We run the show The PSAV Story
www.psav.com
We run the show The PSAV Story
Note to Reader 01 PSAV
The PSAV Story is a collaborative effort, authored in large part by us – the PSAV employees. The insights, statements, ideas and values contained herein were extracted from the copious notes and thousands of answers offered by people from every division and level of PSAV during three separate envisioning sessions held over the course of a year. What you hold in your hands is the final cut – the Big Ideas, bottom lines and whole truth about PSAV, its business, and the people who make it happen. Think of this book as our road map – a handy guide to living our true story. Also, please bear in mind that We Run the Show is not a marketing piece. The concepts and tools presented here are works-in-progress that will be collectively developed and implemented. The future is now being written. This story is just the beginning.
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Orpheus Davis, PSAV employee since 1998
Table of Contents 03 PSAV
Stories Matter _06 Our Collective Story _09 The Moral of the Story _12 The Tech Guy Grows Up _19 Getting Down to (the Experience) Business _24 Running the Show _46 “For the Sake of Science” A Fictional PSAV Story _54
A Little History It’s Spring 2005. AVSC upper management decides to stop and take stock of the last five years: implementation of new sales strategies and other initiatives has proven successful, allowing AVSC to exceed industry growth and catapulting us to the top of our field.
Conclusion? We have an impressive success story on our hands – let’s tell it.
$ 550 mm revenue
$ 475 MM
$ 421 MM $ 379 MM
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$ 379 MM
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
The numbers, after five years, were clear. But everything else was fuzzy. The company leading the AV industry was described as “a conglomeration of smaller companies,” “a mosaic of many divisions” and “a multitude of personalities.” We realized that numbers couldn’t tell the whole story.
What is our company about ? What are our values ? What makes us special ? What business are we in...really ? What is our brand? What is our story?
AVSC is the biggest! And the best! We rock!
Who’s AVSC?
Houston…
we have a problem.
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Stories Matter
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Our story isn’t about impressive growth stats. That’s the kind of corporate jargon that puts people to sleep. Our story is about visions and goals, high stakes and tight budgets, amazing people and real passion. You can’t explain that with a graph.
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Stories stick. Stories give goose bumps. Stories fire your imagination. Stories are personal. Stories are magical.
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Facts are slippery. Facts are cold. Facts fill your brain. Facts are general. Facts are logical.
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A Story is... A powerful currency. A means of sharing knowledge. A tool for identifying challenges. A means of uncovering opportunities. A chart for the future. A source of insight, inspiration + motivation.
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A Story is used... To build clarity + consensus. To instill pride (individual + collective). To elevate the game (raise the industry bar). To connect the dots. To unify the company. To define our sense of self + place.
Big. We always hear that we are the largest in-house audiovisual company in the nation, but are we the best? The number of hotels we’re in changes every day. I often feel like that is our focus. I wonder if being the “Best” should be as important? Can we be the “Best” and the “Biggest” at the same time? Online Envisioning participant
We need to market ourselves as one company. Many times my clients do not know who our different divisions are. We need to become one brand name, not PSAV, AVHQ, Rental services, meeting services, etc. We need to be recognizable as one name, one company, one service. As Starbucks is to Coffee, PSAV should be to AV.
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Online Envisioning participant
Our Collective Story Every story has one hero (not four). The moment we put our story under the collective microscope, it became abundantly clear that our four different brands were causing confusion among our customer base. People were wondering, “Who does what?” “Are they all the same company?” “Why the different names?”
PSAV, AVHQ, AVHQ Meeting Services, AVHQ Show Solutions... how do we eliminate confusion in the eyes of our customers and the public at large? In other words, which brand is best suited to represent all our core capabilities to our clients? If our story is intended to unite us, connect the dots for our clients and give this company a sense of place in this world, the starting point had to be our brand name. So we asked our clients and we asked the world which of our four brands they knew best, had the most experience with and the most loyalty to. The winner, by a landslide, was… (envelope please)… PSAV. This, then, is the story of our collective, unified future as
PSAV Presentation Services: The biggest AV company in the world, and the first to tell its true story.
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Our True Story Over three envisioning sessions, much brainstorming, questioning, discussion and deliberation, we finally figured out what it is we do everyday…really. Do we just rig lights? Mount screens? Hook up mics and monitors, then strike? Absolutely not...
