SEASONAL EMPLOYEE EDITION | SPRING 2020
SPRING MEET HIRING INFORMATION Keeneland Job Fairs
2nd Floor Grandstand Saturday, February 29 | 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday, March 23 | 2 p.m.–6 p.m.
Hiring Center Visit the Keeneland Hiring Center Open March 3–26 Tuesdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. & Thursdays 2 p.m.–6 p.m
Spring Meet Seasonal Positions Seasonal positions include: • Admissions • Bar • Betologists • Concessions • Dishwashers • Line Cooks • Prep Chef Cooks
• Dining Room Servers • Server Assistants • Guest Services • Parking • Programs • Retail • Security
Visit Keeneland.com/jobs to learn more about our seasonal employment opportunities throughout the Spring Race Meet.
SPR ING 202 0
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SPRE AD THE WORD
Spread the word Share with your friends! and open about our hiring events of mouth or positions either by word social media!
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TELL YOUR REFER RALS
at the Hiring Direct your friends to apply d) or come Center (2nd Floor, Grandstan Let them to one of our hiring events. in the “Source know to input your name Explanation” Tracking—Give Referral . application the of section
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EARN SOME EXTR A MONE Y
works their For every new referral who Spring Meet, scheduled shifts the entire you earn Extra Money! Referral(s): $50 Each 1st and 2nd Successful Referrals: $75 Each 3rd and 4th Successful $100 Each 5 or More Successful Referrals:
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JOB FAIRS | 2nd Floor
Refer-A-Friend Share with your friends! Spread the word about our job fairs and open positions either by word of mouth or social media! Direct your friends to apply at the Hiring Center (2nd Floor, Grandstand) or come to one of our job fairs. Let them know to input your name in the “Source Tracking— Give Referral Explanation” section of the application. For every new referral who works their scheduled shifts the entire Spring Meet, you earn extra money! 1st and 2nd Successful Referral(s): $50 Each 3rd and 4th Successful Referrals: $75 Each 5 or More Successful Referrals: $100 Each
THE BUGLER KEENELAND NAMED ONE OF KENTUCKY’S BEST PLACES TO WORK Keeneland was informed in late January that the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Society for Human Resources Management named Keeneland as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in Kentucky. This recognition was a direct result of the feedback many of our full-time team members provided when they completed a Best Places to Work survey this past November. While this recognition is impressive and something we should all be proud of, we know we are not perfect. There are always things we can do to become an even better place to work. We will never stop trying to improve our overall employee experience while staying true to the principles that make Keeneland an industry leader. Your continued support and feedback are key to those efforts, so please keep sharing your comments while you are on campus or by submitting feedback through keenelandcares@ keeneland.com or HR@keeneland.com.
The Best Places to Work Group provides us with specific survey feedback, but their initial review of data provided by companies located throughout the Commonwealth resulted in our selection. We will release more information about our results once we have them. Thank you for choosing to share your time, talent and energy with us and for the role you play in making Keeneland one of Kentucky’s Best Places to Work!
SERVING THE COMMUNITY Lexington Career Exploration Event Keeneland Hospitality recently participated in the Academies of Lexington Career Exploration Event at the Lexington Convention Center. With over 1,200 freshman students in attendance, Keeneland Hospitality Chefs and Dining team members displayed their passion for culinary and the hospitality industry.
Run/Walks at Keeneland Keeneland provides the backdrop for many local charity and non-profit Run/Walk events. Did you know that the run/walks held during the year help raise over 1 million dollars for local non-profits? We encourage you to experience Keeneland in a new way! Take a look at the 2020 Run/Walk schedule and sign up to participate! Visit the website to learn more! March 28 May 9 May 16 May 17 May 23 May 30 June 6 June 13 June 20 July 25 August 15
Run the Bluegrass American Heart Association, Heartwalk Cystic Fibrosis, Great Strides Walk March of Dimes Big Lex 4 Miler Honor Flight, No Greater Honor Flight 5K Lexington Humane Society, Mutt Strut Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana Kerrington’s Heart, Inc. Shepherd’s House, Run for Recovery DV8 Kitchen’s 5-Miler
MESSAGE BOARD Update Information
It is important to notify Keeneland HR whenever you have made updates to your Personal Information, such as home address, mailing address, phone numbers and emails. Keeneland mails important documents and will email you updates throughout the year. Contact hr@keeneland.com or contact the Human Resources department whenever you have made a change to ensure you receive important employee communications.
