Mediaboss Marketing

By Tom Leonard In New York

Published: 17:28 EST, 12 September 2014 | Updated: 18:37 EST, 12 September 2014

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Not since she sank to the ground on Centre Court and savoured her historic ninth Wimbledon singles victory title did Martina Navratilova look so happy.

This time the sporting legend was on her knees again or one at least as she proposed to her long-time girlfriend Julia Lemigova last weekend, a moment that was flashed over the big screen at the U.S. Open tennis championships.

A commentary box during a break in the mens semi-finals may not have been the most romantic setting, but Ms Lemigova surely understood tennis had to be the backdrop to a proposal from a woman so synonymous with the sport.

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Former tennis star Martina Navratilova proposed to Julia Lemigova at Arthur Ashe Stadium, in New York

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Meet Julie Lemigova the future Mrs Navratilova, the beauty queen with an ugly past

Travellers in their 30s are a rare sight.

OK, where are you? Yeah, you. The traveller in your 30s. Where are you? What are you doing? Where are you hanging out? What are you visiting? Where do you eat? Where do you drink?

Ive been noticing recently that the world might be full of travellers, but you dont seem to run into many who are in their 30s. Plenty in their late teens and 20s, sure. And in middle or advancing age. But where are the 30- to 40-year-olds?Its a funny age, I guess.

Youve probably outgrown youth hostels by now, and you can certainly afford to stay somewhere nicer. You still like to have a drink, but you're not popping pills in Ibiza or dancing on tables in Mykonos - you're sipping wine with dinner or sampling cocktails in a bar.

Youve got plenty of travel experience under your belt, so theres probably no need to do a tour. And even if you did, it wouldnt be one of the backpacker jobs but then, it wouldnt be one of the luxury river cruises either. Itd be something in the middle. Whatever that is.

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Youre probably married by now. Maybe youve got a mortgage and youre getting serious about your career, which doesnt leave much room for long jaunts overseas.

You might have kids, too, which is why youre not really on the road anyway. Or if you are, youre looking at child-friendly destinations with babysitters and care centres inside the resort. Youre probably not heading off to do an overlander in Africa, or a backpacking trip through Central America.

If youre free of offspring youll still be travelling, but with that huge chunk of disposable income youre probably staying in cool little boutique hotels and eating at fancy restaurants. Youre not dossing in dorm rooms and cooking pasta in communal kitchens.

All of which means that youre not meeting many people, but rather doing your own thing and minding your own business.

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Where are all the thirty-something travellers?

The Hard Rock is an immediately recognizable brand around the world, one that built its reputation on associations with the biggest and best rock stars. The walls of their restaurants are covered in memorabilia from the likes of Mtley Cre and Van Halen, while their hotels are a perfect mix of comfortable, approachable luxury mixed with quotes on mirrors from Jimi Hendrix and even more elaborate displays in the hallways of full outfits worn on stage by Lenny Kravitz and the like.

Everybody knows the Hard Rock and what it stands forand thats exactly the problem the company is having right now. Music is always changing, always looking forward to new artists, styles, and genres. Perhaps more than any other industry, music is never stagnant.

One of the Hard Rock Hotels Sound of Your Stay Lollapalooza after parties. (via the Hard Rock)

The Hard Rock did such a good job of branding themselves over several decades that now they are having a hard time changing the story. Rock and roll has all but disappeared from the charts, and while names like The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney continue to be some of musics biggest moneymakers, they are far from the minds of millennials, who are much more interested in the worlds of hip-hop and electronic dance music.

The brands association with rock and roll is tough to shed, as not only have they cultivated that look for so many years, but their name is pretty literal. The company is finding it tricky to balance the tasks of holding on to older market segmentsones with more money and who revel in the glory days of rockand the younger crowds, who brands are courting heavily, both for social endorsements and future revenues.

While its a formidable task, the Hard Rock is going full force to keep loyal customers while recruiting new ones. For example, at this past months Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, the Hard Rock went all out to make themselves the place to be. A short-sighted company would have rented out all of their event spaces for private events and collected the cash, but the Hard Rock is looking for a different kind of growth. Instead, by booking some of the hottest acts to perform (such as Lykke Li and Betty Who) and celebrity DJs (Joe Jonas), the space became the go-to after party for everyone at the festival, filling their bars and showing younger crowds that they can play with the best of them.

The hotel chain has been working diligently on scouting the best up-and-coming locales around the world that have a connection to music for new buildings. They have a location in Palm Springs that fills up every time mega-festival Coachella comes around, and they recently opened in Ibiza, the electronic dance music capital of the world. At that grand opening party, the brand showed just how diverse they can be, hiring Nile Rodgers (of Chic fame) and Snoop Dogg to play immediately after DJs, bringing every genre to the stage.

On top of all that, like most hotels, they do make quite a bit of their revenue from hosting corporate events and meetings. Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer John Galloway explained that this can be a difficult sell for some:

Its a delicate balancethere are sometimes headwinds against our business where a CEO has to sign a check, and if youre that travel manager that has to say you had your meeting at the Hard Rock, the CEO might say You had it at the Hard Rock? We have to overcome that perception and show people that yes, were the Hard Rock, but we know how to host a world class meeting, and well fuse in a little creativity

The brand is still an incredibly valuable one, but it is also a perfect example of how no matter how strong a name is at one time, those in charge need to stay on their feet, and be aware of whats happening in the field, looking forward all the time. Thankfully, the Hard Rock is doing just that, working on infusing not just rock but music of all kinds into everything they do, hopefully inspiring the next generation to celebrate with them.