We listen. We explain. We hold hands. We reassure. We create. We contribute. We assess. We plan. We execute. We think on our feet. We save the day – often. We smile – a lot. We greet. We interpret. We bend over backwards. We arrive first. We leave last. We even get coffee. It became pretty clear, pretty quick that we are so much more than mere providers of a commodity (AV equipment).
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We are purveyors of an experience – the ‘live show’ experience – and all it entails. We are responsible, in control and accountable – the ones who can be trusted to drive the event and do the job right.
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We are in the experience business. At the heart of it, that’s our story.
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The Moral of the Story At the heart of every story is what your grade school teacher would have referred to as ‘the moral’ – a simple, underlying truth that when spoken, says it all (and ideally, packs a punch). This simple line can also become a company’s mantra – a handful of words you can hang your hat on every morning when you come into work.
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The Nike story is about superb athletic performance. Each story relates to a personal challenge of surpassing one’s goals and striving to be the best one can possibly be. Even the company history relates back to man’s personal quest for a performance-enhancing shoe. The Nike story begins with a slogan and mantra that both employees and end users can appropriate as their own personal challenge. “Just do it.”
The Mac story is about using and enjoying cutting-edge computer technology without having to be totally tech-savvy. The simple truth is that Mac computers and products are smart and user-friendly. “Computers for the rest of us.” Last example… Is the Starbucks story really about coffee? No,It’s about the rituals associated with an environmentally conscious, coffee-drinking culture. It’s about deep, cozy armchairs, interesting ambient music and taking some time out for yourself. The Starbucks story is about the environment in which you experience their coffee. It’s “The best 20 minutes in your day.” Like Starbucks, the PSAV story is about more than just AV equipment… it’s about the multitude of live event experiences that happen every day, across the country. At the heart of our story are the people who make these experiences possible.
We Run the Show
I like to sell clients on the idea that we are their support network. We are here to make sure that they are taken care of. I’ve hit the crucial cue when CEOs hold their breath during a company product launch full of shareholders. I’ve made sure that fathers can be heard when they give their daughters away at weddings. I’ve had a lady tell me she “felt like a teenage girl again” because our concert brought her back to the best time of her life. Taking care of people is making sure you’ve done enough planning and hard work so they don’t need to worry about anything other than their moment. You’ve given them the ability to see, hear and feel, to experience a message.
What it means to us
“We Run the Show” is our mantra – four words that tell us why we get up in the morning and go to work. It is also our rallying cry and battle cry – an empowering statement that reflects the enormous responsibility we have towards our clients, whether we work behind the scenes or in the field.
What it means to our clients
We are “Partners in Show” – a written commitment to assume a role above and beyond that of an AV Guy. It is a promise to stand by them throughout the entire experience, acting as guides, confidants and trusted advisors. As partners, we demonstrate a genuine concern for the success of their show, no matter the size, no matter the complexity. Given the unpredictable nature of life in the live environment, this is perhaps the most reassuring position a company in the AV industry can assume towards its customer base.
Online Envisioning participant
Anyone can put a piece of equipment in a room. If we do our jobs properly, we are our client’s staff members at every event.
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Saying that I’m in the AV business is a step backwards in my job description. I was in the AV business in high school. I help make mundane things exciting and cool things extraordinary. Make it bigger, brighter, louder and thrilling. We help make our client look exceptional to their client.
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Online Envisioning participant
We run the show
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What emerged from digging down to the simple truth of the PSAV story is our ‘moral’ and mantra – something we can express in an easy, catchy, memorable way.
PJ McLaughlin, PSAV employee since 2004
Values 17 PSAV
Values are our spiritual drivers. Our “true north.” Our principles. What holds us to our promises. What sees us through the ups and downs of the industry. The subtle guidelines behind our story and experience. We have four values. We don’t shout them. We understand & apply them. We believe in them. We have them all right here.
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The Tech Guy Grows Up “We Run the Show” is what we do. So who’s this ‘We’? AV Guys? Techs? We’re bigger than that… Our role is based in the technical, but also demands the emotional. It requires intuitive people skills and relationship-building abilities to earn our clients’ trust. When we do our jobs right, we make events and meetings (even small ones) memorable. Dealing with us is a pleasant, professional experience. We make the stressful experience of holding a meeting enjoyable. And we drive that event from beginning to end. All these tasks illustrate a far greater performance than what the world’s perception of an AV Guy’s role could possibly involve. SO, if the world is going to judge the AV book by its cover, it seems the time has come to change that cover – time to shed the widely popular and hugely inept title of ‘AV Guy.’
