Colby Smith is helping North Bay concierges and hospitality professionals connect for the benefit of Wine Country tourists.
Be it a quaint B&B nestled on a back county road or high-end accommodations near the center of everything, North Bay hotels have a lot going for them—start with proximity to a world-famous Wine Country and add such amenities as luxurious spas, impeccable room service and superb onsite restaurants, just for starters. But the most valuable resource of all may be the concierge. Paid to be the ultimate insider, a knowledgeable concierge can transform a so-so stay into an awesome adventure and can turn a first-time visitor into an enthusiastic, repeat client.
“Every guest is different, so having a wealth of information to draw from is vital to creating unique itineraries catered to each one,” says Gregory Haas, guest relations coordinator at Calistoga Ranch. “It’s our job to make sure each guest is having the best possible experience.” Given the economic importance of the hospitality industry to the entire North Bay region, that’s worth encouraging.
In 2009, Napa Valley concierges Colby Smith (Villagio Inn & Spa) and Monica Stevens (Poetry Inn) were sharing a casual “research day” at a local winery—tasting wines, taking the tour, learning the history—when conversation turned to just that subject. “Monica said to me, ‘Why don’t other people do this? We should round people up and organize it,’” remembers Smith.
Jump right in
There’s something you should know about Colby Smith: She’s a doer. She’s been a production assistant and production manager for television commercials and feature films, a stuntwoman, actress and a public relations executive. She ran her own successful Web business for 15 years and “I also worked in the field of corporate seminars on the psychology of high-performance behavior,” she says. Seems like a topic she might know a bit about.
Six summers ago, Smith attended one such seminar in Napa. “It was hot; everything was green and lush,” she remembers. “I fell madly in love with it here. I was sitting on the patio at Tra Vigne and thought, ‘I could live here.’ Five months later, I found a little house in the middle of a vineyard and made my dream come true.”
The problem, she continues, was, “I didn’t know anybody, and my Web business would keep me at home all day looking at computers. I had to find a way to meet people, so I decided to be a concierge. I interviewed at three places, but I fell in love with the Tuscan environment and wonderful staff and management at Villagio in Yountville. I worked there three days a week, running my Web business on the side, for almost four years.”
On that fateful day when Stevens suggested a gathering of local concierges, surely neither she nor Smith could have envisioned what’s now known as CANVAS (Concierge Alliance Napa Valley and Sonoma), the 600-plus-member organization Smith now oversees. Stevens is no longer actively involved in the business, though she continues to support Smith’s efforts and remains a friend, consultant and CANVAS member (as co-owner of 750 Wines in Napa).
Get the party started
The idea was a hit from the start—thanks, no doubt, to the enthusiasm and vision of Smith and Stevens. “We immediately started talking about creating educational programs and organizing research days,” says Smith of the conversation that launched CANVAS.
The idea grew quickly. “We were telling our tasting room manager friends about the group and asking what they thought, because we wanted them to be on the panel. Their response was that they wanted to be part of [our group]. We decided to welcome ‘associate’ members,” says Smith, who has since sold her Web business and now serves as executive director of CANVAS. “Pretty soon, restaurants wanted in, too. That grew to include entertainment venues, art galleries and other businesses linked to tourism.”
On June 2, 2009, Smith and Stevens hosted their first event at the just-completed Hourglass Winery in Calistoga. Guests were treated to a tour of the winery and caves, and sampled wines with hors d’oeuvres prepared by Calistoga Ranch chef Aaron Wright. The discussion, “Vetting Your Guest,” was led by panelists Scotti Stark (Fisher Winery), Jeff Chase (Chase Cellars) and Wendy Day (then at Vine Cliff Winery), who gave an overview of the guest population that visits Napa Valley using a clear and understandable chart. Panelists offered guidance on what questions to ask to better get to know a guest and understand what types of wineries or other activities they would most enjoy. According to Smith, questions started out conservatively—almost shyly—but soon opened into a comfortable and free-flowing exchange.
