Grant Williams III (inset right) is the man behind the scenes at the Baltimore Convention Center.
Superstar actress and singer Vanessa Williams lit up the stage in the ballroom of the Baltimore Convention Center Oct. 25, as one of the “unexpected delights” promised to patrons of the United Way fundraiser to reduce homelessness in the city.
Even as Williams dazzled the estimated 700 well-dressed guests, however, another Syracuse University alum worked backstage—unseen and most likely unacknowledged—to ensure guests were delighted not just by the entertainment, but the entire experience.
It is an unglamorous but weighty charge Grant Williams III has shouldered for the past 10 years. Williams is the superintendent of operations, the “go-to guy” responsible for managing preparation for all the meetings, trade shows and other events that happen at the Baltimore Convention Center.
“Repeat business is at the heart of what we do,” said the 54-year-old in an interview with the {AFRO}. “Whether we are preparing for 50 people or 38,000, the expectation that I express to my employees is that we be friendly and professional at each event and that we must ‘wow’ the customer, leaving them inspired and eager to return.
“When people leave the convention center, they may not remember your name or what you look like, but they will remember how they felt,” he added. “And when I say a guest’s total experience should be premier, I mean down to the restrooms.”
It is a massive undertaking. The convention center is a near-1.3 million-square-foot, four-floor facility that includes a 36,372-square-foot ballroom, 50 meeting rooms, 32 covered loading docks, 27,000-square foot outdoor terrace, dedicated show offices, VIP suites, industrial kitchen, cafés with complimentary wi-fi and—of course—several restrooms.
Williams is responsible for ensuring that every square inch is clean, stocked, equipped, serviced and ready to accommodate the needs of the center’s guests.
“My perspective is wide-screen,” the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity member said. “It is my responsibility to see the little things that were overlooked that will make an impact.”
Williams’ days are rarely the usual 9-to-5. His job begins before he steps into the building—he checks the landscaping to ensure it is cared for, and the massive glass walls to ensure they are clean. After meeting with his assistant to get updated on the tasks for the day, he handles paperwork, including payroll for three shifts of employees and contracts for vendors such as carpet cleaners. He also ensures employees are deployed to their assigned tasks, does walk-throughs of meeting rooms, bathrooms, etc. with supervisors in preparation for an event and he interacts with customers. Many times, he has to juggle tasks for several events at a time.
“That’s a lot of moving parts to keep track of,” he said of his role. But the pressure “keeps you going and it’s exciting.”
A large part of what makes the center run efficiently is the staff—many of whom may not be initially prepared for their job, but whom Williams said he takes the time to train and mentor.
“Now that I am on the other side—interviewing and hiring people—I would recall my early days when I needed a chance and I take a chance and invest in young people,” he said, adding, “We’ve made a lot of inroads in the industry, and that’s because when you help people and they respect you they will work hard for you.”
Forecasting and prior planning are also the keys to his—and the convention center’s—success. Right now, for example, the facility is booked through 2017 and tentative operational plans have already begun to be put in place.
That kind of foresight was something he learned at the hands of his parents growing up in upstate New York, Williams said. His father was a major in the Syracuse police department and his mother, a school principal once named among the top 50 in the nation. One kept him out of trouble; the other ensured he was educated, Williams added.
“I’m blessed to have had two wonderful parents who taught me the value of making a commitment to anything that you do and about planning for the future,” he said. “When you have that kind of foundation at home it’s easy to realize your dreams.”
Williams’ corporate experience began when he was a 19-year-old sophomore at Syracuse and was chosen out of 88 students to be Anheuser-Busch’s on-campus marketing and distribution liaison.
“That was quite the feat for me at the time,” he recalled, adding with a chuckle. “I was known as the B.N.O.C.—the Budweiser Man on Campus.”
Upon his graduation in 1985, Williams continued to work with the company, earning eight promotions over 10 years. From 1990-1998, Williams worked as a pharmaceutical rep for Johnson & Johnson, and led the entire Mid-Atlantic region in sales his first year. He then moved into banking, overseeing the day-to-day operations of a Bank of America branch in Hunt Valley, Md., until his move to the Baltimore Convention Center in 2005.
A natural-born leader, Williams said he always aspired to stand out from the crowd.
“I want people to remember my name because it was my father’s name and his father’s name. And I want to bestow a good name to my son so he would be proud of having it when I’m gone,” he said.
Anonymity, though, is more the norm with his current position behind the scenes.
“Success happens here in an unsung kind of way. when you’re an unsung hero you do what you do without accolades and you don’t expect rewards,” he said.
His reward, he said, comes from knowing he is doing what he feels born to do—to lead and to serve.
“It’s about knowing what you have to offer the world and then doing it,” he said. “You have to make a contribution or difference wherever you are and whatever you do.”