From now on, we are PSAV Presentation Services. To our clients we are Partners in Show. And as far as we’re concerned, We Run the Show. 19 PSAV
AV Guy 1
2 3
4
1-Head
Nods up/down for “yes,” side/side for “no”
2-Right Hand 20
3-Left Hand
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Adjust levels, flicks switches
4-Bum
Plugs things in
Often found glued to chair behind mixing board
PSAV Partners in Show 1 7 2
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3
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1-Head
Comes up with creative solutions
2-Ears
7-Eyes
3-Mouth
8-Nose
4-Shoulders
9-Neck
5-Right Hand
10-Heart
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6-Feet
11-Left Hand
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Listens carefully Smiles reassuringly Squared to convey confidence Plugs things in, adjust levels, flicks switches Thinks on them
Sees the bigger picture Sniffs out problems before they happen Angle indicates concern Cares about each show’s success Holds client’s hand, administers pats on back
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Sinead Kappock, PSAV employee since 2004
Connectivity
Values .01
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Connectivity means we run on people. Hard-working. Multi-talented. Dedicated people. Counting on each other. Supporting one another. Working as a team. Working across boundaries. United through concern – for each other, clients, PSAV. We run for clients. Building partnerships. Conveying compassion + empathy. Becoming virtual extensions... Of our hotel partners. Of our corporate clients. Of producers + associations. We stick together.
Getting Down to (the Experience) Business The experience, not the technology, is the real magic we do. This atypical, multi-faceted experience and how we approach it is ultimately what will differentiate PSAV from every other AV company out there. (Size doesn’t matter. Experience does.)
here most companies promise customer W service, we take it to the next level with peace of mind. here most companies say their customers come W first, we make our customers feel like heroes. here most companies talk “relationships,” W we create real partnerships. here most companies deal with everyday life, W we work in the ‘live’ environment.
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here most companies offer a one-way W monologue,we take our client’s message and give it wings.
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Are You Experienced ? There. We said it. We are no longer AV Guys providing AV equipment for a variety of events.
We are Partners in Show, orchestrators of a unique PSAV experience. But what kind of experience is it exactly?
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Our next step is to qualify the PSAV experience, define its facets and bring them to life. It’s a process that helps us and the world understand how PSAV stands head and shoulders above every other AV company out there.
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William Woods, PSAV employee since 2001
Personal Empowerment
Values .02
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Personal Empowerment is earning the trust of superiors. Using know-how to solve a problem. Being given responsibility. Learning new things on the job. Taking ownership of events. Having the support of colleagues. Executing a show with total confidence. Taking the reins in a difficult situation. Having the freedom to take action.
Experience 01/05: Peace of Mind In the live environment, stress is a huge factor. Our clients face it. We face it with them. When a client’s tech knowledge begins and ends with their email program, tension tends to mount. Gauging,measuring, assessing client stress levels and keeping them under control is all in a day’s work.
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So we developed a little measuring tool to help us accurately pinpoint our client’s mental state and react accordingly. We call it the “POM” or “Peace of Mind” Index.
Where’s your client on the POM index ?
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Examples of POM Usage “My client just had her CEO change the room setup and her POM went down to 5. I assured her we could get the changes done, that it was well under control and got her a cup of coffee.“
“I had just got word that one of the presenters brought a Mac instead of a PC. My client was already stressed about a room mix-up, so I just went ahead and handled the change myself without telling her – I was afraid her POM would go back down to 3!”
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“Just got a last-minute call from the Omni Orlando Director of Conference Services – they need the ballroom for a dinner, the night before a 750-person general session that starts at 1pm the next day! His POM reading is bordering on 2… I’ll need reinforcements!”
“It was a great event! By show time my client’s POM was totally at 9, and after the show – an easy 10!”
