Beginning in 1971, Peter Bamberg began his hotel management career in a kitchen in Northern Germany, 33 years later he is the General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Qingdao. Only four years old, the Crowne Plaza Qingdao is now a major epicenter of business and accommodation in Shandong province. The hotel is also one of Qingdao's beacons for foreign investment and growth opportunities. The RedStar spoke with Mr. Bamberg to learn more about his work and relationships in Qingdao, Shandong.

RedStar: What’s a typical working day for you?

Peter Bamberg: I'm up at 6am or earlier, during the week I usually arrive at the hotel early enough to review the hotel from the 37th floor down. Once I arrive in the lobby I greet departing guests before beginning a series of meetings with my staff, and various department heads, to discuss hotel operations and events. It's easy to stay busy.

"We try to visualize creative options and we work hard to achieve them."

RS: What keeps you motivated?

PB: I have a positive attitude about how I handle the affairs of the hotel, and the successes we've been able to create here always continue to motivate me further. I also have a lot of trust and support from the owners of the hotel. Their trust, allows me to craft a vision that I believe will make the Crowne Plaza an even more successful hotel in the future.

RS: What are some of the strengths of the Crowne Plaza, and how will the hotel maintain its competitive edge as the city expands and grows in the future?

PB: Besides our location, service, quality and expertise the Crowne Plaza brand is strong. It's part of the Intercontinental Hotel Company, which has 3,500 locations and resorts in nearly 100 countries worldwide. We constantly cross-sell holidays and network with each other. The company is very brand-focused, and we are prepared to advertise in order to establish that the Crowne Plaza is the best option for both office and individual accommodation in Qingdao. We are, and want to continue to be, the "Place to Meet".

RS: In addition to your promotional efforts, what else do you believe will help to maintain a strong presence in the market?

PB: Last July we celebrated four years in the market. We went from a low occupancy rate in the beginning, to a year-round 85% occupancy... we've got the hardware to create success - the hotel and investment. But it's thinking outside the box, and taking an active part in the city as well as focusing on the local market that will really help to carry us firmly ahead. We're putting together a great Beer Festival ourselves this month, selling delicious mooncakes, rewarding our customers with privilege cards, and preparing for more offices and retail outlets to set up business in the hotel. We try to visualize creative options and we work hard to achieve them.

RS: What sort of options?

PB: Soon we'll have window retail outlets for the likes of Prada and Louis Vuitton in our main lobby. While we are in the midst of renovation, we do have a capital expenditure plan to upgrade our facilities before the Olympics, and to offer more unique food & beverage choices for our guests. I'm also working hard to see that the Crowne Plaza continues to serve as a convenient place to stay, dine, meet, and conduct business.

RS: The RedStar is designed to foster further investment and business in Shandong. You just mentioned that you're keen to promote more 3rd party business to take place within the hotel. What are your strategies for achieving this?

PB: We already have some prominent companies with offices in the hotel like Nike, HSBC, JAL, along with many other big names, however, there are new office buildings going up everyday. We have to remain competitive and open to change - especially when you are only working with 6,500m of office space. We focus on high-caliber, service-oriented businesses. In fact, I just had to move my office to accommodate the arrival of Japan's Yamaguchi Bank to the hotel. Next hopefully - is Korean Air.

RS: Here's a question we often receive at the RedStar. How many foreigners are inQingdao? And how much are they part of your business?

PB: (Laughing) I hear that there are close to 80,000 Koreans, 10,000 Japanese, and roughly 10,000 Westerners living and/or working in Qingdao. We are a hotel for visitors, thus they regularly make up close to 60 or 70 percent of our business. And they are more and more signs that the figures are growing.

RS: You've been with Crowne Plaza since it began in 1999, what's been your biggest achievement in the last 5 years?

PB: Keeping everything together and effective management. We began with 650 employees, 50% of which are still with us. 12 out of 15 of my Department Heads have been with me since the beginning. We've achieved success largely because of great management.

RS: Who takes care of who more? You or the city?

PB: I'm not a caretaker, I'm a supporter of the city, and I realize that business in Yantai and Jinan can have an affect here in Qingdao... their growth is really good for us as well. In 2002 there weren't nearly as many conferences, exhibitions, or activities in Qingdao as 2004... the city is now doing much more business. We provide a service to the city and are proud to do so.

RS: The RedStar wants to raise the level of foreign investment and opportunity in both a cultural and commercial sense in Shandong. Any thoughts on what this city will be like by 2008?

PB: We'll see a lot of growth over the next four years. After that, I can only expect good things to happen and continue to occur in this city that offers strong investment possibilities in such an idyllic environment. We'll see.