MarketScale Hospitality, 12/11: BIG STADIUM EVENTS & HOTEL DATA BREACHES

 

This week’s episode of the MarketScale Hospitality Podcast takes a look at two different aspects of the hospitality industry: catering for large events and hotel security. On the surface, it feels like these topics couldn’t be more different. Surprisingly, they have more in common than it initially appears.

A certain level of expertise and precision is required for each of these jobs. One mistake can damage the reputation of a brand that has worked to establish a standard of excellence.

The Insecurity of Security

The wide range of “value adds” in all industries continues to grow on a daily basis. However, with those incremental benefits, customers have to give up more and more personal information. That presents a significant responsibility for the companies entrusted with that data. It also causes an exponential increase in the risks that the customers have to accept.

On today’s podcast, Sean Heath spoke with Alex Susskind, a professor at the Cornell Sc Johnson College of Business. They discussed the challenges companies face when handling sensitive customer data, the risks that customers have to accept, and what the future of that transaction could look like.

Is the Design of Your Favorite Restaurant Affecting Your Taste Buds?

Restaurants have long been a shared social experience, with the table acting as a central core that people gather around to enjoy a meal together and connect both visually and verbally. However, today, more and more restaurants are implementing minimalist design into their establishments, favoring sparse, contemporary décor and high, open ceilings, while eschewing the heavy curtains, carpeting, upholstery, and table cloths popular in previous decades. Sound is reflected off these hard surfaces, creating a din that makes normal conversation impossible.

Robin Volz, editor at MarketScale, joined the podcast to talk about the way a restaurant’s design can affect the sound in the space. You can read her full article on the topic here.

A Picture of Perfection and Persistence

Plenty of people know the feeling of hosting a large group of people for Thanksgiving. But what is it like to host a group of 80,000 screaming football fans? For an answer to that question we turn to Monique Boyd, Director of Special Events & Catering at AT&T Stadium. She joined the show to discuss her preparation process, explain how she trains her staff, and detail the pressure that comes with being associated with the Dallas Cowboys.

“My job is to make sure that guests walk away with the best experience,” says Monique. That’s not always easy when you’re tasked with feeding 80,000 fans, team staffs, and special guests, but overcoming challenges is something she is very familiar with.

18 years ago Monique overcame massive health concerns that left her in a coma for five days. When she woke up, she decided that it was time to find a career that she knew she would love for the rest of her life. Hear the rest of her inspiring story and expert insight on this episode of the MarketScale Hospitality Podcast.

Other Articles Mentioned

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Hospitality Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @HospitalityMKSL
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Firefly
Pursuing the Impossible: The New Space Race with Firefly Aerospace Co-Founder Eric Salwan
April 1, 2026

Many companies set out to do something hard. Firefly Aerospace set out to do the impossible. After 10 years and several existential moments, Firefly did what no private company ever had: in 2025, it successfully landed on the Moon. Before Firefly, only countries had ever landed on the Moon—and it took extraordinary national effort…

Read More
internship
Tale of Two Interns: What AI Is Really Doing to Entry-Level Work
March 30, 2026

The narrative around early-career work has become increasingly pessimistic, with headlines pointing to a shrinking pool of entry-level roles, fewer internship opportunities, and AI accelerating both trends. But beneath that narrative, a different tension is emerging—one that’s less about the disappearance of opportunity and more about how it’s being reshaped. Students are using AI…

Read More
AI data center
Power, Cooling, and Risk: What It Takes to Bring a 100MW AI Data Center Online
March 28, 2026

The industry knows how to build data centers. What it’s still figuring out is how to turn on AI factories at scale. With facilities now crossing 100 megawatts—far beyond the 5 to 10 megawatt norm of traditional builds—operators are no longer just validating equipment. They’re testing whether entire systems—power, cooling, controls, and the teams behind…

Read More
beauty
Building Beauty for Real Women: Why Brands Must Focus on Longevity, Not Hype
March 25, 2026

Walk into any beauty aisle—or scroll through your feed for five minutes—and it’s clear the industry is obsessed with what’s new. New formulas, new trends, new “rules.” But for many women, especially those who’ve been using makeup for decades, the question isn’t what’s new—it’s what actually works. And increasingly, the answer isn’t coming from the…

Read More