I would describe the personality of PSAV as a “technological good Samaritan” of sorts. What I mean plainly is we all have a part in helping the client, from top management down to the labor force, in a field where I would say 50-70% of clients or potential clients are not comfortable. We are there to guide and help with “tech” stuff for an overall good show...so the personality of PSAV? The Tech Samaritan. Online Envisioning participant
PSAV is in the business of customer satisfaction and peace of mind. Knowing that when they choose PSAV to produce one of their events, they don’t have to worry about inexperienced technicians or faulty and outdated equipment. Knowing that things change at a moment’s notice and we at PSAV will respond and react to whatever is thrown our way with grace and professionalism. Online Envisioning participant
Online Envisioning participant
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PSAV is in the business of confidence. It’s the confidence we give the inexperienced presenter to face the audience and know they’re supported by people who give a damn. It’s the confidence we give the professional presenter to concentrate on the message and not the medium. It’s the trust we have in each other to perform above and beyond every time.
Experience 02/05: Hero In our world, clients can be heroes for a day, but they need us to earn that status.
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By making their voices ring louder + clearer. By bringing their ideas to life and into the light. By adding impact and finesse to their message. By empowering them with confidence. By reacting quickly to unforeseen mishaps. By being a problem-solver (even for non-AV problems). By allowing our creativity to guide our tech savvy.
Passion
Values .03
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Passion is taking on new challenges. Feeling passionate about the work. Not resting until success is achieved. Going that extra mile to help a client. Taking pride in a job well done. Loving what we do. Pushing the envelope. Raising the bar. Reveling in being a part of something special. Setting great goals for ourselves. Making each show better than the last.
Experience 03/05: Partner in Hospitality There’s a lot of relationship talk nowadays, but few companies actually walk the walk. It takes more than a “1 free after 10 purchases” card, “bonus air miles” or a “free with your next purchase” voucher to claim a bona fide relationship. So why do our clients consider us partners?
Because we clarify the complex. Acting as ‘presentation mentor’, an experienced and trusted advisor, there to guide them from conception to completion and beyond.
Because we make stressful situations a cinch. Acting as ‘confidant’... someone they can share their fears with, lean on and trust to help them succeed.
Because we save their day. Acting as Professor X to an X-Man: we believe in them, help them hone their powers of persuasion so they can be heroes. These partnerships extend to our hotel partners who see AV as an extension of their hotel services. Our clients are also our client’s clients – hotel guests who expect a certain level of service. These end users see AV as an extension of their hotel services. We’re so connected to our hotel clients…
We feel as at home in the hospitality industry as the AV industry. We make the entire experience seamless. We get asked non-AV related questions. Our responses strengthen our partnership with that hotel client, and their relationship with the end user.
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Result: Everybody’s happy. PSAV Hotel Partnership Promise: the full PSAV experience for all hotel clients, big or small.
PSAV is in the business of making heroes. Think about it. If your presentation goes well for a potential client because we provided a ‘wow’ factor, then you’re a hero. If you provide a dynamic, memorable, exciting show for your employees at the annual conference you are, once again, a hero. We make heroes every day. Online Envisioning participant
There are companies who have been working with PSAV for over 10 years. Not because we set, operate and strike, but because there is trust in the brand and the partnership stems from that. This not only goes for end clients but also for the internationally recognized hotel brands that PSAV services as well. These partnerships are a symbol of how our product and brand stay consistent and are valued all over for more than just AV. Online Envisioning participant
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A PSAV Service Story I recently had a customer come in to check out the meeting space and talk to me about PSAV’s abilities. They were shopping for AV for a big show. Knowing this, I had the room set with two projectors, a computer and sound, and had a video from the customer’s website playing quietly during our whole conversation. They noticed. They loved it, and the conversation quickly turned to additional services such as Internet access, higher quality LCD projectors, better sound, etc. The result is a signed contract for what will probably be my biggest show of the year. I don’t think they were too impressed with the gear, but they really liked that I had spent a few minutes finding out about THEM. Personalize the setup. Have the customer’s company logo displayed on the projector at the start of the show, or on the first page of the flipchart. Make the “experience” one that makes it obvious that we have spent time trying to understand who a customer is and what they do. Online Envisioning participant
Experience 04/05: Show Business Do you have to be in Hollywood to be in ‘show business’? Absolutely not. Since we understand the intricacies of live shows, big and small,
We can redefine the concept of show business to our smaller corporate clients. Since we know our client’s presentation is as big to their career as a Broadway performance is to its leading star,
We are genuinely concerned with the outcome of each event. Since we understand each event’s place in the grand scheme of things,
We see every show as a big show.