Employee Perks
If you haven’t already enrolled in the Access Perks discount program, see how it can help you save money in 2020! It is simple to enroll: 1. Visit Keeneland.accessperks.com and use your Employee ID to register. 2. Sign in by using your email (any email you prefer) and create a password. You will now have access to the local and national discounts available!
Central KY YMCA Benefit
One of the benefits that Keeneland offers you as an employee is a discount through our partnership with the Central KY YMCA locations. As an employee you can receive 10% off your membership rate at any Fayette Co. YMCA location plus your $50 joining fee is waived. Signing up is easy! You can visit any Fayette Co. YMCA location with either your Keeneland paystub or racing license to get signed up! If you have any questions regarding these employee benefits, please reach out to hr@keeneland.com.
Updates to the Keeneland Ticketing System
Many of you may have already noticed when tickets went on sale that the Keeneland Ticketing Platform was better than ever! Changing something as important as our ticketing system was no small task. The Patron Experience department has been working on this project for over a year. With Ticket Office team members Beth Goldenberg and Summer Gossett in the driver’s seat, the transition to the new platform “etix” was seamless. Beth described the new system as a huge benefit to their efficiencies and overall patron experience. These benefits include: a faster and easier process when purchasing tickets from an electronic device, scanning tickets from your phone for entry, having new options to purchase dining room tickets and the opportunity to transfer purchased tickets to a friend via your phone. We are proud of all the individuals involved with this project and hope you see the benefits during the Spring 2020 Race Meet!
BREEDERS' CUP BY THE NUMBERS 2020 NOV 6-7 Keeneland is pleased to host the 2020 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, which will mark the second running of the event at Keeneland. In 2015 Keeneland hosted the Breeders’ Cup and presented a memorable homecoming for the championships in the heart of the Thoroughbred industry. We hope you are planning to be part of the Keeneland Team at Breeders’ Cup! Save the dates and stay tuned for more information!
Breeders’ Cup returns to Keeneland Dates for the 2020 World Championships
44,947
Keeneland hosted the largest Friday attendance in Breeders’ Cup history in 2015
50,155
Breeders’ Cup Saturday attendance in 2015, a venue-record for Keeneland
4.6 M 25 450 $150 M $65 M
Viewers watched Keeneland on the NBC telecast of the Breeders’ Cup International contenders competed in 2015 Private jets parked or picked up at Blue Grass Airport in 2015 Wagered on the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland in 2015 Economic impact of Breeders' Cup on Fayette County
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK While many of our Seasonal Team Members left campus at the end of October, our year-around team transitioned from our 2019 Fall Meet into the November Breeding Stock Sale, January Horses of All Ages Sale and began ramping up for the 2020 Breeders’ Cup. While we have charged forward with the excitement 2020 has in store, we made sure to review and address your feedback from our Fall 2019 Seasonal surveys. Survey results were compiled and shared with Keeneland’s Executive Leadership Team as well as Keeneland’s management team. While many of the highlights in the survey will be discussed as part of the 2020–2021 Strategic Plan, we have already taken action on several suggestions you made! Many of our team members recognized the need for more family friendly restrooms and the need for a comfortable space for nursing mothers. Come Spring, we will have a newly renovated family restroom and lactation room on the 2nd Floor of the Grandstand. We will also be enhancing the training programs for new employees and hope you recognize updated formats and material for trainings and orientation.
Thank you for your feedback and your passion to make Keeneland the best place to work. We encourage your feedback not only on your seasonal survey but throughout the year. Email keenelandcares@keeneland.com or hr@keeneland.com. Overall Trends: • Keeneland is a “family” environment that keeps our Seasonal Team returning each season. • Employees appreciate the opportunity to work in such a beautiful environment. • Nearly 100% of respondents plan to return for the Spring 2020 meet. • Review compensation for areas not receiving tips. • Consider additional breakroom space and smoking areas. Patron Experience Feedback: • Enhanced signage on the grounds • Enhanced communications to ticket holders prior to their Keeneland visit (parking, dress code and general dining room information).
The Thoroughbred Safety Coalition continues to make progress on the creation and implementation of meaningful reforms to make our sport safer. This past month the Coalition added Donna Brothers to the leadership team serving as Strategic Advisor. The American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), Dixiana Farm, Mt. Brilliant Farm and Stonestreet Farms also joined the Coalition. Keeneland is a founding member of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition and is playing an active role in leading this important effort for our industry. To learn more about the work of the Thoroughbred Safety Coalition, visit thoroughbredsafetycoalition.com.
