Jason Guyot, Foxwoods – Reimagining the longer term — CDC Gaming

In 1992, a 14-year-old stood on the entrance as Foxwoods Resort Casino opened its doorways for the primary time. Just a number of years later that younger man labored as a bellboy at Foxwoods whereas attending highschool, and later discovered a place as Manager of Employment after graduating faculty.

Today, Jason Guyot is the primary Mashantucket Pequot tribal member to guide Foxwoods Resort Casino as President and Chief Executive Officer.

As CEO, and earlier as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations and Development, Guyot remodeled the id of Foxwoods from a gaming-centric property to a world-class built-in resort vacation spot with extra movie star star energy than the Milky Way.

Now, you possibly can stroll by means of Foxwoods and expertise movie star chef eating places by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, Gordon Ramsay, Guy Fieri, and, quickly, Martha Stewart. Families could make a splash on the newly opened Great Wolf Lodge at Mashantucket, soar by means of the air on the HighFlyer Zipline, or rev up the joy at MONZA World-Class Indoor Karting.

First Native American on line casino
Foxwoods Resort Casino has repeatedly developed, including new choices through the years to handle rising competitors that didn’t exist when it first opened.

“We were an anomaly as the first casino outside of Las Vegas and Atlantic City. We were the first Native American casino in the United States. Back then, it was Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and Foxwoods. Many others followed, but not in the northeast corridor.”

“The reason Foxwoods grew so quickly in size was that there was never a thought, especially in the mid-90s, that any other states would approve gaming. It really wasn’t as accepted in the business sector as it is today. Over the past 10 years, and even more now, there are probably 8-10 competitors on the I-95 corridor that opened in our competitive set. It used to be all Foxwoods. But with each new competitor eroding our revenue, it forced us to think differently about our business model,” Guyot stated.

Largest resort on line casino within the northeast
Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut, the most important built-in resort vacation spot within the northeast, has set the usual in gaming and hospitality for over 33 years. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods continues to redefine the resort expertise by providing a dynamic mixture of world-class gaming, award-winning eating, top-tier leisure, and family-friendly sights.

Foxwoods gives over 1,900 luxurious resort rooms, greater than 150,000 sq. ft of versatile area for conferences and occasions, procuring at Tanger Outlets, expansive gaming flooring all through the resort, and unmatched facilities. The leisure portfolio options globally acclaimed artists, unique stay performances, and premier occasions hosted at its venues, together with the Premier Theater and Great Cedar Showroom.

Through strategic partnerships with main manufacturers like DraftKings Sportsbook, Hell’s Kitchen, and Great Wolf Lodge, Foxwoods continues to develop its choices and ship curated experiences for friends.

Psychological
Guyot grew up in Norwich, Connecticut, by no means envisioning a profession in gaming. After incomes a level in behavioral science from Mitchell College, he discovered an sudden connection between his schooling and his future in hospitality.

“What’s interesting is I use my background in behavioral science every day, whether it’s working with people or building relationships. It’s been a tremendous asset as my career has grown,” Guyot shared.

After graduating, he joined Foxwoods as Manager of Employment. “I thought I’d be working in social work, which is why human resources was such a natural fit for me right out of college. We’re a massive resort employing over 8,000 people and building relationships and working with people are some of the most important aspects of leadership in this industry,” Guyot defined.

The Fox Tower
In 2007, Foxwoods partnered with MGM to develop an enlargement often known as MGM Grand at Foxwoods, the place Guyot labored carefully with its common supervisor, Gillian Murphy. “I remember Gillian and I went to Vegas to collaborate with MGM on policies and procedures, figuring out how to integrate them for the opening of MGM Grand. When we returned, she offered me a position to transition from Director of Employment to Director of Operations, and I worked alongside her to open The Fox Tower. I shifted from HR to operations in 2007, and we officially opened in 2008. Gillian remained my mentor throughout the entire process,” Guyot stated.

Shortly after, he superior to Vice President of Hotel Operations at The Fox Tower (beforehand known as MGM Grand at Foxwoods) and later grew to become Vice President of all Hotel Operations. This development finally led to him overseeing all non-gaming features for Foxwoods as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations and Development in 2018.

“At this time, I oversaw all non-gaming operations on the property,” Guyot recalled. “This included development, the entire hotel collection, resort sales, engineering, security, and several other departments—essentially the majority of the resort services departments.”

