on AND OTHER EVENTS COMPANY PARTIES BANKING

By Mark Miller

Time to get the party started! For those of you extroverts, networking won’t be a problem. You’ll meet new people, join local business clubs or other community groups, and talk. That’s the good news. Here’s a word of caution: You will need an enthusiastic and welltrained staff to book and host these events successfully. Whether you own or manage one center or many, having staff focused on securing company parties and hosting memorable events is a must, just ask Larry McDonald and Roger Philipi. Larry McDonald is the vice president of sales and events at Premier Lanes in Gonzales, LA. Roger Philipi is the North Carolina-South Carolina regional manager for Sparetime Entertainment and oversees four very busy FECs. A large part of their job is ensuring their centers are occupied with as many corporate outings as possible. And both believe the key to success starts with forming and maintaining relationships with other businesspeople.

“I think a lot is understanding customers’ needs and wants; you have to know them, and they have to know you. I probably have more than 250 corporate connections in my phone,” said McDonald. “We’ve been pretty lucky to have a talented in-center event planner,” said Philipi. “I think