We Took The PASSION to The Desert

Earlier this month, we wrapped up our annual PASSION Summit in beautiful Scottsdale, AZ. The PASSION Summit is SSP America’s version of an annual meeting—if annual meetings involved themed dinners and award shows.

The PASSION Summit spotlights a word near and dear to SSP America—‘PASSION.’ We live and breathe our seven PASSION Principles: Passion for every detail, Authentic experiences, Service from the heart, Sincerity every step of the way, Innovation every day, Open to new ideas, and Noble at all times. During the Summit, we came together to embody these principles and recognize the hard work of our team members and partners. We also gave back to the local community by boxing supplies for area seniors with Meals on Wheels, one of our official partners.  

To kick off the 2024 PASSION Summit, we gathered women from SSP America and our joint venture partners and contractors to hone their negotiation skills. Renowned author, consultant, and corporate culture expert Shelley Smith walked the team through the skills needed to master negotiation. The talk was specifically tailored to the unique challenges faced by women in leadership.

The next day, SSP Group and SSP America leadership discussed our strategy, which is designed to accelerate our performance and unlock the potential of our team as we build a culture of care and an attitude of gratitude. The team came away with a better idea of how their roles have a strategic, interconnected, and timely purpose. At SSP America, we each make a difference! 

The day continued with a joint venture partner meeting and the Expert Expo, our version of a trade show. The Expo gave our business supplier partners the opportunity to educate our team on their products—and show off a little! We’re grateful for our valued joint venture and business supplier partners—nothing happens without people, and we’re thrilled to have each of them in our corner. 

On the last day, we were treated to a talk by Adrian Gostick, the influential New York Times bestselling author of Leading with Gratitude. 

The themed evening events were the highlight of the Summit for many attendees. The first night’s theme was ‘Western’ to honor the desert setting. The team showed up in cowboy hats, jade jewelry, and every other Western look you can imagine. The next evening was sports-themed, and the crowd didn’t disappoint: there were hockey players, famous movie characters, and more. The group’s creativity came through!  

But the real star of the show was the closing act: the PASSION Awards Dinner. There, we honored superstar airports, staff, and partners. Our unceasing celebration of each other is one reason SSP America has the best restaurant jobs in the industry—we care about each other and have fun along the way!