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O’Donnell’s clients, many of whom work in film, theater, and music, come for that sensibility. “A lot of my customers are in entertainment,” he says with a smile. “It keeps things interesting.”
For a business built on creativity and relationships, American Express offers support that goes far beyond funding: It’s a backstage pass. American Express Business Platinum Card® Membership provides access with benefits and services, so the in-demand designer can host well, travel smart, and leave clients energized for what’s next.
Membership that goes beyond
Whether under a marquee or over a great meal, inspiration happens out in the world, and O’Donnell likes to build those moments into his process. “What I love about my Amex Membership is the access to purchase tickets when they are available,” he says of the privileges his Business Platinum Card provides. “Shows, concerts, the U.S. Open – I try to take advantage of it all.”
Many of his nights out become active working sessions. Through Amex Experiences®, he scans Amex Presale Tickets®1 and uses the Experiences search function to zero in on tickets for the right performance across sports, music, theater, and more* – then uses the outing as a springboard for innovation. Ideas surface in real time; what he encounters in the arena or on Broadway becomes a live case study for his projects. “A lot of what we do is essentially set design,” he explains. “We take the emotions we feel from things we’ve seen and translate that into the design of a home.”
*While supplies last
Such access to experiences also strengthens business relationships, O’Donnell points out. When a client landed a role on Broadway, O’Donnell booked tickets for the entire office and surprised him at the performance. It was a gesture that impressed the client and created “a great bonding experience” for his five-person team.
The Business Card that works just as hard
Behind the interiors are relentless logistics, and much of it runs through O’Donnell’s Business Platinum Card®. “I use it for everything we do in our office,” he says, reeling off a laundry list of client purchases and furniture, fixtures and everyday supplies. The upside is straightforward: he earns Membership Rewards® points on many eligible business purchases2, then uses Membership Rewards® Pay with Points at Checkout at participating retailers for items that might help his business flourish.3
Those points have real creative impact, maintains O’Donnell. By using them toward flights and hotels on American Express Travel®, for instance, he was able to afford a recent business trip to Morocco – one of those unforgettable experiences that he says significantly enriched his palette. Once overseas, he kept his eyes open and was floored by the rich textiles and unexpected color pairings he encountered. He returned to New York with a vibrant rug that eventually inspired the design of a room in one of his client’s homes.
Dining is another area where the Card really shines, especially through Resy. When a client flies in and says, “Thursday night, you pick the restaurant,” O’Donnell opens the app and uses Global Dining Access by Resy to find a table at a hard-to-book spot.4 “The great thing about Resy is it’s connected to my Business Platinum Card,” he explains. The dinners themselves do double duty: helping him host well while introducing him to new places to eat.
The meaning of Membership
For an enterprising designer like O’Donnell, Membership isn’t just an indulgence; it’s also a pragmatic business tool. Membership for the busy designer means finding a brand that understands his business – and has his back. “Working with Amex, they let me do my job” he says. “Mine is to design. Theirs is to turn a stressful situation into something we can all enjoy.”
ENDNOTES
1 Amex Presale Tickets®
American Express® Card Members have access to purchase Amex Presale Tickets® for select events and select seats, during a specified period prior to the general on-sale dates for those events. Tickets must be purchased using an American Express Card. An American Express Prepaid Card cannot be used to purchase tickets. Amex Presale Tickets® are sold by and fulfilled by third party ticket sellers (not American Express), and such tickets are subject to the rules, terms and conditions, prices and fees set by the ticket seller, event promoter and/or the venue. Amex Presale Tickets® are subject to availability and supply may be limited. Not all seats may be offered; purchase limits and blackout dates may apply. Refunds, exchanges, and resale may be prohibited by the ticket seller. For more information, please visit americanexpress.com/entertainment.
2 Terms and Conditions for the Membership Rewards® program apply. Visit membershiprewards.com/terms for more information. Participating partners and available rewards are subject to change without notice.
