Vol. 4, No. 3, March 2008
RSS Feeds
Bring It On
The Venetian’s Paul Dungo welcomes a challenge
Dungo now provides dispatches to nearly 10,000 team members at the two properties by various routes. Flat-screen TVs, newsletters, e-mail blasts, bi-weekly and quarterly publications propel the company message from the hierarchy to the team members. He adds communications posters for the back of the house.
For the Las Vegas native, it doesn’t get any bigger than this: The Venetian and Palazzo form the world’s largest hotel and luxury resort with a combined 7,128 rooms and suites.
“I’ve always been the type of person who likes to be associated with something grand,” Dungo says. “And this is it. I didn’t want to work in retail, or a fast-food business. I wanted to be involved in something direct, exciting and innovative. This was the place for me.
“Our team members are absolutely terrific. You can walk the hallways and have conversations with them. They are not afraid to say thank you. They are not afraid to offer suggestions about how to communicate with them. This is an exceptional work environment. At the end of the day, there are no team members like these team members.”
For Dungo, they create a huge constituency. He communicates with them rapidly, and constantly. Venetian TV is a flat-screen tool with messages changing every six seconds. They inform workers of traffic patterns outside the casino, new restaurants opening at the Palazzo, or updated benefits.
The printed word also carries weight—the quarterly newsletter Viva Las Venice! recently featured a 30-year Vegas employee and the bi-weekly newsletter Capisc! further underscores the company’s Italian theme and recent innovations.
Dungo has much to promote. Palazzo is physically connected with the Venetian but represents a separate resort and mindset. While the Venetian has long been state-of-the-art, Palazzo represents the next breed of Vegas grandeur. Its $1.9 billion mega-resort figures to launch an industry trend.
Palazzo’s entry gave Dungo his first official baptism, a pre-opening. Some people recall them like difficult childbirth, but Dungo enjoyed the frenetic pace.
“I can honestly say it was enjoyable to work all the hours and never watch the clock,” Dungo says. “Everything was interesting. It was new and it was exciting.”
When Palazzo opened, Dungo’s work had only started. His office handled expanded inquiries and twice the number of potential workers to meet, greet and serve. The Venetian has long recognized his contribution, giving Dungo a company-wide Bravo award in 2002. That’s an employee-of-the-year equivalent, or a casino version of an MVP.
One of Palazzo’s implications surrounds its on-boarding process. Dungo serves executives relocating to either property on a 24-hour basis.
“You contact whoever it is and give them everything they need,” he says. “That can include letting them know where their office is, who their superior is, the parking, how to get access to the computers, any advice on where to look for a home or just go pick them up if they are lost. We have people coming in to work for us from Florida, Texas, different areas of the country. Whatever they need, I am there for them any time and happy to serve.”
Dungo’s motto may be as well be “bring it on.”
