FORD Management Services - Serving The Bar, Nightclub, Restaurant & Hotel Industry

Hospitality Industry Consulting & Marketing Services For
Nightclubs, Bars, Restaurants & Hotels since 1983

Greetings! My name is Ray Ford. I've been in the Hospitality business most of my adult life. My career has provided me with the opportunity to work in many challenging situations. From mom & pop neighborhood bars to huge nightclubs.... from restaurants to hotels, from small companies to large national chains ... even a cruise ship along the way.

I was one of the creators of the legendary Bobby McGee's food/dance chain. I helped to build, open & operate the first 16 Bobby McGees facilities. When building a company, you wear many hats & participate in operations at all levels.

I was active in R&D, market research & scouting new locations. Participated in the design & construction phases of all new BMC units along with other members of the Senior Management Committee.

A corporate trainer for 10 years, I was active in recruiting, hiring & training personnel at all levels. Served as part of the supervisory staff that assisted in all store pre-opening activities.

I was a club DJ/programmer, created & supervised our BMC company music menu policies, created a career path for my DJs. (many advanced to become mangers & supervisors)

As V P, Marketing & Entertainment, I was responsible for beverage sales which accounted for nearly 50% of the $35,000,000 annual sales for the chain.

In 1983, I resigned from Bobby McGees & sold my stock so I could focus on developing FORD Management Services along with my wife & partner, Carol, The company provides consulting & marketing services for the Hospitality Industry.

We assist clients in creating new & renewed concepts for hotels, restaurants & nightclubs. To date, we've been privileged to participate in the creation or upgrade of over 100 unique new concepts throughout the US, Canada & beyond.

For more on the services we provide for our clients, click here.

NOTE:

For more about FORD Management Services, see our Nightclub & Bar magazine cover story on the Waterfront in Cincinnati.

Training Seminars - A service that we've provided for many of our clients. In addition, we feel our public workshops have set the standard for excellence. Over the years, more than 10,000 people from all 50 states, foreign countries & the world-wide military club systems have attended.

The Management Best Seller - An e-book adventure in learning on CD, "Bar/Nightclub Management & Marketing - 101 Ways To Make The Cash Register Ring!" is based on over 20 years of my own real life experiences. This "hands-on" workbook sets the Hospitality Industry standard for food & beverage operators. We feel it's one of the most complete packages of its kind in the business! A mini-college course packed with ways to help you to become more successful & .... "Make The Cash Register Ring!"

For more details & how to order, click here.

Who We Have Served

Here's a partial listing of organizations who we have consulted for
on-site or who have sent employees to our seminars:

Babes Sports Bar Entertainment Center – Albuquerque, N. Mex.
Baja Beach Clubs – Florida, Georgia
Bally's Corp – Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston
Billiard Palace – Anchorage, Alaska
Bobby McGees – Arizona, Texas, California, Colorado, Hawaii
ceverything.com - San Francisco, CA
Cyber City Cybercafé - Las Vegas, NV
Culver Companies (hotels) - Portland, Salem, Oregon
Dick Clark Productions – LA
Dimensions/Planet Zir Entertainment Complex - San Jose, CA
Disney's Pleasure Island – Orlando, FL
Entertainment One – Multiple Texas Locations
Fantasy Show Bar – Mt Ephran, NJ
Finnegan's Pub – Bangor, Maine
Gables Nightclub - Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Gilliam Investments – Texas, Minnesota
Graham Entertainment – Arizona, Texas
Harborage Corp. – Texas, various US
Holiday Inns – Various US
Holly’s Inc. (2 Holiday Inns & restaurants) – Grand Rapids, MI
Hospitality Corp. of Manitoba (5 locations) – Winnipeg, Canada
Hot Rod Dinin’ & Dancin’ – Honolulu, HI
Landmark Hotels – FL, PA, Michigan
Legends – La Cross, WI
McFadden Partners – USA Café – Ft. Worth, TX
Mister Lucky's – Phoenix, AZ
Outer Limits Entertainment Complex – Bradenton, Florida
PCDJ (Visiosonics) - Clearwater, FL
Pier 34 and Mushalu Floating Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA
Portland Spirit Dinner Cruises - Portland, Oregon
Precinct Steak House – Cincinnati, OH
Sterling Hotels – WA, OR
Studebaker's – FL
Toby Restaurants - Manchester, UK
US Air Force – US Army - US Marines - seminar/workshops
US Navy MWR – CA, MD, WA, SC, DC, Iceland
Waterfront Entertainment Complex – Covington, KY (Cincinnati)
Waterside Live! Entertainment Center – Norfolk, VA
Web City Cyber Café – VA Beach, VA
Weingartner/Hammons (hotels) – OH, Various US
Ziggy's/Buzz Cyber Café – Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada

Related Activities

Newsletter

The Ford Report is a free Hospitality Industry email newsletter for subscribers in the worldwide Internet community. A recent count revealed subscribers in 50 states & 42 countries around the planet.

Affiliations

Since 1985, I've been affiliated with the Night Club & Bar Trade Show & Convention, held every March in Las Vegas & each summer in regional locations around the US. I am a founding member & past board chairman of the Advisory Board that plans the shows and gives direction to Nightclub & Bar Magazine.

Internet

In 1995, we made the transition to cyberspace by creating our highly acclaimed business sites on the Internet. FORD Management now offers a full line of Web Marketing services including web page design & webmaster services. Some of our web design credits include:

FORD Management Services - This website, online
   since 1995
Hospitality Industry Resource Center
B-21 Fine Wines & Spirits - High volume beverage
   retailer
digitalDJstuff.com - Site for DJs, music & MP3
Gables Nightclub - Bunker Hill, West Virginia
Tropic Zone - Gift Shop, Clearwater Beach, Florida
Blanch - Worldwide listing of Bars, Nightclubs,
   Restaurants & Cybercafés
NLBA.org - National Licensed Beverage Assn.
Solitude Wines
Marietta Cellars
MediaDogMarketing.com - We Use This site to
   Create & Manage Websites, Promotions, Email
   Newsletter & Text Messaging Services

Some Technology Credits

I've been a Microsoft beta tester since Windows 95.

In March, 1999, I was recruited by RealNetworks to join the alpha team that developed the RealJukebox mp3 audio player, the first complete all-in-one device for ripping, recording, creating playlists for mp3's & then dubbing your music to CD. That was a really kewl experience!

And, I am a proud to have served on the board of The Hampton Roads Internet Association.

Nightclub & Bar, Beverage Retailer
Convention & Trade Show continues to. Celebrate over 20 yrs. of excellence.- Upcoming Events:
Nightclub & Bar International Show in Mexico City - June 2008
Click here for more details

Planning to attend?
Contact me here to
reserve an in-person consultation. Let's talk about building traffic *& increasing your sales... more.

From The Bookstore

"Bar/Nightclub Management & Marketing!"

The manager's guide to creating traffic & increasing sales using easy, proven formulas for success

To order, click here.

Hospitality Industry Resource Center "News You Can Use" for the worldwide nightclub, bar, café, restaurant & hotel community.

Go there now.

The Ford Report, Established in 1988, a FREE newsletter, with subscribers in all 50 states & 42 countries worldwide.

The Ford Report gives you the latest on managing, marketing, promotion entertainment & technology that effects the Hospitality Industry.

Subscribe here.