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The Music May be Changing, but the Hard Rock Brand Rocks On

If it's true that we "eat with our eyes," then Mambo Cocina Latina is a true visual feast. The Nuevo Latino eatery on New Haven's State Street produces a bevy of Spanish, Caribbean and South American dishes, all vibrant in both color and flavor.

Take the tower of tuna tartare, layered with rosy raw fish and creamy green avocado and flanked by canary-yellow plantain chips. Seafood paella, bright with pink shrimp, saffron and green onion, can also be regally crowned with half a lobster. Vivid orange mango puree fills a glass of white wine-based sangria, dotted with crimson berries. Rich coconut flan is sheltered in an intricate shell of spun sugar.

Goodfellas Restaurant owner Gennaro "Gerry" Iannaccone and his sister Elena Fusco, who operates Bin 100 in Milford, opened Mambo in October. As they were more experienced with traditional Italian cuisine, they called upon chef Alex Morales, who'd built his career working for restaurateur Rafael Palomino (Pacifico, Bistro Latino in Old Greenwich.) Morales' menu pulls from several cultures for a complete tour of flavors.

"Our cuisine is influenced by Latin America and Spain. It's not fusion, it's just influenced; these flavors that are characteristic of Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Spain," said manager Michael Rodriguez. "All these Latin countries we bring it together in a new style of presentation."

Diners will see "a little bit of everything" at Mambo, Rodriguez said, starting with instantly recognizable Mexican-inspired dishes like tableside guacamole with fresh avocados, chicken quesadillas and Baja fish tacos. Peruvian fish stew melds shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, yucca and tomato. Ropa vieja, a shredded braised beef with peppers, onion and saffron rice, has roots in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Cocas, a type of Catalan flatbread with a variety of vegetable and meat toppings, are popular starters.

Other dishes employ more non-specific influences: a braised short rib dish with Rioja wine sauce, mushrooms and saffron roasted garlic mashed potatoes; pollo relleno with roasted pepper, sweet plantain, queso fresco and a coconut-lemongrass sauce; peppercorn-crusted yellowfin tuna, coconut sweet plantain mash and pineapple salsa in a carrot reduction.

"We respect each culture and take those flavors, make it a new dish with a new colorful way to present it," Rodriguez said.

Seafood takes the spotlight at several turns, including a coconut lobster ceviche with grilled pineapple, lemongrass and red onion; and raw bar offerings of Blue Point oysters with mango cava mignonette, cocktail shrimp and littleneck clams. Crispy fried oysters, crab cakes, grilled octopus, garlic shrimp and mussels cooked in Corona beer round out the appetizers; and fried squid tops a salad with frisee, baby arugula, jicama, mango, radish, cashews and lime vinaigrette.

Rodriguez says Chef Morales, who captured the 2014 title of "Iron Chef Elm City" in a competition against chefs Frank Proto of Barcelona and Manuel Romero, formerly of Ibiza, has an "obsession" with keeping the menu fresh. He and his kitchen staff constantly introduce new plates and specials and change up preparations and ingredients so the food remains interesting.

Appetizers, salads, ceviches and raw bar items are $8 to $15; entrees are $19 to $29; cocktails are $10 and $11. Mambo also offers a daily prix-fixe menu, with three courses for $17 at lunch and $29 at dinner. Diners choose from a host of starters (soups, salads, empanadas, small plates); sandwiches and entrees and a variety of desserts.

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Colorful Nuevo Latino Fare At Mambo

Just six months after Ibiza Restaurant closed, a new restaurant featuring Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine opened its doors at 39 High St.

Olea, the new restaurant occupying the space next to the Little Salad Shop, held its grand opening last night. Although the space is under new ownership, the restaurant will have a familiar face at the helm Manuel Romero, former executive chef for Ibiza, will be the chef at the new fusion restaurant in addition to assuming partial ownership. After serving authentic Spanish food in New Haven for over a decade, Ibiza closed this past March due to a dispute between the landlord and restaurant owners Sonia and Ignacio Blanco, the New Haven Independent reported in March.

The restaurant will have a soft opening, according to Andrea Romero, the chefs wife, who also works at the restaurant. For the first week or so, Olea will only be open for dinner, though the restaurant will eventually also offer lunch meals.

We want to start well and we are taking it slow, Romero said on the night of the restaurants opening. So far, the customers seem to be happy.

Romero said he intends to incorporate ingredients from all over the world into his dishes. Indeed, the owners chose the restaurants name to encapsulate this style of cooking. The title refers to an olive tree popular in three different regions the Mediterranean, Southern Europe and North Africa.

Were really trying to break away from traditional dishes, Romero said. This is going to be a totally new adventure from Ibiza.

Romero cited a few of the dishes featured including Tuna Tartare, Moroccan Chicken Tagine and beet salad with goat cheese croquette as examples of the restaurants eclectic menu.

Romero said he is confident the new spot will appeal to Yalies and other college students in the area because, little by little, more young people are becoming more interested in going out to eat.

Despite the fact that there are two other Spanish-focused restaurants a few blocks from Olea, Romero said he is not worried about potential competition, adding that he is not interested in how much nearby restaurants are charging or what ingredients they are using.

Thomas Aviles 16, who has eaten at Ibiza a few times, said he enjoyed the ambiance, calling it a nice place to go to have a more formal meal for dates or other occasions.

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Olea to offer fusion food to students