Sixty-five concierges and tour guides attended that first meeting; 63 joined on the spot, including Calistoga Ranch’s Haas. By the end of the first year, there were more than 200 members (core and associate) of Concierge Alliance Napa Valley (CAN-V, as it was then known). In summer 2010, Smith responded to growing requests from Sonoma County hospitality professionals and expanded to become CANVAS. (Smith also works to bring members of the San Francisco Concierge Association and Les Concierge, an international group, to CANVAS events). CANVAS charges $50 annual dues from individual concierges and tour guides. Businesses, on the other hand, can purchase a “bundled” membership for up to five individual staff members (price varies depending on business type). Membership includes access to all CANVAS events and classes.
“[It’s] a great way to quickly meet a lot of people and share experiences—share knowledge,” says Haas. “And for a concierge, knowledge is power. Everything I experience makes me better at this job, so the more I know about what’s going on, the better. That’s why I try to attend as many CANVAS events as possible.”
Earlier this year, Haas found himself on the other side of the podium, when he participated as a panelist at CANVAS’s Gatekeepers of Wine Country event at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, the first of the organization’s educational events to take place in Sonoma County. Haas joined Bryan Hair (Les Concierges), Lisa Ross (The Carneros Inn), Ramon Meraz (Hyatt Creek Vineyard Inn), Jennifer Buffo (Pure Luxury Transportation) and Rose Stanton Markey (Sonoma County Destinations).
Channel surfing
CANVAS efforts are divided into four separate-but-related “channels”: targeted networking, education, website and access to information, and the personal touch.
CANVAS Connect is a monthly gathering for 200 to 300, hosted by a different venue each time. “It’s a valuable networking social,” confesses Smith. “And the host venue is always thrilled to welcome so many members of the local hospitality community—and we open these events to the entire hospitality community, whether or not they’re CANVAS members. Everybody gets to know each other, the venue, and they all learn more about CANVAS. It’s a win-win-win.”
In January, the first Sonoma County CANVAS Connect gathering took place at Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Geyserville. Close to 275 attendees (including a contingent of San Francisco concierges) explored the family-friendly winery’s extensive offerings on a midwinter’s evening. As night fell, twinkling lights illuminated the grounds and minstrels serenaded the group with Italian music from a second-floor balcony. Business cards were exchanged, wine was shared and ongoing connections forged.
Upcoming CANVAS Connect dates include October 18 at a private estate winery in South Napa, and a Quick Connect (think speed dating-meets-business networking) at the Flamingo Resort and Spa in Santa Rosa November 11. “The format [gave me a] meaningful opening to connect and engage, which is certainly what we all need to do, to one degree or another…and it was way fun!” wrote Thomas E. Chesus of Balloons Above the Valley after the Quick Connect event at Flora Springs Winery in late August.
About every two months, CANVAS hosts a panel discussion featuring members with a shared expertise—a specific AVA, local agriculture or the arts, for example. Of course, there’s social time included as well. For example, an early August gathering at Lambert Bridge Winery focused attention on the Dry Creek appellation, with panelists including Mo McElroy (president, Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce), Dustin Valette (chef de cuisine, Dry Creek Kitchen), Jill Davis (winemaker, Lambert Bridge), David Gates (vice president, Ridge Winery) and moderator Alf Nucifora (president, Luxury Marketing Council of San Francisco).
Finally, and perhaps in homage to the group’s founding, Smith continues the tradition of research days. “We take a very limited number of concierges [about 14] out to four or five properties in a day,” says Smith.
“This is important, because the concierges gain a stronger understanding of how to direct people, who come to Wine Country often have no idea where things are. Things look close together on a map, but you can’t start in Yountville then go to Healdsburg, then down to Sonoma Valley and Carneros in the same day. We try to cluster a reasonable day that would for a guest and show the concierges a mix of property types.”
These types of hands-on experiences are important because, “I never recommend something to a guest unless I’ve experienced it first,” says Haas. “I need that first-hand knowledge to make a recommendation.”
Information is key
The CANVAS website furthers the organization’s mission by providing a plethora of information. “Having [founded a Web] business for so many years, I care about this a lot,” says Smith. “It’s everything I wish I’d had when I was sitting behind the desk at Villagio. Every member company has a complete profile with photo albums and searchable information. For example, is a certain winery pet friendly, does it allow picnics, is it old world or modern, does it have caves, and what are the tour options and wine prices?
“A concierge can go on the website with a guest waiting—or prepare an advance itinerary—and really come up with a list that matches what the guest likes. Then the concierge can use the knowledge he or she has gained personally or as a CANVAS member to make recommendations.