The pandemic
“In 2020, our CEO at the time left the organization while I was serving as Senior Vice President of Resort Operations,” stated Guyot. “The tribal council approached me and asked if I would step in as interim CEO. It was an incredible vote of confidence from the council, especially during such a challenging time. At that point, the resort had been closed for three weeks, and there was a tremendous amount of work to be done. But I embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly because I knew we could overcome the challenges ahead. We had a strong foundation and exciting opportunities to guide us forward.”

“The resort had been closed for the first time in 30 years, and reestablishing operations was no small task. With the council’s support, we reopened more efficiently and resolved some long-standing challenges. We were proud to be the first business in Connecticut to reopen, bringing people back to work and reigniting hope in the community.”

We began with about 1,000 group members and steadily grew, including extra employees and increasing the resort’s choices. Fast ahead to in the present day, and we’ve returned to just about the identical capability we had earlier than the closure in 2020,” Guyot stated.

In 2021, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation’s Tribal Council formally named Guyot as President and CEO, solidifying his management and imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Foxwoods.

Diversification
Since 2014, Guyot had been main improvement efforts and commenced envisioning the transition to an built-in resort mannequin. “It was around that time that Bally’s in Rhode Island opened in our core market,” Guyot defined. “We had been the only casino on the I-95 corridor, but when Bally’s opened in Providence, it significantly impacted a key segment of our business. That shift made it clear that diversifying into more of a resort destination was essential, and those changes started back then.”

SWOT and movie star cooks
I requested Guyot in regards to the course of that Foxwoods employs to resolve on new improvement tasks.

“It’s a very complex process,” Guyot stated. “We went by means of intensive evaluation to establish the place we would have liked to go. Using a SWOT evaluation, we pinpointed key alternatives, and one space that actually stood out was the meals and beverage sector. At the time, we had been negotiating with Great Wolf Lodge and on the lookout for ideas that will function crossovers and main drivers. You know, there are many movie star cooks on the market, however there’s just one Gordon Ramsay, one Martha Stewart, and one Iron Chef Morimoto, proper?

“Our objective was to align with manufacturers and movie star cooks that will not solely enchantment to our present friends, but additionally appeal to new ones, particularly with the opening of Great Wolf Lodge Mashantucket and different facilities we had deliberate. It’s one factor to say, ‘Oh yeah, I want to get Gordon Ramsay.’ No downside, proper? But it’s one other factor completely to succeed in out and persuade him that that is the place he desires to be. The identical goes for convincing Martha Stewart that Foxwoods is the proper location for her second restaurant (and first on the east coast) or persuading Iron Chef Morimoto to open a singular idea right here.

“Most recently, we announced the opening of Sally’s Apizza at Foxwoods, which is widely regarded as the best pizza in Connecticut—and, I’d argue, the best in the United States. The only reason we were able to secure that partnership was because we demonstrated that Foxwoods is the right place to expand, based on what we’ve already accomplished and our future plans. They were genuinely excited about it,” Guyot shared.

The final query
With relentless competitors and ever-changing markets, I requested Guyot about his method to differentiation from his rivals.

“That’s the ultimate question, right? We opened the Fox Tower in 2008, right as the economy plunged into a severe recession. It was a tough time. Then, in 2012, more competition started entering the market. There were a lot of challenging years.”

“So, by 2015 and 2016, my focus shifted to leveraging the unique assets we have, including the vast land and space at Foxwoods. It became evident that more casinos would continue to enter our competitive set, but gaming itself wasn’t growing at the same pace as the expansion of casinos. With nine million square feet to work with, my vision centered on, ‘How can we turn that into an advantage? How can we use that space to create experiences our guests can’t find at the typical casinos that offer table games, slot machines, a restaurant, and maybe some meeting space?’ That wealth of land and space became the key driver for how we could differentiate ourselves from the competition.”

“Even though the expansion of gaming in the northeast has had an impact on us, with this vision, we’ve been able to hold our ground and maintain market share. People choose to drive past the competition to come to Foxwoods because of everything we offer. And now, we’re taking it to a whole new level with the non-gaming amenities we’ve added, whether it’s Monza World Class Karting, our partnerships with celebrity chefs, or, most recently, the addition of Great Wolf Lodge. We’re bringing an entirely new demographic of guests to Mashantucket and Foxwoods,” Guyot declared.

