Situation: Windstar’s prospective guests and the travel advisor community were telling us they had heard the food offered onboard was so-so.  In short, other brands were out-pacing us in an area where we knew we were delivering, but didn’t have the cache or reputation behind it.

Solution:  We leveraged our partnership with the James Beard Foundation to engage with two culinary experts who brought their big personalities, cult-like following, and their own culinary twist to the scene.

The Who:  We partnered with global grilling expert, Steven Raichlen and 10 time Michelin Star winner, Anthony Sasso, to collaborate on the menus, design and décor of our two new restaurants.  As an added bonus, we literally put their name on each venue and sparked and energy and commitment from them like no other. Press events in New York and Las Vegas drew crowds of journalists wanted to taste their creations and understand their story.  Yes indeed, they were the perfect ingredient to elevate the brand’s culinary offerings.

What I got to do:  Work directly with each culinary expert on the development of the agreement; align directly with a designer on the logo and graphic standards for both restaurants; orchestrate the press events and serve as a media point of contact.