Resort Development
High-touch engagements where experience, trust, and multi-party logistics determine satisfaction.
Inside this journey
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Executive Outcome Alignment
Align on investment returns, timeline, decision-makers, key constraints (entitlement, financing windows), and success metrics for the resort project.
Alignment Questions
Start Here: The Opportunity in One Breath
- What is the current legal/control status of the site?
- What is the approximate total development budget you’re planning for (hard + soft costs)?
- What triggered this initiative now—what event or decision put this project on the table?
- Who is the primary sponsor or lead owner we should be speaking with (name, role, email/phone)?
- What immediate outcome would make this initial phase feel successful to you?
Where the Project Really Lives Today — Tell Us the Whole Story
- If you had to summarize why this project exists in one blunt sentence, what would you say?
- Which of these stages have you completed or commissioned to date?
- How recent are the key analyses (market, cost, entitlement) we should review?
- What specific warning signs or surprises have surfaced in your work so far (permits, community pushback, utilities, cost estimates)?
- Who on your internal team owns day-to-day delivery and who is the escalation contact for approvals?
- If you had to give today’s overall confidence level in the project moving forward, what would you choose?
What's Quietly Eating Your Returns?
- What single cost, timeline, or market risk keeps you up at night about this deal?
- Which of these risks do you consider the top three threats to projected returns?
- How have you quantified those exposures so far—do you have sensitivity ranges, contingency assumptions, or stress-test scenarios?
- How long have these risks been present, and have they been getting materially worse or improving?
- Tell us about a past project or example where a similar risk realized—what changed and what could have prevented it?
- How emotionally urgent is mitigation—are you seeking reassurance, a tactical fix, or a full rework of the model?
Who Holds The Keys — Decision-Makers, Gatekeepers, and Influencers
- If this deal were a play, who has the power to greenlight, delay, or kill it—and why?
- Which of these stakeholders must sign-off on commercial terms or material changes?
- What is the preferred approval cadence and how quickly can each stakeholder respond (typical review times)?
- Are there non-technical stakeholders (community groups, political sponsors, environmental NGOs) whose support is essential?
- Who on the sponsor side will be our internal champion and who is most likely to resist changes?
- What governance or reporting structure would make you feel comfortable moving forward (monthly steering, milestone approvals, third‑party oversight)?
If Everything Went Right — The Story We Want to Tell
- Imagine opening-day headlines—what single metric or story would make you feel this project succeeded?
- What are the numeric targets you need to hit (RevPAR, occupancy, IRR, EBITDA margin)? Please list figures and horizons.
- By what year or operating milestone do you expect the project to stabilize against those targets?
- Which operational metrics beyond RevPAR matter most to you (F&B capture, ancillary revenue per occupied room, ADR mix, average length of stay)?
- How will you know we are off-track early—what early warning indicators should we watch together?
- If the project outperforms expectations, what upside would you want preserved versus captured by others (upside sharing preferences)?
Constraints, Windows, and Deal-Breakers — Timing You Can’t Lose
- What single constraint—timeline, permit, financing window, or contractual obligation—would stop the project if missed?
- Which of these critical windows apply and do you have firm dates or soft ranges?
- Please provide specific deadline dates or quarters for each critical window you selected above.
- If a critical window slips by one quarter, what is the likely material consequence (cost %, timeline impact, financing fallout)?
- Do you already have contingency plans (alternative financing, phased entitlements, value-engineering packages)? If so, briefly describe.
- What are the non-negotiable deal-breakers we must be aware of before building a recommended plan?
Evidence & Conviction — What Would Make You Sleep Easier?
- What piece of third-party evidence would most increase your confidence—what would make you say, ‘That settles it’?
- Which comparable resorts or projects do you view as the most relevant precedents? Please list and explain why.
- Have you previously requested reference calls or visited comparable resorts—what did those conversations reveal?
- What level of independent assurance do you want from us (peer review, full third‑party audit, periodic monitoring)?
- Is there an internal or external analyst/team whose endorsement will materially affect the outcome? If so, who?
- What open questions or unknowns would you prioritize answering in the first 30 days together?