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Joe Garcia, PSAV employee since 1998
Regardless of size, every show, event, presentation or company rollout takes:
Vision Prep Work Direction A Star Reviews This is where listening + creative thinking come into play.
Once we get a client’s vision, we find the technology and tricks to bring it to life.
Once the show is underway, clients count on us to keep things running smoothly.
Every client should emerge from the experience feeling like one.
Brand recognition – what they say about us after the show.
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We set the stage every day. Whether it’s a small meeting room, or a large-scale production for the launch of a new product. We provide the platform for our clients to launch their products, message, communication, entertainment, whichever word you want to use. We, like that small moment in time, have the opportunity to make or break the moment by our quality of service. Online Envisioning participant
PSAV is in the business of creating something from nothing. A company will come to us with nothing but an idea. We turn that idea into a show-stopping meeting. Lights, Sound, Staging. We create a world on stage for them to present their ideas, or show their company in a new light.
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Online Envisioning participant
Clients have a goal. They even have dreams of what their final presentation or event will be like. It sounds a certain way, it may even look just so. PSAV is in the business of realizing dreams, visions, and ideas. Anyone can hook up a microphone, but who can place it just right, tweak it just so, and make the voice be heard across 5,000 square feet of space? Ever say to a client, “Have you thought about this...?” Hearing someone say they have a vision and then bringing our experience to the table to push an event better than the client could ever think it could be. That is our business. Realizing dreams and ideas. Online Envisioning participant
Experience 05/05: Communication There’s no getting around this one. Beyond being reassuring, ego boosting, reliable, professional and hospitable, we exist to perform a specific service for all our end user clients:
we exist to communicate their message.
And we strive to do this in the absolute best way possible, summoning all our experience, resources and know-how for every event.
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Tom Berberet, PSAV employee since 1988
Honesty
Values .04
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Honesty is providing look-you-in-the-eye service. Being transparent — to clients + colleagues. Explaining costs. Earning trust. Recognizing contributions. Sharing the credit. Standing by our word.
Running the Show The experiences that make the PSAV story worth telling are made possible by the people who personally make the shows happen – and that includes everyone from warehouse workers to the sales force, from accounting to HR to IT. The heroes and dreams, confidence and creativity, partners and relationships – all hinge on the performance of four necessary stages.
0 1 Backstage 0 2 Pre-show 0 3 Show time 0 4 Post-show
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What unites us all is the intricate, group orchestration of these experiences day after day.
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03
Backstage Our clients may not see this stage, but it’s crucial to the experience! Equipment is bought, accounted for and maintained. Service standards are created, revised and enforced. Information technology keeps us connected. Budgets are balanced. Paperwork is filed. Relationships are worked on. Invoices get paid.
Show Time The big day has arrived! You’ve been in touch with your client. You both know what to expect. But this is show business – nothing ever goes entirely as planned (which is why you covered all your bases.) You service like crazy. Reassure the client. Remain on-hand throughout the event. Address any and all unforeseen challenges quickly + efficiently.
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Pre-Show The wooing stage, arguably the most important! (Where we begin that crucial move from provider and client... to partner.)
*The PSAV Primer is a term that emerged during the authoring process to describe any manner of collateral assembled for a potential new client in the pre-show stage of the PSAV experience. Example of usage: “So I heard you went after the new Los Angeles Airport Hotel. What’d you send in your Primer?” “A copy of the Presentation, a DVD of my biggest corporate events, a link to their sister hotel’s Online Toolbox and a copy of Partners in Show.”
Post-Show This is when you move from woo… to “I do.” The audience is schmoozing. The client is glowing. This is the magic moment. Shake the client’s hand. Congratulate them on a successful event. Follow up strong. Discuss the show – pros + cons. Explain the invoice. Direct clients to Maritz. Secure repeat performances.
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First contact with the client is initiated. A PSAV Primer* is sent. First impressions are made. Information is culled. A vision is described. Ideas are swapped. Maps are drawn. Prep work begins.
