A lot goes into creating the perfect experience. More than it is first apparent. A perfect experience is made up of thousands of tiny parts moving in symmetry and working together while being taken granted by the person experiencing it.

WRITTEN BY DONNIE RUST

FIT FOR A KING FIT FOR AN EMPEROR

www.littlegatepublishing.com

EMPERORS PALACE

0027 11 928 1000 WWW.EMPERORSPALACE.CO.ZA

EMPERORS PALACE

Combining timeless classical elegance with the sheer excitement of a casino, Emperors Palace Hotels Casino Conventions and Entertainment resort is owned by

the group, Peermont Hotels, Casinos and Resorts and is one of the leading hospitality and gaming companies operating in South Africa and Botswana. Conveniently situated alongside O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg South Africa, there has been no expense spared in the pursuit of pleasure and opulence.

“Pleasure and opulence are the big details that everyone notices,” Lebo Mokwena tells us, “It is what leaves the good taste in people’s mouths but it’s how the little details are handled that can turn that taste into a bad one or a great one.”

There is a lot to consider when looking at Emperors Palace. All of Peermont Hotels operate as multifaceted integrated resorts, including hotels, casinos, convention centres, retail centres, health spas, restaurants, bars and other sport and entertainment facilities. Emperors Palace certainly has all of the above, playing host to the best restaurants, the best brands and the best cinemas.

“It is the South African approach to entertainment,” Lebo relates, “It is always clustered together for everything to fit so we are very selective of the brand names we have, the sorts of cuisine we offer and the methods of entertainment. It’s a balance between being reliable with the favoured brands that guests enjoy so they keep coming back, and being surprising so that people are always impressed.”

Opening its door at the end of 1998, the impressive beauty of Emperors Palace holds a deeper symbolism to the property that is entwined with the very history of the country. It was the site of the World Trade Centre where the Convention for a democratic South Africa (CODESA) negotiations were held in the lead up to the creation of the country’s democratic dispensation in the early 1990s that played a crucial role in the abolishment of Apartheid.

“The site is of great significance to us and marks the peaceful transformation from our past of exclusion, denial of rights and divisions to a future of unity, opportunity and the hope of prosperity for all,” Lebo explains, “With the unbanning of gambling that accompanied the birth of the new dispensation, the door was opened for the creation of one of the most lavish casino complexes on the continent.”

To preserve the events of that momentous time in the country’s history, Emperors Palace created a CODESA Walkway consisting and displaying collections of important documents and iconic photographs of the time that should never be forgotten.

What Makes Emperors Palace The Emperors Palace

Luxury, convenience, opulence, excitement and the highest customer service available anywhere in South Africa are only some of the ingredients that make Emperors Palace the go-to destination for business people, families and fun seekers.

“It takes more than just having the finest dining options, spectacular entertainment, state of the art cinema and a magnificent casino with unparalleled gaming technology to meet our standards,” Lebo explains, “Our position of close proximity to O.R. Tambo International Airport, the great road infrastructure of the area and the dedicated bus service to and from the Rhodesfield Gautrain station means that we receive an influx of guests from local and international sources and while we do cater for international tastes, we give all of our guests a specifically Emperors Palace experience. Uniquely South African.”

Emperors Palace is also set to benefit from the local and provincial governments establishing the Ekurhuleni Municipality as an aerotropolis which will increase the demands on all the operations at the hotels.

One of the many features of Emperors Palace that has secured its success is the astonishing variety on offer which is reflected in its four hotels each catering to a variety of different guests, with an occupancy rate of just over 85% every month.

In addition to the fine aesthetics guests enjoy during their stay, another mainstay of the Emperors Palace offering is the incredible quality and diversity of the food. This is supported by the Chef Exchange Programme, which brings in a number of chefs from around the world into the Emperors Palace kitchens every year.

Although the biggest casino in Johannesburg and South Africa, some of Emperors Palace’s biggest winners have never even been inside the casinos, but are the beneficiaries of the group’s massive corporate social investment which stands at over R30 million

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Take Emperors Palace as an example where the smallest detail is protected and safeguarded as policy. Here the perfect experience is not something that happens by chance, it is a starting standard for them, it is a way of life.

annually. “We are very committed to helping communities,” Lebo explains,

“Especially those that are located close to the areas where we have a business presence. These initiatives are designed to reduce the cycle of poverty and empowering the recipients by providing support from early childhood right through to finding employment.”

At the heart of the Emperors Palace is the contingent of staff who are the driving force behind the charity initiatives mentioned above, the absurdly high levels of customer satisfaction and the multitude of other sectors and projects that this destination is involved with.

“Emperors Palace is responsible for the livelihoods of a considerable number of people and their extended families,” Lebo says, “With over fourteen hundred permanent employees, fifteen hundred external service providers and five hundred concessionaires in the restaurants, we are only too well aware that there would be no point in trying to provide guests with a memorable experience if our employees do not see their employment as a positive experience as well.”

The happiness of all Emperors Palace employees is just as important to Lebo as the happiness of the scores of people visiting them. To ensure the happiness of such a large staff complement, the ‘Happy People, Happy Place’ initiative was launched. This

programme is based around seven pillars, of communication: Leadership and Management, Rewards and Recognition, Benefits and Remuneration, Employee development, and Employee wellness and belonging.

