Anne Fischer '04

Senior Manager,

Lifestyle and Digital Marketing,
Busch Entertainment Corporation

(Maiden name: Anne Cecil)

q: What do you do?

a: Help integrate Busch Entertainment's brands into your daily life. Using social media, we're able to interact with you even when you're not physically visiting one of our parks. You can follow Shamu's adventures throughout the day on Twitter or use a Facebook application to play Sea World's Photo Adventure game -- all allowing us to stay top of mind. My office sets the strategies for all 10 theme parks.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: I can dive in and learn something new all the time, and do things that have never been done before. Because the Manta ride opened a month earlier than planned, we literally announced it to the world within 24 hours using Twitter. It's all so enjoyable that I have difficulty telling where my professional life ends and personal life begins; it's all intertwined.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: You can never be fast enough to keep up with social media. Our reaction time needs to be very quick. If a consumer requests something, like a photo of an otter, we may have to scramble to locate one. The positive side of this is that we're in control of messages going right to our customer without any delay time; in the past, we were at the mercy of journalists who would decide whether or not they wanted to publish a story. If they did, it could take a long time to get published and from a certain angle to meet the writer's objectives. We have the power of proxy now.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Dave Buckalew '05, Erica (Acquavita) Buckalew '04, and Michael Fisch '04.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: At the Dr. Phillips dog park with my silky terrier Nate.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Getting married, and also running the Disney Marathon. While at Rosen College, I ran the Gold Coast Marathon along the ocean in Australia. I was studying abroad at Griffith University, one of Rosen's sister schools.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: It introduced me to the tourism industry. Most importantly, it gave me the confidence and tools to continue learning. Tourism is continually evolving and so is marketing. I'm able to evolve with them.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: The new campus opened up my last semester. The students now have it so good. I would have loved to have been here all four years.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Football games, tailgating parties and all the fanfare that goes along with rooting for your team.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Yellow Dog's 'Famous' Pulled Pork sandwich at Yellow Dog Eats in Gotha.

q: On your iPod?

a: The Zac Brown Band (I went to the concert in Jacksonville) and being from Kentucky, lots of country music.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: Although the Manta flying roller coaster has only been open three weeks, I've been on it 19 times.

Dave Buckalew '05

Owner,
Buckalew Hospitality

q: What do you do?

a: I run my own Orlando-based hospitality consulting firm. I specialize in mystery shopping services for hotels and working with meeting planners to find customized staffing and service solutions.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: The freedom to take time off when I want and, when I'm working, create my own schedule. Unless a project dictates start and end times, I usually decide when I start in the morning and finish for the evening. If a social event comes up, I can juggle my schedule to attend.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: Sales. I'm definitely not a salesman. Once I have the business I'm great at maintaining and operating it, but the initial sell is where I need improvement. I rely on the competitive advantage of being quick on technology and fast to respond with communication.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Yes. I truly enjoy keeping in touch with classmates including Mike Fisch ’04 and Scott Mifsud ’03.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: At a baseball game or UCF sporting event. (Interviewer note: Dave had a Longoria jersey hung up in his car and was headed straight to a Tampa Bay Rays game following our interview.)

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Getting married to Erica Acquavita ’04, a Rosen College graduate who I met in high school, and buying a house.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: UCF, particularly Rosen College, helped me develop my network. I also was able to gain crucial experience doing the required internships. I was really involved in the student clubs and associations which helped me to develop and pursue the clients I have today.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: More emphasis could have been put on sales and entrepreneurship in the industry. You certainly learn the theory and operations side from a manager standpoint; however, there is a big difference between owning the business and running the business. I learned most of this stuff on the road.

q: A UCF memory?

a: Parties, road trips, Main Campus and Homecoming week.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Wings...at Buffalo Wild Wings, Johnny’s Filling Station or McWell’s.

q: On your iPod?

a: Not enough songs yet. Somewhat diverse so far: The Killers, Coldplay, DMB, U2, Journey and Blink-182.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I have a personal goal to see games in all 30 Major League Baseball parks in the U.S. So far I've been to 11 of them. This Summer, I have a trip planned where I'll watch games in nine parks.