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT KEVIN O’KEEFE Kevin O’Keeffe, joined the Keeneland Guest Services team as an Usher for the Fall 2019 Race Meet. He wrote an article about his experience for thisishorseracing.com. We hope you enjoy the article as much as we did. The year 2019 was rough for horse racing fans and those who make a living from the game. The large number of equine fatalities at Santa Anita Park in the past year and the controversial disqualification of the Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security cast a shadow over the racing industry. Racing has little margin for error because of the fierce competition for discretionary money – especially gaming money. Many tracks across the country struggle to attract and retain new fans. On a personal level, 2019 was also a rough year in regards to racing. After some initial good fortune, including winning two races at Saratoga Race Course with my partners, the reality of the challenges of racing caught up to me. For the past four years, my investment in racing has been on breeding a mare. After a miscarriage, our mare finally produced a foal in March 2017. The foal was sired by the Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Fort Larned. This young horse had me dreaming of a champion or at least earning some money back on the track. Unfortunately, after four years of veterinarian bills, shipping bills, farm bills and ultimately training bills, our 2-year-old horse was injured and had to move on to a second career without ever running in a race. My love for racing extends beyond ownership to include writing articles on the sport for publications, selling ads for The Saratoga Special and The RacingBiz, creating an active Twitter account (@kokhorseracing) which has nearly 2,200 followers and serving on the Race For Education and the KEEP Foundation boards in Kentucky. Despite the challenges and frustrations I, and many in the racing industry encountered in 2019, horse racing is still alive in 2020. Just when I thought I had exhausted my avenues for advocating and promoting horse racing, I was fortunate to be able to take time from my law and government relations practice in Maryland to work as a “Green Coat” usher during last year’s fall meeting Keeneland Race Course.
KEENELAND HOSPITALITY CELEBRATES
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Working at Keeneland allowed me to be a frontline participant at one of the world’s best racing venues. Keeneland has set the standard for Thoroughbred racing and sales since 1936. Each day and each race is a special event at Keeneland. It is an old school place in the best sense of the word where the “sport of kings” is on full display. For example, to be in the clubhouse requires a strict dress code including having your tie straight at all times. I learned this lesson back in 2011 when as a guest I was gently chided for having a loosened tie. The management works to ensure that the traditions are maintained and that all attendees are treated like VIPs. The management of Keeneland meets with all full-time and temporary employees to show how all of us are part of a great team. Every morning the Keeneland team is given a one-page sheet of the day’s events to ensure that the fan experience is top notch. The Keeneland staff takes great pride in creating an unforgettable day for its fans. The Keeneland fan experience is worth traveling hundreds, sometimes thousands of miles. At my first employee orientation, the returning employees and new employees heard directly from Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason, who made each of us feel that we play an integral role in making Keeneland a success. For anyone who is skeptical about the viability of Thoroughbred racing I would invite them to experience Keeneland first-hand. I left my stint as a Keeneland usher with a renewed desire to promote Thoroughbred racing and to start another racing partnership. And if you find yourself at Keeneland in spring, please look for Kevin in the green coat.
—Kevin O'Keeffe, February 7, 2020 If you are interested in submitting an article for future Keeneland Newsletters, contact Betsy May at bmay@keeneland.com or 800 456-3412 ext.4726.
On February 1, 2015, Keeneland Association acquired Turf Catering’s Keeneland division. Turf Catering had been Keeneland’s exclusive food and beverage company since the track opened in 1936. The new operation, Keeneland Hospitality, was formed and comprised of many Turf Catering employees that still work for KH today. As many are celebrating their 5 Year service anniversary in 2020, we know that most of them have been a part of the Keeneland family for much longer. Joe Gudlewski said, “I’m pretty sure I’ve been here since the beginning. I worked 39 years for Turf and now 5 with KH.” Many of the employees that previously worked for Turf said a lot has changed over the years. Marcia Pulcini started with Turf Catering in 1997 as the Dining Manager. She said, “There are many great reasons I have enjoyed working at Keeneland but simply put, it is a great environment combining, comradery of staff with the joy of providing our patrons with a great experience. I’m most proud of being part of the implementation of The Keeneland Way.” Like Joe and Marcia, many team members have been around for much longer than 5 years but have been vital to the success of Keeneland Hospitality.