What Would Make You Sign Today — Tradeoffs, Terms, and Next Steps
- What single concession, risk allocation, or commercial term would get you to sign a letter of intent or engagement this week?
- Which of these commercial structures best aligns with your current appetite?
- What contingency percentage (of hard construction cost) do you require in the budget today?
- What governance or decision triggers would accelerate your internal approval (monthly steering, milestone escrow, independent certifier)?
- If we delivered a scoped proposal and a clear path to close, how soon could you bring a term sheet or approval to your investment committee?
- What would you like our next tangible deliverable to be after this conversation (detailed scope, preliminary budget, site visit, workshop)?
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Solution Experience
Use the customer’s site, financial targets, and comparable resort case studies to show how a resort-first program mitigates entitlement, market, and cost risks and delivers target RevPAR and occupancy.
Experience Meetings
- Current State & Consequence Alignment
- Comparable Resort Case Studies — Proof Mapping
- Model Walkthrough — Target RevPAR & Risk Scenarios
- Phased Delivery & Risk Mitigation Workshop
- Site Walk / Virtual Experience & Final Validation
- Draft and circulate the phased delivery schedule with owners, milestones, and acceptance criteria for formal sign-off.
- Identify the top 3 scenarios that materially threaten returns and quantify how specific mitigations reduce that threat.
- Agree on target RevPAR/occupancy ranges and contingency thresholds to include in the phased plan.
- Revise the financial model to reflect agreed assumptions and circulate an executive summary of outcomes and sensitivities.
- Produce a mitigation impact matrix showing which levers mitigate which risks and the expected numeric benefit.
- Customer to confirm acceptable downside thresholds for go/no-go decision gates.
- Present Proposed Phased Scope & Timeline
- Agree to a phased delivery plan with named owners, milestone dates, and explicit acceptance criteria tied to success metrics.
- Lock in the entitlement and procurement mitigation strategies that will be executed to protect timeline and cost targets.
- Establish decision gates and the information required at each gate to enable go/no-go decisions.
- Introductions & Meeting Objectives
- Create a live risk register with triggers tied to decision gates and mitigation owners.
- Prepare procurement and cost-control playbook outlining immediate next steps to lock pricing and contractors.
- Pre-walk Objectives & Core Checks
- Validate physical feasibility and ensure site realities are reconciled with the financial model and phased program.
- Capture a list of immediate design or procurement changes that materially reduce cost or entitlement risk.
- Secure customer confirmation to proceed to the Mutual Commit stage with the agreed mitigations and plan.
- Produce a site visit report with annotated photos, redlines, constructability risks, and recommended mitigations.
- Update the model, phased plan, and risk register based on site findings and circulate for sign-off.
- Schedule Mutual Commit kickoff to finalize commercial terms and governance based on validated plan.
- Produce and document one authoritative one-sentence current-state statement agreed by all stakeholders.
- Quantify the financial and timeline consequences of the top 3 project risks to create urgency for mitigation.
- Agree on target success metrics (RevPAR, occupancy, IRR, timeline) that the Solution Experience must demonstrate.
- Confirm required site and financial data to enable the proof-phase modeling.
- Deliver a one-line Current State & Consequence statement and circulate for sign-off.
- Customer to provide site plans, latest budget, target returns, and any prior market/entitlement studies.
- Prepare an initial risk-cost worksheet quantifying impact of entitlement delays, cost escalation, and demand shortfall.
- Recap Agreed Current State & Future-State Metrics
- Demonstrate concrete, real-world examples where resort-first programs protected returns and delivered target operating metrics.
- Obtain customer agreement on which case-study mitigations are applicable and which require adaptation for their site.
- Secure approval to use selected comparable approaches as inputs to the financial model and phased plan.
- Deliver a case-study dossier with annotated parallels to the customer's site and highlight the top 5 transferable mitigations.
- Customer to confirm which comparable(s) they view as closest and note any non-applicable elements.
- Team to prepare inputs for the scenario model incorporating the chosen mitigation levers.
- Assumptions Recap & Validation
- Confirm model assumptions and obtain explicit customer validation for each material input.
