GMA Consulting today announced a new strategic partnership with Meta-Hospitality, the consultancy founded by renowned chef and hospitality expert Luke Palladino.
According to the companies, the partnership will allow the two sides to “combine their deep industry knowledge and resources to enhance the guest experience and maximize profitability for hospitality businesses.”
GMA was formed in October 2022 as a merger between Global Market Advisors and The Strategy Organization. Since then, the firm has announced several new initiatives, including a rebrand, new associates and partnerships with UNLV’s Black Fire Innovation, Global Wizards and now Palladino’s Meta.
Josh Swissman, founding partner and managing director of GMA, told GGB that the two sides’ skill sets complement each other well and there’s a solid pre-existing relationship with a lot of mutual respect.
“When it comes to us working with others, it has to be a similar mindset in terms of producing client deliverables,” Swissman said. “It has to feel seamless and work in an integrated fashion. Luke and his team that he’s assembled really feel like a natural extension of our team.”
Beyond that, the partnership is also indicative of how important dining and other non-gaming spend has become in recent years.
“In Nevada, for example, if you look at the pie chart with gaming and non-gaming, the non-gaming portion of revenue contribution overtook the gaming portion more than a decade ago,” Swissman explained. “So that’s why it makes sense to have multiple hospitality-focused experts at the table when it’s time to consider what’s best for our clients.”
With over 30 years of culinary experience, Palladino has led high-level restaurants from Italy to Las Vegas, and has collaborated with operators such as Caesars Entertainment, Wynn Resorts and more.
Palladino and his team at Meta offer a wide range of services, including master planning, retail strategy, staffing, logistics and more. Having met and worked with a number of GMA associates over the years, he also pointed to the development of a natural partnership with the firm.
“There’s so many synergies between us,” Palladino told GGB. “Creativity, innovation, we’re always looking to do things differently for our clients. We share the same values business-wise and as human beings.”
The project has been in the works for several months and one aspect of collaboration that both sides are excited about is content creation and branding development. Palladino explained that “wherever there’s a story to be told, we help with that.” This includes content creation and marketing materials for properties ranging from food and beverage to hotels and gaming.
Overall, the partnership will allow clients in all market types to be creative and innovative with their amenities in efforts to grow in an increasingly competitive field.
“People choose where they go and where they game according to the restaurants,” Palladino said. “It’s not just about having the basics for people anymore. It’s so much more diverse, and people are looking for new experiences that are entertaining and experiential. For me, the key to hospitality is providing emotions and telling a story.”
