15th Annual Diamond Service Awards

"Providing outstanding customer service is key to ensuring repeat business and growth for the Bloomington hospitality industry." Put on by the Bloomington Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), the Diamond Service Awards are a great way to recognize the individual contributors to our collective success as a destination community.

Employees in the tourism, hospitality, and retail trades are nominated in categories based on their job function. The seventeen categories encompass guest relations positions for everything from reservations agents, drivers, housekeepers, and retail associates to servers, bartenders, hosts, and maintenance professionals. Staged like an awards show, one winner from among the nominated finalists wins per category.

This year's Diamond Service Awards will be held on Sunday, March 13, at the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel Minneapolis South. From among our wonderful staff, it was so tough to narrow it down to 11 nominees! Not that we were surprised, but when six of the eleven nominees made it to finalists, we couldn't have been prouder!

Please join us in celebrating the following 2011 Diamond Service Award nominees (and finalists)!

FINALIST: Bethany Berry

FINALIST: Mauricio Condo

FINALIST: Laura Gomez

FINALIST: Danis Fuentes

FINALIST: Natalie Sasseville

FINALIST: Grandma Sue Miller

Juliana Feltrin

Jose Fuentes

Nae Lee

Paco

Roxanne Winfield

Hannah Worthington

Jose Yepez

We'll keep you posted as to how our wonderfully deserving team members fare on Sunday!

What does your industry do to reward your top performers and encourage positive guest experiences? Is it similar to an awards show style setting like the Diamond Service Awards or does your company do something specific? We'd love to hear from you!

Fire Up Those Grills!

"Beef, it's what's for dinner." rings out in your mind as your senses are tantalized. The sizzle of the grill pure music to your ears, while your nose takes in that glorious aroma wafting in from under the lid. 'Tis that wonderful and short-lived time known to Midwesterners as Grilling Season.

Grilled meat, from hamburgers and hot dogs, to steak, pork-loins, and ribs, can bring a grown man to tears of joy. Add in grilled accompaniments, such as vegetables, corn on the cob, and even pineapple, and you've got yourself a full-on feast, that's easy to prepare and a snap to clean up!

Become a master-griller this summer and impress your neighbors and friends. Thanks to Certified Angus Beef, grilling mastery is close at hand. From their handy beef cuts chart:

to their Grilling Guide, grilling beef is a snap! Simply access their Grilling Guide, and click on the link for the cut of beef you would like to cook. Let's say for example, I would like to make Beef Kabobs, (a grilling favorite in my neck of the woods). I simply click on the link for Beef Kabobs and voila! I am presented with background information about beef kabob meat (i.e. the cut, etc.), and several recipes to choose from for my desired method of preparation!

Kudos to Certified Angus Brand for coming up with such a great tool for finding new recipes for the grill this summer, or even just as an answer to that ever-haunting nightly question, "What's for dinner?"

Happy Grilling!