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Steve Smiley, PSAV employee since 1999
A PSAV Service Story
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Online Envisioning participant
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Thinking about what stuck out most from client letters and post-show interactions… It’s always the smallest things. I had a tech who asked a client, “Is there anything else you need?” and she jokingly said, “A cup of coffee.” He was back within minutes with a hot cup of coffee for her. Because so many of our clients don’t depend on us to create jawdropping sets and so many of our meetings are in small breakout rooms, we need to take on the idea of total customer service in the same way the hotels we work in do. If we are able to support our hotel partners by acting as a member of the hotel more effectively, we would really impress a large number of clients. We have the capability because of our knowledge of the hotels we work in. We know who to call when the client needs to add more chairs to a room. We know where Banquets brews that coffee before it goes out to the floor. Those are the things that no outside AV company can possibly compete with on a daily basis.
We turn hearing into listening. We make seeing into feeling. We deliver the message; we drive it home. Online Envisioning participant
The rippling “butterfly effect” of clear communication. Hundreds of people a day deliver information and ideas to thousands of people a day through PSAV. The message could be as simple as how to reduce your personal debt in a seminar that results in someone bettering their life, or as complex as a new technique for a heart transplant at a medical seminar that literally saves future lives. If the frail spiderweb of information is torn, the message doesn’t get through.
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Online Envisioning participant
We Never Really Wrap We’ve learned from our extensive experience and all our insightful answers that giving each client, big or small, the best show, event or meeting experience of their life is a highly detailed, personally demanding, time-consuming task — and certainly not for the faint-hearted. The kicker is, it never really ends. Our clients may call it a wrap, and while we will certainly attend the wrap party and administer the requisite pats on the back (graciously receiving a few ourselves), our eyes are always focused on the next prize – another client’s next event.
A powerful two-way dialogue has been started in this company. The secret is to keep it going. Share your experiences. Tell your stories. Ask your clients to share theirs. The PSAV Experience is, after all, an experience in relationships. Among many other things…
As we create, execute and tell each other about our experiences – the ups and downs, from the great successes to the near misses – we learn and grow into a bigger, better, more essential company. The more our stories spread from colleague to client to family to friends, the bigger the buzz and the broader the scope gets… Until one day, we realize that we have changed the entire AV industry. As the PSAV Story comes to life – as the ideas for a proprietary PSAV Experience come into sharper focus and become the stuff of everyday process – our company and our role in it become more valuable and more fulfilling than ever.
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For the Sake of Science A FICTIONAL PSAV STORY
In 2010, PSAV is renowned worldwide as the premier innovator in AV and event technology, recognized as the people who truly ‘run the show’ at every level. The PSAV Experience is the benchmark in the industry, the one every meeting planner, presenter and hotel wants, and one that every PSAV employee understands and delivers flawlessly. Note: All persons, companies and hotels mentioned in the story are fictional, all similarities to actual people or places are coincidental.
The phone rings. “Hello, this is Steve Malick of PSAV, what can I do for you?” “This is Abbey Wilkinson, Director of Meeting Planning for Tech-Spech Corporation or TSC, I’m sure you’ve heard of us. I’m in charge of organizing this year’s cancer seminar at the Double Diamond Hotel. I would normally hire my usual AV service, but I thought I’d give PSAV a shot since you guys are already on-site and we don’t have much time – the seminar is two weeks from tomorrow.” “No problem Miss Wilkins--” “There will be about 500 attendees from around the world, a live video surgery as well as PowerPoint presentations. The sound and visuals must be impeccable. Can you handle it?” “Of course we can, Miss Wilkinson.” “That’s what they all say. I need to be 100% sure you guys can do this or I’ll call in my guys. You have until Monday end-of-day to send me a proposal.” Click.
Looking at my scribbled notes I guessed her POM Index was a definite 4 (visibly stressed). At least I was dealing with a professional. I hang up the phone and get to thinking.
I would like to have a full range of photos from many different events to show to the client. A picture is worth a thousand words. Online Envisioning participant
I spent the day getting Abbey’s Primer together. Picked a few brains across the network. Downloaded some great pics. Came up with a few ideas of my own. I know my on-site team can support the kind of ballroom and breakout rooms an event of this stature requires. But since I’m in Dallas and Abbey is in New York, an in-person Monday meeting to present her package is out of the question. I drop an iPod video proposal into the Primer Pack and get on the horn to Abbey’s secretary to set up the next best thing.