- Base Case Pro Forma Walkthrough
- On-site / Virtual Walkthrough: Operational Flow & Constraints
- One-Sentence Current State Confirmation
- Governance, Owners & Decision Gates
- Case Study Presentations (3 comparables)
- Entitlement & Community Mitigation Plan
- Consequence Quantification
- Constructability & Cost Impact Notes
- Stress Tests & Sensitivities
- Map Case Study Actions to Customer Site
- Cost Control, Procurement & Contingency Strategy
- Mitigation Impact Runs
- Site Constraints & Decision Windows
- Operational & Revenue Outcomes
- Validation: Tie Findings to Future-State Outcomes
- Define Future-State Success Metrics
- Validation Exercise: Does the Plan Eliminate the Consequences?
- Validation Checkpoints
- Pre-work & Data Request
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Development Scope
Define the phased scope (feasibility, concept, entitlement, design, construction management, pre-opening), responsibilities, deliverables, milestones, and measurable acceptance criteria.
Scope Configuration
- Deliver Conceptual Resort Design Package
- Produce Architectural Schematic Drawings
- Prepare Complete Construction Documents
- Manage Entitlement and Permit Submissions
- Coordinate Environmental Mitigation Implementation
- Administer Contractor Procurement and Bidding
- Provide Onsite Construction Management
- Conduct Quality Control Inspections and Punchlists
- Manage RFI and Change Order Administration
- Control Construction Cost Reporting and Cashflow
- Oversee FF&E Procurement and Installation
- Recruit Hotel Executive Management Team
- Execute Pre-Opening Training and SOP Implementation
- Commission Building Systems and Turnover to Operator
Scope Questions
Deliver Conceptual Resort Design Package
- What is the site context and primary constraints we should reflect in the concept package (e.g., topography, coastal setback, access)?
- What is the target development program (approximate rooms, villas, residential units, F&B outlets, amenity types)?
- Which guest segments and positioning should the concept prioritize?
- Which deliverables are required in the conceptual package?
- Are there existing brand standards, franchise constraints, or operator criteria the concept must comply with?
- What is the targeted decision milestone for the concept package (date or project milestone)?
Produce Architectural Schematic Drawings
- Which schematic drawings are required for the project phase?
- What level of detail do you expect from schematics (high-level massing, block plans, partial fit-out, full furniture layouts)?
- Are existing site surveys, geotechnical reports, and utility maps available to support schematic development?
- Should schematics be coordinated with preliminary engineering disciplines (structural, MEP, civil) at delivery?
- Which file formats and model standards are required for schematic deliverables?
- What acceptance criteria or milestone review approvals must schematics meet (owner sign-off, brand review, planning pre-application)?
Prepare Complete Construction Documents
- Which disciplines must be included in the complete construction documents package?
- What level of BIM/LOD is required for construction documents?
- Do you require separate permit and contractor bid sets or a single consolidated set?
- How many formal document review cycles should we budget for (owner, brand, authority reviews)?
- Are there specific product specifications, performance standards, or sustainability certifications to include (e.g., local code, LEED, WELL)?
- Will you require as-built record drawings and O&M documentation as part of the construction document scope or as a separate phase?
Manage Entitlement and Permit Submissions
- What entitlement approvals are known to be required (zoning change, coastal permit, environmental review, conditional use, variances)?
- Are baseline studies available to support entitlement (traffic, noise, arborist, cultural heritage, environmental studies)?
- Do you anticipate major community or stakeholder opposition that will require engagement and public hearing support?
- What is the target permitting timeline or critical financing/entitlement window we must meet?
- Which deliverables should we prepare for submissions (plans, technical reports, community presentation materials)?
- Do you require ongoing permit tracking and agency correspondence management until certificate of occupancy?
Coordinate Environmental Mitigation Implementation
- Which types of environmental mitigation are expected or required?
- Who will be the responsible party for implementing mitigation (owner, environmental consultant, contractor, our firm)?
- Is a long-term monitoring and maintenance program required for any mitigation measures?
- Are there permit-linked performance milestones tied to mitigation (e.g., habitat establishment over multiple years)?
- What budget or allowance has been set aside for mitigation implementation?
- Do mitigation measures require specialist contractors or seasonal windows for implementation?
