our
everyday culture. This has allowed us to build an exceptional firm
that attracts, develops, excites, and retains an amazingly talented
team. Our mission is simple: to make people free great. We start
with our team members, extend out to our clients, and ultimately
the guests. We are renewing our focus on enduring relationships
that are built on trust, reliability, and integrity. We are all in this
together. Following the pandemic, I feel a lot more connected to our
incredible community, both internally and within the hospitality
industry. I have realized that I am not built for remote work. I love
being with our team members and our clients. It's the source of my
energy and how I create energy. I am a great booster for the travel
industry as there's no substitute for face-to-face connection.
What challenges do you think the industry still faces?
One of the big challenges of the industry is attracting talent. The
more that we can communicate and commit to connecting with
people and the colleges and universities and get them excited about
the hospitality sector, the better off we are. One of the negative
impacts of the pandemic is hospitality probably ended up with a bit
of a bad reputation because it was beaten up so badly. Conveying the
message that this is a really fascinating place to work, a fascinating
space to be in, is a real opportunity for us.
Business Sense: Advice from the Trenches
May 2nd
4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Design Well
Photos by DAVID BURK
http://www.hospitalitydesign.com
Hospitality Design February-March 2023

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