Ask a New Yorker: I’m sitting with Merrie L. Davis. That’s M.E.R.R.I.
E, unusual spelling. Is that a family name?
Merrie: No, it’s not, but then my mother was very happy when I was born.
Ask a New Yorker: And the L?
Merrie: It’s for Lovable (laughter)! Merrie Lovable Davis, that’s
what people tell me.
Ask a New Yorker: Describe yourself.
Merrie: I’m going to do word association: Laughter, fun, humor. That’s
what comes to mind, especially when I’m working in my office, when I need
a break I look around my office at all the little toys I’ve accumulated
throughout my years in sales. Many of those that you see here, I’ve used
as part of my sales presentations. Humor breaks the ice.
Ask a New Yorker: What is your business?
Merrie: I’m the President and Publisher of MVP/NY, the umbrella organization
for a group of five New York-Centric publications for travelers and locals:
IN New York, Where New York (both monthly magazines), Where GuestBook (a hard
cover annual), IN New York MAP (quarterly), and QG: New York City’s QuickGuide
(biannual).
Ask a New Yorker: Where can we find these publications…and what’s
the cover price?
Merrie: Well, the good news is that our books are complimentary. You can find
them almost everywhere throughout the city and beyond: hotels, tourism information
centers, attractions, museums, corporate apartments, residential buildings,
New York Water, The Queen Mary 2, Grand Central Station, Bloomingdales and Macy’s
Visitor Centers, along with Barney’s and Saks …
Ask a New Yorker. Is there anything new happening in the hospitality industry?
Merrie: Yes, Hotel concierges have become a much better source of information
and they’re being relied upon more and more. Travelers are reaching out
to them as never before…even before they arrive at the hotel. The concierge
is looked upon as an indispensible part of the hotel industry and relied upon
as the Ambassador of Good Will to the city.
Ask a New Yorker: What’s your favorite hotel for breakfast?
Merrie: Truly, I don’t have a favorite and frankly, so as not to show
favorites, I love them all.
Ask a New Yorker: Its 4:30 in the afternoon right now. What was your day like?
Merrie: Well, I might have a morning meeting and get to the office about 9:00am,
since I oversee all departments – sales, marketing, art, edit, production,
etc. – I usually have brief internal meetings to keep me up to speed on
how each department is doing and challenges they may be facing. One minute I’ll
be discussing a cover option for IN, and the next I’m on the phone helping
an Account Manager close a sale for Where. It’s hectic; lunch is often
at my desk, or with a client. It’s never boring and it’s such a
”rush” to watch my team in action, to get the sale and to see the
final products. The day quickly turns into night, and long hours are the norm.
MVP/NY also does about 100 concierge events a year…introducing our clients
to the concierge community…we’ll take the concierge to a restaurant
and maybe then to a play, so they can experience everything for themselves to
better serve their guests and of course I’m often there.
Ask a New Yorker: The New York City Association of Hotel Concierges bestowed
upon you a rare title of “Honorary Concierge”.
Merrie: Yes, that was really special since I’ve worked with the concierge
community for OVER 20 years. They are a great, great group of people. They really
make a difference to your trip and to the city. I’m honored to work with
them; their recognition of my efforts to help with the city’s tourism
efforts is something I’m very proud of.
Ask a New Yorker: Ok, let’s switch it up here. Do you have a green thumb?
Do you like to garden?
Merrie: I use to kill philodendron, and then I discovered a DNA Gene for gardening…
So, the answer is, yes I love it! Do the plants thrive at times? Not totally,
but I believe enthusiasm counts for a lot so I really care and try hard.
Ask a New Yorker: Do you talk to your plants?
Merrie: All the time. Love it…as they don’t talk back. Funny story,
I have a weekend getaway home and went to the garden center to buy mulch based
on what I was told to do to estimate the amount. Well, it turned out that I
purchased 22 cubic yards of the stuff…enough to mulch Connecticut.
Ask a New Yorker: I saw Lady Ga-Ga on the February, 2010 edition of IN. Did
you go to her most recent concert at Madison Square Garden?
Merrie: We always have hot celebrities on IN New York. I didn’t go to
her concert, but I think she is an amazing person to have marketed herself in
such a phenomenal way. Anyone who wants to be a marketer should take lessons
from her.
Ask a New Yorker: Where did you grow up?
Merrie: Born in Brooklyn, grew up in Queens and then moved to Manhattan.
Ask a New Yorker: Can you sing?
Merrie: Well, there’s a funny story attached to that. In junior high school,
I tried out for the glee club and the teacher said she would make me a deal.
She would make me secretary of the glee club if I promised to mouth the words
because she claimed I was throwing everybody off-key. I was so hurt by that.
I went through my mother’s vintage record collection and I learned all
of the Broadway shows songs along with songs from the 30,s through to the 70”s.
. . I love to sing but some say I’m a monotone. I don’t care, its
fun. In fact, MVP/NY holds an annual black tie hospitality industry event and
at every event (for the past 20 years) I go on stage and sing a parody, written
especially for me, which is tied to the tune of a recent Broadway show. Recently,
I sand a parody to The Addams Family (the theme from the hit TV show).
Ask a New Yorker: Your junior high school teacher would be proud of you.
Merrie: I’ve learned to have fun with singing. Today, I’m better
without any accompaniment; I’d much prefer to sing a capella.
Ask a New Yorker: What would you like to learn that you don’t already
know?
Merrie: I’d like to learn how to draw. I recently got back into painting.
I used to dabble in painting years ago and now I’m into acrylics but my
inability to draw makes it much harder for me. As a matter of fact, I’ll
be taking drawing classes soon.
Ask a New Yorker: Back to your office and its décor.
Merrie: I’m really a child at heart. As Peter Pan said, “I won’t
grow up”. The miniature chair collection started when I purchased an eight
dollar twig chair at the Lexington street fair many years ago and it’s
taken on a life of its own. I have over a thousand miniature chairs. Miniature
is not necessarily doll-house size. They can be seven, eight, nine inches high.
They’re literally all over the place. I have a lot of chairs and no place
to sit.
Ask a New Yorker: How do you stay so young and healthy, happy and fit?
Merrie: I exercise, walk the treadmill, meditate and practice E.F.T. (Emotional
Freedom Technique).
Ask a New Yorker: What’s your mantra?
Merrie: My business Mantra is “Work Hard, Have Fun and Make Money”….
Ask a New Yorker: Do you have any inspirational saying that you live by?
Merrie: Yes, here’s one:”If you believe you can or you believe you
can’t, you’re probably right”.
Then there’s The Bumble Bee philosophy of life. Aerodynamically, a bumble
bee cannot fly but the bee doesn’t know it so he flies anyway.
Ask a New Yorker: Love the stuffed cat. What’s your favorite toy in your
office?
Merrie: I have two “very much alive” cats at home, and I’m
very happy that they’re in my life.
One of my favorite toys I bought in England while on a business trip is a mini
violin (its about 3 inches long) and it plays various songs! I use my little
violin on certain sales call to lighten the mood and start playing it when a
client begins “singing the blues” about how they’re over budget
with their advertising. Everyone gets a good laugh, it changes the tone of the
meeting, and then we’re able to do business.