Opportunity results in alternative
Adding facilities to Foxwoods has created alternatives far past a conventional grasp plan.

One standout instance is the addition of Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, which not solely elevated the resort’s eating choices but additionally created a rare PR alternative when Foxwoods was chosen as the published location for FOX community’s Hell’s Kitchen seasons 23 and 24. That alternative allowed Guyot the distinctive capacity to construct a tv studio on the property to broadcast the present.

“I received a phone call from ITV, which owns the show Hell’s Kitchen. They reached out and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in throwing your hat into the ring to host a few seasons of Hell’s Kitchen?’ It took me a while to kind of come around. And then we threw our hat in the ring, and we were up against Atlantic City, Las Vegas, the UK, and LA, and we ended up convincing them that Foxwoods was the right place to do the filming. Part of that negotiation was that we would build the studio, which we did, and it has been a great success. I mean, season 24 is still on. Now, it’s kind of coming towards the end of that season, but season 23 was fantastic. We ended up hiring the chef that won, Kyle Timpson, as our head chef for Hell’s Kitchen.”

Guyot mirrored on the sudden ripple results of the partnership. “It all comes full circle. The filming itself, and the marketing value that we’re getting on FOX prime time on Thursday nights, it’s essentially a massive Foxwoods special. And, no, we did not see that one coming. But again, opportunity leads to opportunity, you know,” Guyot stated.

Christmas by Martha Stewart
After years of cultivating a relationship with Martha Stewart’s Marquee Brands, Foxwoods is about to open Stewart’s second Bedford restaurant, a milestone that has already sparked distinctive collaborations, together with Christmas by Martha Stewart, which is a one-of-a-kind vacation expertise curated by Martha Stewart herself.

“We hosted Christmas by Martha Stewart in the Grand Pequot lobby, and it’s been such a success that we’re planning to expand it next year. Who better to do Christmas than Martha Stewart? Guests are coming from Great Wolf Lodge and beyond just to experience it. Partnering with her, a name synonymous with the highest level of hospitality, has elevated our brand tremendously, and this is just the first of many collaborations to come.”

Huge engine, numerous gas
With sights as various because the family-oriented Great Wolf Lodge; premier, extremely recognizable movie star chef eating places; HighFlyer Zipline; MONZA World-Class Indoor Karting; Christmas by Martha Stewart; and the Tanger Outlet Mall, to call a number of, Guyot has performed a pivotal position in redefining Foxwoods as a vacation spot resort with cross-generation enchantment.

“Our goal is to become one of the greatest integrated resort destinations in the northeast, and perhaps even beyond that. To achieve that, we need to be more than just a casino. We need to attract diverse demographics, extend the length of stay, and provide guests with experiences that they can’t get anywhere else.”

“With nine million square feet, we’re a massive engine—we need a lot of fuel, meaning a lot of visitors to keep it running. The more reasons we give people to visit, the more successful we’ll be. I’m a big believer in driving volume and creating compelling reasons for people to visit. There are so many options out there now, and I think we’ve done a great job differentiating ourselves over the past several years.” Guyot stated.

Walk with function
I requested Guyot what he felt was the key to his success, which took him from being a bellboy to the CEO of Foxwoods.

“I’ve always been curious and, early in my career, asked a lot of questions. I was fortunate to have a mentor like Gillian, who taught me so much about hospitality and the service industry as a whole.”

“I always say ‘walk with purpose.’ It’s something I believe is incredibly important, no matter what you’re doing. That mindset has helped me stay motivated and stay sharp. But beyond that, it’s about building relationships. That’s been a key to my success—fostering strong teams and a positive culture, which are the foundations of long-term success. I always tell our team members that I want them to feel welcomed, valued, and important every time they walk into this building. If we can achieve that, we’ll create a great culture and build a strong, successful team,” Guyot stated.

The way forward for Foxwoods
“The future of Foxwoods is being thoughtfully and strategically crafted every day. I take great pride in representing this brand and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. It’s a role I don’t take lightly and one that fuels me every single day. This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more,” stated Guyot.