“The key is always the concierge’s instinct in interpreting the information,” she stresses.
The website also contains an ongoing calendar of CANVAS events, a section where wineries can list open appointments, and an up-to-date list of restaurants’ local specials (who’s offering no corkage or 50 percent off the bar menu on Tuesdays, for example).
The last channel is what Smith refers to as “the personal touch.”
“That can mean me sitting down and helping a winery shape a private activity to reach out to concierges they might not already have a strong relationship with,” she explains. “If they want to do an event, they decide who’s coming but we guide them in building that list. We help them design their invitations, send them out and handle the RSVPs; we manage all the logistics.
“CANVAS did five dinners with John Anthony Vineyards before it opened. As a Truchard family member, John was known already, but he was opening a tasting room under his own name and wanted visibility for that project. He needed to get ‘buy-in’ from people as quickly as possible. John’s a phenomenal marketer; we did five dinners at his house, welcoming concierges and their spouses. By the time he opened his tasting room and launched his wine brand, there were already 40 ambassadors out there generating a buzz for him. We also did two lunches for Morimoto around the time he opened in Napa, so concierges could get to know about that restaurant.”
Looking forward
“The hospitality industry is a community of referral,” says Tom Wark, founder of wine industry marketing firm Wark Communications, who currently sits on the advisory board for CANVAS. “A good source of referral is vital, and that’s a key role of a concierge.
“The key to a successful Wine Country visit is being directed to the right places,” he continues. “A concierge must understand the needs of each individual guest—ask the right questions to determine his or her level of experience and expectation. And to do that, the concierge needs to have a broad knowledge of all that’s available. Not just wine, but everything.”
Wark is joined on the advisory council by restaurant and winery representatives, transportation providers, tour operators and media consultants. The group meets with Smith on a regular basis to consult on various ideas and initiatives. “We help keep CANVAS looking forward,” says Wark.
An important part of this forward thinking, in Wark’s opinion, was the decision to embrace both counties. “CANVAS is acknowledging that ‘Wine Country’ is a bigger place than just Napa,” he says. “Tourists cross the county line without a second thought, so why should we separate the two in our minds? We need the ability to network across county lines and educate each other. CANVAS provides that opportunity.”
“When I was at Villagio, I made a point of coming to Sonoma to get the lay of the land. And yet, I was still very ignorant when we started expanding CANVAS into Sonoma,” says Smith. “But I think that, if a guest is staying three days or more on either side of the hill, they should try to spend one of those days in the other valley.”
Haas agrees, but advises an even more leisurely approach. “An ideal stay, I think, is five to seven days, so you can enjoy all the different aspects of the area—wineries, of course, but also the beach or river, art galleries, music and open space,” he says.
“We want to be all-inclusive,” says Smith. “We consider ourselves a marketing organization for a specific group—Wine Country hospitality—that can give our members economy of scale.”
To further expand the organization’s reach, Smith is also currently exploring sponsorship options with larger industries that, while not a direct part of North Bay hospitality, are nonetheless integrally connected (think travel options and creature comforts). “They don’t really qualify as members, but they’d like to be known by our members as contributing to the community,” Smith explains.
Strengthening the hospitality community
Whether it’s a specialty food manufacturer, an adventurous tourism opportunity, an entertainment venue or an alternative travel option, every hospitality-related business has something unique to offer North Bay visitors. And the more concierges know about each one, the better they can mix and match the people and places of Wine Country for the benefit of a guest.
But Smith sees an even more entwined relationship: “Anyone in hospitality is a concierge of sorts—waiters, bartenders, tasting room staff, drivers,” she says. “Everybody who has contact with a visitor or guest acts as an ambassador for the entire region, not just the property or brand they represent.
“We want to ‘up-level’ the capabilities of every hospitality person who interacts with a guest, because as we do a better job, those happy consumers and guests will come back for repeat visits—and they’ll tell their friends. In that way, we, the hospitality community, can take pride in the fact that we’re impacting the Wine Country economy.”
“The North Bay economy relies on the hospitality industry,” adds Wark. “When you consider the broad reach of the interconnected businesses that make up the hospitality industry—hotels, restaurants, transportation, wine, activities, entertainment—it becomes apparent that we need to strengthen the bonds between those elements. CANVAS can become the glue needed to hold Wine Country hospitality together.”