“Much of Emperors Palace’s success is due to the way we look after our staff,” he says, “Especially with regards to morale. While it takes vision to consistently introduce new concepts to captivate the imagination of guests, it would be impossible to stay ahead of the pack if our employees do not buy into the vision and strive to make a success of their role.”

This is no mean feat in a business where there is always something happening at any hour of every day. In fact, Emperors Palace has not stopped operating for one second since it opened its doors almost sixteen years ago and this on going development and growth relies strongly on the individual staff development. In keeping with the culture of acknowledging employee performance, Peermont has introduced the Top Achiever Awards.

Keeping People Coming In Through The Doors

“The focus on our employees feeds through to our focus on

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customers where we strive to provide a complete entertainment experience, either through the casino, hotel, food and beverage or the Entertainment Emporium,” Lebo adds, “We ask our customers to talk to us, and we listen to the good but especially the bad because that is the only way we can improve and keep striving to be the best.”

Recognizing that most suggestions and queries tend to come in the form of complaints, management at Emperors Palace have implemented an extensive customer care programme, which allows them to generate feedback, on every level, from all of their customers. This information is used to gauge their expectations and ensure that Emperors Palace lives up to their standard.

Customer satisfaction can be notoriously difficult to measure, but Emperors Palace has met this challenge through its customer experience index based on surveys completed by customers. The standard is a score in excess of 90% and the system is very responsive, so if there is an area where Emperors Palace falls short of customer expectations, the problem is fixed almost immediately. This has allowed Emperors Palace to maintain its above-average market share and is a tactic that will continue well into the future.

The perfect experience is not limited to the awe people feel when they arrive and as far as Lebo is concerned every person working for Emperors Palace is ultimately in the business of building experiences, “Our only job is to make our customers feel a little happier than they were when they entered our resort and this has to continue long after they have left,”

This is something that is a non-negotiable undertaking in the company. “If we don’t achieve this, we have failed and this failure would ultimately show in the numbers,” Lebo explains, “We run a fairly sophisticated CRM programme, which allows us to offer great after-sales service to our customers. Our approach to quality

““Much of Emperors Palace’s success is due to the way we look after our staff. Especially with regards to morale. While it takes vision to consistently introduce new concepts to captivate the imagination of guests, it would be impossible to stay ahead of the pack if our employees do not buy into the vision and strive to make a success of their role.”Lebo Mokwena, Emperors Palace Marketing Manager

EMPERORS PALACE

customer care and after-sales service has been enhanced a great deal in recent years by the usage of digital applications which allow us to interact with customers in real time in some instances.”

“The advent of social media has broadened the scope of what we are able to accomplish with our customers and we continue to find and invest in new and innovative ways to make the experiences that much more personal and pleasant,” he adds.

Ahead Of The GameThe growth of South Africa’s gaming industry has grown

alongside the tourist and hospitality industry and this has created a backdrop for hundreds of casinos, resorts and hotels across the country meaning that Emperors Palace has a relentless task of staying ahead of the competition. Their approach to this has been by offering the latest and best to their guests and this has involved a recent sizeable investment into a new Bally Technology gaming system.

The system enhances the information that can be gleaned from casino visitors, allowing Emperors Palace to tailor its offerings and promotions to meet customers’ needs. In addition, Emperors Palace has set itself apart from the competition with its attention

to the finest details of customer service.

“In 1998 we introduced a team of ten executive hosts, proficient in a wide range of languages to cater to guests’ every need,” Lebo says, “Last year, Emperors Palace introduced its new top-tier Black Card, the ultimate in loyalty programmes. Aimed at the upper echelon of casino players, it provides benefits that most gamblers can only dream of.”

Because Emperors Palace only uses the best international practices as its yardstick, it is not surprising that it is the only location in South Africa to host a World Poker Tour (WPT) event. Two annual tournaments

have been hosted thus far and collectively they have attracted a buy-in of just under R40 million.

This dedication to growth and improvement that always promises something more has led to some major developments that will offer even more to guests and visitors.

The Theatre of Marcellus at Emperors Palace which is a popular destination for tourists, has completed a guest experience makeover with vastly improved sightlines, tiered plush new seating complete with VIP area for ultimate comfort, increased capacity to over 1000 seats, new softs finishes and an improved entrance experience.

Opening in July 2014, is a

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new, up-market, 400-seater Barnyard Theatre at Emperors Palace, that will give visitors a relaxed, fun-filled evening of popular music shows and relaxed dining.

R30m is going into expanding facilities of their popular world-class convention centre by adding a further 1800m² of conference facilities which includes additional sub-divisible medium sized meeting rooms, new boardroom, public toilets, additional pre-assembly space and reception area.

“Emperors Palace was recently awarded Best Convention Hotel in South Africa in the 2013 International Hotel Awards while the five star Peermont D’oreale Grande Hotel at Emperors Palace took home Best Airport Hotel in Africa and South Africa,” Lebo says proudly.

FinallyMaking a perfect experience is never something to be left to

chance. It requires a lot of things going in, a lot of planning, a lot of time, a lot of hard work and a lot of passion.

“It’s about making every guest feel like an Emperor,” Lebo concludes.

Opening in July 2014, is a new, up-market, 400-seater Barnyard Theatre at Emperors Palace, that will give visitors a relaxed, fun-filled evening of popular music shows and relaxed dining.