by Bailey White
Staff Writer
Irving Kass has worked in the hospitality industry all his life and now he’s putting the hospitality industry to work for him.
Kass started Odyssey Hospitality about a year ago to provide professional meeting and event planning. Today, he serves as a link between the companies who hire him and the companies he used to work for.
“I work with any company planning an event,” he said, “and I do everything from a company picnic to a holiday party to a three-day retreat.”
The first step Kass takes with a client is to determine what exactly a client wants his event to accomplish.
“I ask them to describe the way they want their business to be 10 years from today,” said Kass. “Knowing what they truly want to accomplish has a tremendous impact on the event, even on how the room is set up.”
Then Kass takes care of the details — location, food, meeting space, cost , golf and spa trips, whatever the company requires.
“In my experience,” said Kass, who has worked in the hospitality field since he graduated from Florida State in 1977, “I’ve done everything from building and opening a spa to opening 20,000 square feet of retail space to building and operating golf courses. I understand the fundamentals of all the businesses involved that we have the potential to use.”
Kass sends out a Request for Proposal to several different hotels to get the most competitive bids, which allows his clients to pick their favorite option.
Odyssey Hospitality can also handle sales and marketing and property representation. Kass currently represents two Sea Island, Ga. properties, the Lodge and the Cloister.
“I’ll help them spread their business to the Jacksonville market,” he said.
Kass has embarked on a marketing campaign for his own business, using what he calls “grass roots” efforts to grow Odyssey Hospitality by relying on word of mouth referrals.
“And I’m aggressively using Chamber of Commerce networking events,” he said.
Kass, a New York native who grew up in South Florida, spent 25 years in the hospitality industry, working in upper management since the age of 25. His last position was at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, where he was general manager, a job that like most hospitality jobs, had demanding hours. His new job suits him a little better.
“It’s nice to see my family,” said Kass, who has a daughter in high school. “It’s been a lifestyle change. I’m getting to spend quality time with a lot of people in the community. And there’s enough diversity to make everyday a little different.”
He might even find a little more time for his preferred pastime.
“I’m a golf man,” he said. “It’s my number one favorite sport.”