PowerPoint presentations and speakers simultaneously? How good is the sound quality? I answer, and basing my questions on hers, I figure we’ll need a wide screen and multi-image projection. High def is a must. It sounds like valuable information. I make a note to ensure we digitally capture the presentation for repurposing later. I can sense Abbey expects the whole room to really come alive – a simple screen will not do this justice. This is a tall order, which, of course, is my favorite kind.
Leave the emails to send quotes. Correspond by phone. Meet in person. Online Envisioning participant
Tuesday, 8:00am Abbey’s phone rings. “Abbey Wilkinson.” “Good morning Miss Wilkinson, this is Steve Malick from PSAV… did you receive your PSAV Primer?” “Yes I did. Thank you. I have a few questions.” She grills me for the next hour, and she knows her stuff. How big are the breakout rooms? How big is the screen and what projection system are we offering? Could we really support the video stream,
Ask more questions. Too many times I rush through just to take the order and book the business without truly giving thought to what the client is really asking for or trying to accomplish with their meeting. If I asked more questions, I could provide better solutions or ideas for their event. Online Envisioning participant
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Stage: Pre-Show PSAV Office Double Diamond Hotel, Dallas Thursday, 4:45pm
Friday, 4:30pm
Tuesday, 8:45am I have until Thursday morning (Wednesday evening really) to put together a proposal and drop it in Abbey’s Online Toolbox (which I have yet to create). I get to work. I put the room dimensions and my specs through. While waiting for my renderings, I set up a conference call with my on-site team and the staging group. With all the meeting rooms networked, controlling breakouts can be done centrally. We can also direct content back into the guest rooms that night for additional viewing. AND we have full control of the network in the meeting space and the public area, which means we can guarantee enough bandwidth to stream the live video surgery demonstration from the hospital. Our staging guys are familiar with whatever
Once I know what their message is, the rest is automatic: the gear required, the labor schedule, employee skill bases. All of it becomes second nature — a natural and organic feeling. And when a show has that natural organic feeling, its message, no matter how quietly whispered, comes out like a roar.
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Online Envisioning participant
technical backend will be necessary to power the whole thing and ensure a glitchfree, high definition experience. We’re set. I look at the bottom line cost – it’s bound to be higher than our competitors. But no one can touch our quality assurance for this level of technology without having on-site knowledge and experience. Still, my knowledge of medical groups tells me to be cautious, and I look for any way to offset costs.
Wednesday, 3:00 pm I’m putting last-minute creative touches on my setup – a central main screen incorporating the speaker, the surgery, and the PowerPoint. My finishing touches include: An LED wall in the foyer reinforcing the branding and technology being demonstrated by TSC • Flags representing each country projected through gobos in the breakout rooms • Ambient music to accompany the screen design • Excellent up-lighting suggestions (posted on my project blog by Rick from the LA office). I’m pretty sure Abbey’s POM will jump a few notches after viewing the contents of her Toolbox.
Bring ideas to the table. Try to give clients the most bang for the buck. It’s always a pleasure to help them realize their dreams. Online Envisioning participant
Stage: Show time Double Diamond Hotel Dallas The Following Thursday, 7:00am Got in early to clear my mind and get a head start. Tomorrow’s the big day. Abbey was floored by the contents of her Toolbox, and predictably her POM jumped a few notches. Still, if I’m going to get her up to 9 (composed) by showtime, I have to make personally sure that everything we promised is in order. It occurs to me the lighting setup could make better use of the clear sunny day we’re expecting tomorrow. I head to my desk to revise.
Be ahead of their game for them. Anticipate and address the things that they are nervous or worried about, so they can focus on the people around them rather than the meeting or event they are running. Online Envisioning participant
Thursday, 1:00pm
I gather the crew and we get to work.
