Atlanta Scholars Kollel ‘Books’ Hotel King Diener
Rabbi David Silverman and Kollel rabbis presented an evening of networking and inspiration at City Springs.
After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.
Who else but Mike Leven, former COO of Holiday Inn Worldwide, should introduce Atlanta Scholars Kollel’s featured speaker at its annual dinner, Bob Diener, who founded hotels.com and flew in from Miami to headline this event. On Tuesday, Sept. 24, a crowd of 300 came to City Springs to network and be inspired, not coincidentally just before the High Holiday season.
Kollel Head, Rabbi David Silverman, led the team of rabbis with a skit about booking (though hotels.com) from his headset for a seemingly complicated observant event requesting separate pools (mikveh), an all-night study session (vs. staying in the room), using old fashioned metal keys, fashioning an erev “to carry,” but not guns. All the while Silverman repeated, “Go to the website for answers.”
Despite all the fun confusion, Diener took to the stage and explained the how he arrived from the University of Florida, then Cornell Law School, to revolutionize the hotel reservation business.
Leven’s introduction included his own “dinosaur” logistics from 1961 where 50 percent of reservations were made via letters; then some years later, 1-800 numbers evolved. He said, “Bob changed the whole industry.” Leven noted that his own charitable initiative, The Jewish Future Promise, started with 432 participants and now counts 74,500.
Diener opened with a question, “In starting and running a business, how do you know what to do?’” The answers are found in his book, “Biblical Secrets to Business Success,” featuring the tagline, “Six days you will labor, and do all your work,” which is a nod to his mother for sending him to Jewish day school.
He spoke extensively about using Jewish values to run a customer service-oriented business. “We didn’t need expensive consultants to come up with complex suggestions. It’s simple, put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Be fair and reasonable. When it comes to dealing with modern employees, who want more — more vacation time, don’t make enough money, make sure they get paid on time. That’s a Jewish standard value.”
Hotels.com also has a diverse workforce. Diener said, “We look like the United Nations, and by being fair, we get loyalty in return. Another Jewish value is honesty. Don’t put stumbling blocks in front of the blind,” translating to not having hidden costs and unexplained changes. “By being honest also with our affiliates, they trust us and give referrals.”
Diener is also a proponent of a balanced life, one not so focused on money.
He then discussed how to define success in the eyes of the Heavenly Court: (1) honest business dealings; (2) taking time off to study and learn; (3) empowering others; (4) tikkun olam.
Diener’s path was anything but direct. He went public in 2000 under the name HRN, managing websites for others until he got into the direct reservation business. In terms of hospitality trends, Diener sees “destination activities and the search for experiences, diet, yoga, health, horseback riding, creating family memories. Also, the full service, top-end market is growing.”
Diener, shocked the audience by stating that his company has been using artificial intelligence for a decade. He remarked, “We look at your data and history, we anticipate occupancy rates to adjust prices … if a venue is getting filled, the price goes up.”
Diener, who has five children, seeks their input and perspective on investments and charitable works in their foundation. “Some [kids] intern at the company; we learn from each other.”
Earlier in the program, Adrian Grant was recognized for orchestrating the ASK program and networking to get participation. In the pre-function hour, Dr. Gene Hirsh and Helene Jacoby mentioned how, with their spouses, they have been studying for six years with Kollel Rabbi Goldberg. Especially enthusiastic about Kollel were several Emory University students who learn on campus with Rabbi Fleshel.
After the speaker, several breakout groups huddled to provide guidance. The pre-law group met with high profile attorney Randall Kessler.
Former Georgia Tech basketball coach, Josh Pastner, now a media personality on NBC, ESPN, CBS Sports and Turner, told the AJT, “Grant really delivers by getting great speakers and networking. He has a good heart and love of Judaism.”
comments