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Entries within the Faces of Gaming sequence:

• Jason Guyot, Foxwoods – Reimagining the longer term (now studying)
• Dan Kustelski – From West Point to South Africa to Chalkline
• Keith Winters – Disrupting on line casino video games with likelihood, talent and a steering wheel
• Joe Billhimer of Cordish Gaming Group – from Katrina restoration to enjoying the lengthy sport
• Erica Kosemund, Choctaw Casinos & Resorts – The oracle of branding and partnerships
• Bill Miller, CEO American Gaming Association – From a household of legal professionals comes a political optimist
• Steve Neely – Casino profession classes constructed on a body of life
• Circa proprietor Derek Stevens – A sports-specific model with a downtown Vegas vibe
• Phil Satre – Chairman of the Boards
• Michael Kaplan – Writing the guide on benefit gamers, for playing and for all times
• Andrew Cardno — Data Scientist, Dyslexic, Taekwondo Master, Author, Futurist, A Modern Renaissance Man Who Really Should be Dead
• Dr. Katherine Spilde – There’s no place like residence
• Mattress Mack – Furniture mogul, advertising and marketing genius, sports activities betting champ
• Jeff Connor, proprietor of Lockdogs – A greater mousetrap
• Antonio Perez – An optimistic realist
• Kara Napolitano – Human rights advocate and trafficking professional
• Next Gaming CEO and skill-based slots evangelist Mike Darley
• Dennis Conrad – Executive, founder, creator, speaker, writer, columnist, and innovator
• Adam Wiesberg – A journey from signal salesman to seller to El Cortez GM
• Gary Ellis – Las Vegas entrepreneur
• Alan Feldman – From Mirage and MGM to accountable gaming professional
• John Acres – the Thomas Edison of gaming
• Alex Alvarado — Vice President, Casino Operations at MGM National Harbor and Casino Aficionado
• Lauren Bates — A profitable VP at Konami and Chair of Global Gaming Women, all earlier than her fortieth birthday
• TJ Tejeda and EZ Baccarat – Reimagining a centuries-old sport
• Chris Andrews — Don’t cry for the bookmaker
• Wes Ehrecke — From gasohol and pork chops to president of the Iowa Gaming Association
• Steve Browne – Casino thinker, grasp gaming teacher and father of a rocket scientist
• Noah Acres – Shaking up the business one participant report at a time
• Kate Chambers – ICE queen, on line casino exhibition maven and keeper of fairy mud
• Joe Asher — From the newsstand and racetrack to sports-betting icon
• Paul Speirs-Hernandez — Randomness, likelihood, reward, and luck
• Ainsworth’s Deron Hunsberger — From finance and gross sales to president
• Roger Gros — Chronicler of the gaming business for 4 a long time and counting
• Debi Nutton — Everi board member, gaming trailblazer
• Cache Creek’s Kari Stout-Smith — Dancing backwards in excessive heels
• Andrew Economon — Making downtown Las Vegas cool once more
• Richard Marcus — From the incorrect facet of the on line casino tables to the fitting
• Willy Allison — From New Zealand bloke to world game-protection chief
• Tom Jingoli — From gaming enforcement agent to COO of Konami Gaming
• Tino Magnatta — Interviewing the interviewer, 3,000 and counting since COVID
• Deana and Brady Scott — Still speaking store with the house owners of Raving Consulting
• Kevin Parker — “Putting everything into everything I do”
• Laura Penney — Putting within the Work as CEO of Coeur d’Alene Casino
• Andre Carrier — Paying it ahead
• Jean Scott — The unique on line casino influencer, nonetheless frugal playing in any case these years
• Anika Howard — From Harrah’s First Interactive Employee to CEO of Wondr Nation
• Anthony Curtis — Gambling Guru, Las Vegas Expert, Customer Advocate with Street Cred
• Mark Wayman — An government recruiter with a model and one thing to say
• Melonie Johnson — From rural Louisiana to resort-casino management

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Tom Osiecki is a on line casino marketing consultant who writes an occasional column for CDC Gaming known as Faces of Gaming, about fascinating and interesting folks within the gaming business.

Tom Osiecki is a advertising and marketing and administration marketing consultant for Raving Consulting and might be reached for consulting engagements at 775-329-7864.

If you recognize of a captivating persona within the gaming business you wish to see profiled, please ship Tom Osiecki an electronic mail at tosiecki@cdcgaming.com