LEADERS AT ALL LEVELS Maglan Pillay Cooks Up Some Serious Guest Experiences | By Imran Gill, CVP
ployees. The relationships they build never imagined, and you never know when you’ll cross paths again with an old employer or colleague. A perfect example of this was when manage- ment of our facility transitioned from Northlands to Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) on January 1, 2018. EEDC also man- ages the Shaw Conference Centre, so suddenly I was working with many of my old colleagues again from the 1990s.
What do you think the reason for the longevity of employees at the Edmonton EXPO Centre and Shaw Conference Centre is?
As the banquet manager for Western Canada’s largest trade and
exposition venue, Maglan Pillay is one of the unsung heroes of our industry. Leading a diverse team of 150 employees, his leadership has been instrumental in building the Edmonton EXPO Centre’s reputation as a premier venue in North America.
How did you get started in the industry?
Convention Centre, now known as the Shaw Conference Centre, in downtown Edmonton. A friend’s mom worked there and asked if I was interested in interviewing for a position as a server. I never thought that 25 years later I’d still be working in this industry, let alone leading the banquet department.
What’s been your path to leadership? After working for 10 years at the Shaw Conference Centre, I was
recommended for a banquet captain role at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. From there, I became senior banquet captain and then even- tually banquet manager. I think one of the biggest keys to my success was the network
I’ve been able to build throughout my career. Relationships are so important, and I constantly stress this to many of my younger em-
46 Facility Manager Magazine
I believe the primary reason is vision, values, and culture. The Ed- monton EXPO Centre has a vision to be one of North America’s top performing venues, and manage- ment does everything they can to ensure every department is support- ed in meeting our vision. One of our key measures of success is employee engagement. To be a top performing organization they know employees need to feel valued and engaged.
That’s why I think myself and many others have been here for so long.
In addition, you can’t argue that our jobs aren’t very exciting and meaningful. We play a vital role in economic development by en- suring guests have an exceptional experience. Our goal is to always surpass their expectations so they tell others about their experience and continue to come back to our venue and city.
Guests have always raved about the experience they’ve re- ceived at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. What’s made the differ- ence?
It all comes back to living our values and our commitment to
achieving our vision of being one of North America’s top perform- ing venues. For my department, that means providing the very best service the guest has ever had, anywhere. We stress the importance of paying attention to every detail and empower our employees to make decisions that are in the best interests of the guest. At the end of the day, we’re in the people business. The way we
show up and interact with our guests matters. It can make all the that I think we’ve set ourselves up for success.
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