Incentive - August 2008 - (Page 82)

Hollis H. Malone Manger of Horticulture and Pest Control, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville OFF THE CUFF BY JENNIFER JUERGENS Q : Wh at ’s o n e s t o ry that re a l ly s t a n d s o u t f ro m your 25 ye a rs at t h e h o t e l ? A: It was Christmas of 1983—the hotel’s first year to do “A Country Christmas.” All the staff was excited about displaying poinsettias in the large atrium garden, The Conservatory. The horticulture staff was also putting up over a million lights in trees on the property. Well, little did we know that the squirrels on property were going to be our biggest adversary in completing our task. The squirrels continued to cut our light lines with their sharp teeth and we kept repairing the trees and praying we would make the deadline. The lights were all to come on at one time when the country music great Roy Acuff flipped the switch at the opening ceremony. My job was at stake, and I was nervous and excited—would my job depend on the eastern gray squirrel? As luck has it we made it through the flip of the switch and everything came on. The crowd was ecstatic, and it was my best Christmas ever. Back then we tended to 1.5 acres, today it’s over eight, and we display 30,000 poinsettias and put up over 2 million lights at Christmas. Q : W h e n d i d yo u r e a l i z e yo u w o u l d b e a l i fe r at t h e h o t e l ? A: I started in 1982 and in 1996 we were opening the Delta garden, a 4.5-acre indoor garden to complement the other two areas, the Conservatory and the Cascades. I knew then if the management would see fit, then I wanted to finish my career here to see the gardens develop and mature—kind of like raising your kids to get them grown. Q : Wh at d o yo u l ove ab o u t yo u r j o b ? A: I love my job because I have one of the best facilities in the country to practice my profession and continue to learn and grow each day as a horticulturist. Our horticulture staff is devoted to constantly improving our grounds and interior gardens for our guests’ enjoyment during their stay. The management here is committed to our success and supports our department. The philosophy and values of our company align with mine. And last but not least, I feel valuable to the company and get a great satisfaction working here every day. Q : D o e s ga rd e n i n g ru n i n t h e fa m i ly ? A: My passion for planting comes from both sets of my grandparents who were avid gardeners who loved the earth and everything it produced. My fascination with plants began in the first grade, when I grew zinnias from seeds planted in half eggshells. Q : Any o t h e r h o bb i e s ? A: I’m a big sports fan, especially “Big Orange” [the University of Tennessee], my alma mater. I love to fish, hunt and camp. I’ve also taught Sunday school for nearly twenty years. Q : A n d yo u r f a v o r i t e p a r t ? A: The favorite part of my job is seeing my coworkers each day and interacting with the variety of guests that visit throughout the year. The guests make me feel special and are always complimenting our work. I have a lot of variety in tasks each day and spend more time outside in the gardens than in an office. I love to help out in the greenhouses and propagate plants for our gardens. Q : Fa m i ly ? A: My wife Debbie and I have four sons and eight grandchildren. MORE FROM INDUSTRY VETS Read plenty more hospitality industry veterans’ dish about their work in the September issue. AUGUST 2008, VOL. 182, NO. 08—INCENTIVE® (ISSN 1042-5195; USPS 799-880) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA. CORPORATE AND EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS: 770 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10003-9595. SUBSCRIPTIONS: US—$59, CANADA—$75, FOREIGN SURFACE—$95, FOREIGN AIRMAIL—$195, SINGLE COPIES—$10. COPYRIGHT 2008 BY NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO INCENTIVE, PO BOX 1255, SKOKIE, IL 60076. PERIODICALS MAIL PAID AT NEW YORK, NY, AND ADDITIONAL MAILING OFFICES. 82 | Incentive | August 2008 | incentivemag.com http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - August 2008

Incentive - August 2008
Contents
Editor's Note
In the News
Cover Story: Amgen and Avnet, a Pair of Fortune 200 companies, are taking two very Different Approaches to Rolling out a Global Recognition Program
Incentive Interview: Author, Speaker, Professor, Refugee; Steve L. Robbins’ many hats have led him to ask, “What if ... The World isn’t as We Think It Is?”
Case Study: Rudi’s Organic Bakery Found that an incentive trip with a Strong Social Responsibility Component Works Wonders
Gift Card IQ
Banking on Relationships
Corporate Comics Make Serious Points
Incentive Primer: Tom Miller
Gas Incentives Rev Up
Legal Ease: Pitfalls Beyond Taxes
My Turn: Airline Frequent Flier Programs
Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do
Amalfi Coast: A Classic Italian Destination
Hong Kong: The Original Chinese Incentive
Ireland: South, East, West, and Now North
potentials Here and Now
Electronics: Top Tech Trends
Luxury Goods: Exceptional Awards
Corporate Gifting: Rules and Ideas
Excite and Incent: Spot Rewards
Advertiser Index
Off the Cuff: Hollis H. Malone

Incentive - August 2008