Administer Contractor Procurement and Bidding
- Which procurement method do you prefer for main construction contracts?
- Will bidders be prequalified or is an open tender required?
- What contract form will be used or preferred (AIA, FIDIC, bespoke owner contract)?
- Do you require bid-phase services such as addendum management, bidder Q&A, bid tabulation and recommendation?
- Are there local market constraints we should consider for procurement (limited contractors, import lead times, preferred local partners)?
- Do you want procurement staged (early packages for long-lead items) or single-package bidding?
Provide Onsite Construction Management
- What level of onsite construction management is required?
- What authority should the onsite CM hold regarding contractor oversight and approvals?
- Are there mandatory safety, security or community protocols the CM must enforce on site?
- What reporting cadence and format do you require from onsite CM (daily logs, weekly progress, monthly dashboards)?
- Do you require our team to coordinate subcontractor scheduling, coordination meetings, and brand inspections?
- Will the CM be responsible for safety compliance documentation and toolbox talks?
Conduct Quality Control Inspections and Punchlists
- What inspection frequency is required during critical phases (foundations, MEP rough-in, finishes)?
- Do you require third-party QC or testing (materials testing, concrete breaks, independent QA/QC)?
- What acceptance criteria should be used for punchlist sign-off (snag-free percentage, rework timeline)?
- Should punchlist management include photo-annotated reports and tracking to closure in a project platform?
- Will warranty inspections and post-handover snag rounds be required at 3, 6, 12 months?
- Are brand or operator sign-offs required at final inspection and punchlist completion?
Manage RFI and Change Order Administration
- What is the desired turnaround time for RFI responses?
- Who has approval authority for change orders and at what thresholds?
- What format and tracking method should be used for RFIs and COs (project platform, email, contractor system)?
- Do you want a cost impact estimate and schedule impact analysis included with every proposed change order?
- What is the anticipated volume of RFIs/COs based on project complexity (estimate)?
- Should contingency drawdown and change order reporting be included in monthly executive cost reports?
Control Construction Cost Reporting and Cashflow
- How frequently do you require formal cost reporting and forecasting?
- Which reporting views are required (SOV progress, committed cost, forecast at completion, variance analysis)?
- Are there lender or investor draw schedule requirements and documentation formats to comply with?
- What retainage and payment terms are planned that the cashflow model must reflect?
- Do you require earned value management, cost-to-complete forecasting, or a simpler cashflow projection?
- Should the cost reporting include change order logs and contingency vs allowance tracking?
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Mutual Commit
Finalize commercial terms, governance, milestone payments, contingencies, and risk allocation to confirm readiness to proceed.
Agreement Modules
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Master Services Agreement (MSA)
- Commercial Terms & Pricing Schedule
- Payment & Milestone Schedule
- Governance & Decision Rights
- Risk Allocation & Contingency Plan
- Change Order & Variation Procedure
- Permits, Financing & Lender Conditions
- Procurement & Third-Party Appointment Plan
- Insurance, Bonds & Indemnity Schedule
- Performance Guarantees & Acceptance Criteria
- Escrow, Holdback & Security Mechanisms
- Termination, Suspension & Exit Rights
- Execution Confirmation / Letter of Intent
- Data Sharing & Reporting Requirements
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Deployment
Operationalize rollout with readiness checks, enablement, and outcome validation.
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Pre-Deployment Readiness
Confirm permits, financing conditions, procurement plans, construction team appointments, and risk controls are in place before breaking ground.
Readiness Questions
Tell Us the One‑Line Story Behind This Project
- In one sentence, what is this resort project trying to accomplish (investment goal + brief site picture)?
- Which of these best describes where you are today with the site?
- What is your target date for breaking ground?
- What is the current high‑level budget envelope (hard and soft) you are using to test feasibility?
- What keeps you up at night about this project—say it like you’re explaining it to a colleague at 2 a.m.
Are We Optimistic — Or Just Hopeful About Demand?
- What specific evidence makes you believe the market will support the RevPAR and occupancy targets you’re using?
- Which of these demand drivers do you expect will be strongest for this resort?
- Do you have comparable resort projects or comp sets you trust? If yes, please list the top 2–3 by name and why they’re relevant.