The value of Membership Rewards points varies according to how you choose to use them. To learn more, go to www.membershiprewards.com/pointsinfo.
3 To use Pay with Points, you must charge your eligible purchase through American Express Travel to a Membership Rewards® program-enrolled American Express® Card. Eligible purchases through American Express Travel exclude non-prepaid car rentals and non-prepaid hotels. Points will be debited from your Membership Rewards account, and credit for corresponding dollar amount will be issued to the American Express Card account used. If points redeemed do not cover entire amount, the balance of purchase price will remain on the American Express Card account. Minimum redemption 5,000 points.
See membershiprewards.com/terms for the Membership Rewards program terms and conditions.
4 The Global Dining Access program (“GDA”) is a benefit available to eligible Card Members. “Eligible Card Members” are account holders of Platinum Card® or Centurion® Card from American Express, Business Platinum Card®, Business Centurion® Card from American Express, Corporate Platinum Card® or Corporate Centurion® Card from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Morgan Stanley, The Platinum Card® from American Express Exclusively for Charles Schwab, The Platinum Card® from American Express for Goldman Sachs, and The Centurion® Card from American Express for Goldman Sachs (and any Additional Card Member(s) on their accounts). GDA may not be available for Cards issued from some countries. GDA provides eligible Card Members with (a) access to exclusive reservations, (b) Priority Notify, which allows GDA members to set notifications to be in the first group notified when tables become available on Resy that match the specifications set by the GDA members before they are made available to other Resy users, and (c) access to exclusive events. GDA reservations are accessible through the Resy App and Website (“Resy Sites”) and Concierge. Some features of GDA, like Priority Notify, may not be available through Concierge. To access this benefit through the Resy App, you must download the Resy App; or if you already have the Resy App, ensure the latest update is downloaded. When using the Resy Sites, create a Resy account or log into your existing Resy account and add your eligible Card to your Resy account. If you are assigned a new Card number, you must update the Card number in your Resy account. When you use GDA, a badge will be placed on your Resy profile, letting restaurants know that you are a member of the GDA program. Reservations are based on a first-come, first-served basis. In the event of a reservation cancellation, you will be subject to the restaurant’s cancellation policy. Generally, same-day reservations that are not booked by GDA members are released back to restaurants at certain times of day that vary across restaurant policies. American Express and Resy make no representations or warranties regarding the availability of reservations, events, and/or experiences, which shall at all times be subject to availability and the discretion of the applicable restaurant. Please include any dietary restrictions, food allergies or requested accommodations in your Resy profile. American Express and Resy are not responsible for any dietary restrictions, allergies, or for not being able to accommodate such restrictions or allergies. There is no cost to you for booking services through GDA, although you are responsible for any purchases or fees you authorize to be charged to your Card account. GDA reservations and events are intended for personal use only and cannot be resold or used for commercial purposes. By participating in the GDA program, you are accepting these GDA terms and conditions, which are in addition to and do not replace the Resy Sites’ Terms of Service. To be eligible for this benefit, your Card account must not be cancelled. The GDA benefit provided through Resy is intended solely for personal use by eligible American Express® Card Members. To maintain fairness and prevent abuse of this benefit, Resy reserves the right to investigate through reasonable means any account that is suspected of using the GDA benefit in a manner that violates these GDA terms and conditions or Resy Sites’ Terms of Service (including, but not limited to, “Usage Guidelines” that are provided therein). If upon such review, Resy determines, based on its reasonable discretion, that any of the aforementioned terms have been violated, Resy and American Express reserves the right to enforce appropriate consequences, including suspension or termination of access to the GDA benefit, termination of your Resy profile, and/or termination of associated American Express Card products. In conducting such review, Resy reserves the right to verify an account’s compliance with all applicable terms and conditions through reasonable means, which may include requesting additional documentation or evidence of Card ownership to confirm eligibility and appropriate usage.
