Thanks to a gift from my wife Becky, I had the privilege of going to The Masters. It was an experience unlike any other, as they say. I was struck between the similarities of The Masters and The Kentucky Derby.
Both events have thousands of out-of-town guests. These guests stay in homes and hotels. They need transportation. They eat. Both cities have a huge opportunity to make a great impression at all these touch points.
Augusta offers excellent hospitality. All of the local hosts greet you so politely and are extremely helpful. After the first few times of being made to feel so genuinely welcome by so many people, you start to think that the whole town must have had special hospitality training.
Having lived in eight different cities as an adult, I can say that Louisville is the friendliest city for me by far. But even we don't compare to Augusta, Georgia, during The Masters week. They just smother you in southern hospitality. It made me think there is no reason Louisville couldn't put on the same welcoming face. We do very well, but I think we can do better.
Whether you're a doorman, a driver, a host, a tour guide or just a citizen of our great community, let's step up our hospitality even more for this year's Derby. If you see someone you don't know, say "Hello." If you notice someone looking for something, ask if you can help. When you part, wish them Happy Derby!
If we can overwhelm our guests with Louisville hospitality, who knows? Maybe we can impress a CEO enough to consider bringing his company here. Maybe guests from less friendly places might want to make Louisville home. The beauty of this is we don't have to fake our friendliness. We just have to be more aware of it, especially during Derby week.
Augusta is a hospitable place, but I don't believe it has anything on us.
I'm Bill Lamb, and that's my Point of View.