- What is your current target stabilized RevPAR and occupancy (or range)?
- How confident are you in the market assumptions (evidence-backed vs. directional)?
What’s the Single Biggest Obstacle No One Talks About?
- If you had to name one internal or external risk that would sink the deal faster than anything else, what would it be?
- Have you experienced entitlement delays, permit rejections, or political pushback on past projects? Tell us what happened and the impact.
- Which construction risk worries you most for this site?
- What level of cost escalation would force you to revisit or pause the project (select a range)?
- How long of a schedule delay would likely cause you to lose a financing window or strategic timing?
Who Really Makes the Call — and What Will They Insist On?
- Who are the three people or groups whose approval is required to commit capital or proceed to ground (names/titles)?
- What does each key decision‑maker prioritize most (rank or list brief priorities)?
- Are there known governance processes or committees that could slow approval (investment committee cadence, sovereign approvals, board reviews)? If yes, describe.
- What is the approval threshold that triggers board or investor review (select one)?
- How do decision‑makers prefer to receive updates and make decisions (weekly calls, written memos, in‑person reviews, dashboards)?
If This Project Was a Business, What Would ‘Success’ Look Like?
- What are the top three measurable success metrics you will judge this project by (be specific: IRR, net cash yield, RevPAR, occupancy, NOI margin, EBITDA)?
- What target IRR, equity multiple, or cash‑on‑cash return are you using for underwriting?
- How quickly do you expect the asset to reach stabilized performance (select one)?
- Is there an intended hold/exit strategy tied to these metrics (hold, refinance, sell at stabilization)? Please explain.
- Which operational KPIs are deal‑makers most sensitive to post‑opening (choose up to three)?
What Would Make You Pause Before Breaking Ground?
- Before you give notice to proceed, which conditional items must be resolved (pick all that apply)?
- What is the current status of permits and entitlements for the project?
- What level of lender or investor conditions still need to be satisfied (select all that apply)?
- Do you have a preferred contracting model for the build (single‑contractor/GMP, CMAR, design‑build, traditional bid)?
- If a critical permit or financing condition slips, what is your default decision rule (pause and re‑underwrite, proceed with contingency, reduce scope, walk away)?
Who Will Run This Project — and How Will They Be Held Accountable?
- Do you have a named development or construction lead already? If yes, please provide name, firm, and role.
- Which project governance model do you prefer for delivering this resort?
- How would you like project performance to be reported (select all that apply)?
- Which construction and pre‑opening KPIs will trigger escalation or governance intervention (e.g., cost > x, critical path slip > y days)? Please be specific.
- What dispute resolution and change‑order approval process do you prefer?
What Do You Want Guests to Remember on Day One—and What’s Stopping That?
- Describe, in a sentence, the guest experience or brand moment you want at opening.
- Are you aligned with a brand or exploring independent/resort‑branded options?
- Does a pre‑opening operations plan and staffing/training program exist today?
- What commissioning, brand approval, and training milestones must be complete before turnover (list top 3)?
- What post‑opening support do you expect from the development partner (stabilization management, marketing launch, ops advisory)?
Quick Checks: Documents, Contacts, and Next Steps
- Please indicate the availability status of these core documents: feasibility study, market study, geotech, environmental report, title, and preliminary budget.
- Which critical documents are available to share right now? (select all that apply)
- Who should we contact as the primary project representative (name, role, email, phone)?
- Are you willing to provide references from prior development partners or lenders for validation?
- When would you like to schedule a focused 90‑minute workshop to review market, risk, and the initial solution approach?
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Construction & Pre-Opening Execution
Manage construction oversight, cost-control protocols, brand compliance, and pre-opening operations execution with clear sequencing and owners.
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Validation & Handover Checklist
Verify milestone deliverables, brand approvals, commissioning, training, and operational readiness prior to turnover and opening.
Validation Questions
Why this moment? Tell us the backstory
- What prompted you to consider developing a resort on this site right now?
- Which of these triggered the initiative? (select all that apply)
- How time-sensitive is the decision to move forward (e.g., financing windows, entitlement timelines, option expirations)?
- What prior work exists today for this opportunity (feasibility, concept sketches, market study, site assessments)? Please list and attach if available.
- Who internally first raised this idea, and what personal or strategic objective are they trying to achieve?
What keeps you awake at 2 AM about this project?
- If everything that could go wrong happened, what single outcome would be the most damaging to you?
- How would that outcome affect your investment returns or decision to proceed (percentage impact, timeline slip, or strategic consequence)?
- Which of the following past project experiences best describes your fear level for this one?
- Emotionally, how do these risks feel—manageable, worrying, or existential—and why?
- What mitigation measures have you already considered or put in place?
Who really holds the keys?
- If this deal stopped today, which individual or group would you say is most likely to walk away—and why?
- Which stakeholders will have final approval at each stage? (select all that apply and name key contacts in the next question)
- Please list the names, roles, and preferred decision timeline for the top 3 approvers we should engage.
- How aligned are those stakeholders today on the target returns, timeline, and acceptable trade-offs?
- What internal politics or prior commitments could influence their willingness to accept our recommendations?
Which number will break the deal?
- Which single pro forma assumption, if proven wrong, would make you walk away from the project?
- Please provide the target and downside value for that assumption (e.g., target RevPAR $X / downside $Y).
- How much contingency is currently included in the budget and where is it allocated?
- How comfortable are you with transferring vs. retaining cost and schedule risk (e.g., fixed-price GC, GMP, owner contingency)?
- Have lenders or equity partners set specific covenants or thresholds we must meet before each milestone? If yes, summarize.
How does the market fall in love (or not)?
- What would need to be true about demand and the competitive set for this resort to meet or exceed your RevPAR/occupancy targets?
- Which demand generators are most important for this site? (select all that apply)
- How reliable are the comps you intend to use—do they share similar seasonality, price positioning, and service proposition?
- Where do you expect demand to come from in year 1 versus year 5? Please provide segments and approximate mix.
- What current market signals (airlift, new attractions, pricing trends) make you optimistic or skeptical?
Design vs. Dollars: What won't budge?
- Which brand or design requirement is absolutely non-negotiable for you, even if it increases cost?
- Which elements would you be willing to reconfigure or phase to protect budget and schedule?
- How do you prioritize guest experience versus cost containment on a scale from 1 (cost first) to 5 (experience first)?
- Have you identified potential value-engineering areas or local design alternatives we should evaluate? If so, list them.
- Would you accept a phased opening or soft-branding to protect returns and accelerate cash flow?
Deadlines, windows, and the one date you can't miss
- If you had to guarantee just one date, which would it be—construction start, opening, or stabilized cash flow—and why?
- What external windows are critical (e.g., entitlement approval periods, tax/incentive deadlines, tourist season timing)?
- Which milestone delays would you tolerate and which would trigger contract breaches or a pause in funding?
- How do you currently track schedule risk and which party is accountable for on-time delivery?
- What accelerated approaches (e.g., phased enabling works, prefabrication, parallel permitting) would you consider to protect the critical date?
Opening day: what success actually looks like
- Imagine opening day—name the three measurable things that would make you say: ‘We nailed it.’
- Which KPIs are non-negotiable in the first 24 months (select up to 4)
- How important is brand consistency versus local authenticity for guest perception and long-term returns?
- What pre-opening readiness items worry you most (hiring, systems, supplier contracts, brand approvals)?
- Do you expect us to lead pre-opening training and commissioning, or to advise an existing operations partner?
Risk — what are you willing to own?
- Which category of risk are you least willing to accept personally (construction, entitlement, market, brand, financial)?
- What risk transfer mechanisms do you prefer—fixed-price contracts, performance guarantees, milestone-based payments, or shared contingencies?
- Have you used third-party oversight or owner's rep services on prior projects? What worked or failed?
- If we were to propose a risk-allocation table, which items must be assigned to the developer and which could credibly be delegated to contractors or brand partners?
- Are there specific contractual terms or commercial red lines we should be aware of before drafting proposals?
Quick alignment: what would make you invite us in?
- What would success from our initial engagement (first 60–90 days) look like to you?
- Which deliverables would you prioritise in that window? (select up to 4)
- How do you prefer to make decisions during discovery—weekly steering calls, biweekly executive updates, or milestone workshops?
- What budget range and approval process would you consider for an initial feasibility and concept phase?
- What are the top three questions you'd like answered by the end of discovery that would make you comfortable moving to the next stage?
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Success
Review performance against feasibility and success metrics, capture lessons learned, and maintain a shared channel for issues and enhancements.
Success Reviews
- Success Review Kickoff
- Performance vs Feasibility Deep Dive
- Lessons Learned Workshop
- Continuous Improvement & Enhancements Planning
- Shared Channel, Reporting & Ongoing Governance Setup
Issues & Enhancements
- Establish governance and reporting mechanisms to track adoption and impact of enhancements.
- Share consolidated performance data request list and deadlines with owners.
- Distribute the template for the performance pack (metrics, data fields, and definitions).
- Schedule the Performance vs Feasibility Deep Dive session and assign facilitators.
- Workshop Framing & Rules
- Capture a comprehensive set of lessons across all project phases with clear context and evidence.
- Prioritize lessons into quick wins and strategic changes to inform process and contractual updates.
- Assign accountable owners and timelines to convert lessons into actionable changes.
- Create a Lessons Learned dossier with context, evidence, recommended change, and owner for each prioritized lesson.
- Update the standard playbook sections (entitlement, procurement, cost control, pre-opening) with approved changes.
- Schedule knowledge-transfer sessions for the delivery and development teams to institutionalize best practices.
- Review Prioritized Lessons & Problem Statements
- Convert lessons into a prioritized, time-bound enhancement backlog with owners and success metrics.
- Define at least one pilot initiative with clear scope, metrics, and resourcing to trial improvements.
- Opening & Metric Definitions
- Publish the prioritized enhancement backlog to the shared channel with owners and due dates.
- Draft pilot charters for top 1–3 initiatives and secure sponsor approval.
- Allocate required budget or internal resources for approved pilots and updates.
- Stakeholder Roles & Audience
- Put a shared, auditable channel in place for tracking issues and enhancements with clear ownership and SLAs.
- Agree on reporting cadence and template so stakeholders receive consistent, actionable updates.
- Ensure all relevant stakeholders are onboarded and know how to use the channel and submit items.
- Create the shared channel/workspace and invite the defined stakeholder list with appropriate permissions.
- Publish issue submission and SLA guidelines and the initial reporting templates to the channel.
- Populate the channel with the initial backlog items and schedule the recurring reporting meetings.
- Identify and quantify the largest variances between feasibility and actual performance.
- Agree on the preliminary root causes for material variances and assign owners for deeper analysis.
- Determine whether performance deviations are acceptable, remediable, or require contract/governance actions.
- Produce a variance register with quantified financial impact and assigned RCA owners.
- Task finance team to model IRR/P&L impacts for top 3 variance scenarios.
- Collect missing validation documents (commissioning logs, vendor claims, entitlement correspondence).
- Welcome & Objectives
- Ensure all stakeholders share a single, explicit set of feasibility assumptions and success metrics.
- Confirm data sources, owners and validation steps to enable reliable performance comparison.
- Agree on review timeline, deliverables, and responsibilities.
- Revenue & Demand Performance
- Project Timeline Retrospective
- Agreed Feasibility & Success Metrics Recap
- Channel Structure & Tools
- Propose Improvement Initiatives
- Issue/Enhancement Lifecycle & SLAs
- Breakout 1 — Entitlement & Market Risks
- Define Pilot Scope & Success Criteria
- Proposed Review Scope & Methodology
- Cost, Schedule & Capex Variance
- Reporting Templates & Cadence
- Prioritization & Resourcing
- Data Ownership & Validation Plan
- Operational KPIs & Guest Experience
- Breakout 2 — Construction & Cost Controls
- Timeline, Outputs & Roles
- Risk Events & Root-Cause Summary
- Breakout 3 — Brand & Operational Readiness
- Onboarding, Access & Next Steps
- Roadmap, Governance & Reporting
- Quantify Financial Impact & Sensitivity
- Synthesis & Prioritization
- Assign Owners & Next Steps
- Confirm Open Questions & Next Steps