Thursday, 4:00pm We got a long table in for the panel and the team hooked up the right number of mics. We were checking the lighting when Abbey walked in. I could see my welcome letter sticking out of her agenda. Looked like her POM had dropped to 5 (anxious). I wondered what was up. “Hi Steve.” “Hi Abbey… Welcome to your ballroom! Can I show you around?” Abbey starts to tell me about a presentation she couldn’t upload to the Toolbox because the format was unreadable – it was nothing she had ever seen before. I take the DVD off her hands and tell her not to worry – I’ll sort it out pronto. Then I show her around the setup. As she sees the panel table, the mics, the screens and the lighting, she starts to relax. I run her through a few presentations she had uploaded and a sample video stream from LA to demonstrate the high def screen. I ask her if she’d like me to throw in some laser pointers for the panel and I actually get a smile. Her POM steadily on the rise, she leaves to check out the food situation while I get to work on the presentation format.
Shower the client with support. Online Envisioning participant
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I’m stoked. The on-site team really came through on the ballroom setup – including my latest lighting revisions. My BlackBerry starts buzzing – it’s Abbey.
Looks like we need to support a panel discussion in addition to individual presenters.
Friday, 7:00am It had taken a good few hours to decipher the presentation format, but the team got it sorted (turned out to be an archaic cue card program for Macs that required a specific driver). I’m testing it out while I wait for Abbey to show up. At 7:03 she strides in, her POM Index looking like a 6. I offer her a coffee and muffin. She sips her latte as I show her the last presentation and walk her through the setup one last time. She notices the plants I brought in last night to warm things up.
The one thing that can help make my client’s experience an unforgettable one: being there for them before they need me. Online Envisioning participant
Right from the beginning, try to help with added little features and/or items to their event. Ask if they need a laser pointer or wireless mouse. Online Envisioning participant
Friday, 12 noon I check back in with Abbey. She tells me the presentations had gone smoothly. I can see the paused surgery on the high def screen. It’s clear enough to kill my appetite for lunch. Turns out the mid-morning coffee break buzz had been all about the surgery visuals (hi def rocks!) and the synched up PowerPoint explanations that highlighted each point step by step. Abbey’s POM is totally at 9.
Friday, 7:45am
PSAV 58
I verify we all have the latest run sheet. The attendees begin filing in. My team makes sure each speaker is comfortable with their microphone and laser pointer. Abbey’s POM is in the acceptable 8 range (mild stage fright). I watch as her SVP of Sales takes his position behind the podium, welcomes the attendees and introduces the panel. I decide to stay through the first presentation just to make sure everything is running smoothly, then I’ll leave everything in the capable hands of the team so I can attend to the work piling up in my inbox.
I double-check the setup for the remaining presentations and breakouts, give Abbey the thumbs up, then slip out.
Be There. Be Seen. Be Heard. Let them know from the opening call to the day after that you are there for THEM. Online Envisioning participant
Friday, 5:00pm I get back to the ballroom as the seminar comes to an end. Doctors are milling about, comparing notes and asking questions. I spot Abbey collecting presentation notes from the tables while surveying the crowd. She’s smiling. I realize her POM has peaked – she’s a perfect, beaming 10. The team starts striking the set. Abbey asks me to join her and the attendees for cocktails on the outdoor terrace. She introduces me as her Partner in Show, the man responsible for making the conference today possible. I’m flooded with enthusiastic compliments and asked about our worldwide presentation services. I trade at least two dozen cards. I even get a nice “atta boy” from the hotel GM who pulls me aside to thank us all for a job well done.
Stage: Post-Show Friday, 8:00pm After cocktails, I upload the final invoice and some digital pictures of the setup to Abbey’s Toolbox. On my way out, I bump into Abbey at the front desk. “Steve!” “Hey Abbey, you heading to the airport?” “Yes. But I’m glad I bumped into you. I just wanted to say thank you again. You guys did an amazing job. I got excellent feedback from my SVP, and our guest doctors were very happy with the whole seminar. I wish I had asked you to record the whole thing…” “Actually, the entire session was digitally captured and will be sent to you next week as part of our follow-up. If you have some time next week, I’d love to go over the show with you and do a little postmortem… in case we ever have the pleasure of working with you again.” “Fantastic. I will get in touch with you as soon as I receive your follow-up. Thanks again Steve!”
Online Envisioning participant
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Follow Up! I am always surprised to hear how many AV companies don’t follow up with their clients after the conclusion of their event. I have even been told that because I had sent the client a follow-up email thanking them for their business the client will use PSAV for every meeting here on out! Amazing how a simple follow-up message can do so much for our business.
As I watch Abbey get in her cab, I wonder about the surgery scenes I had glimpsed during the setup. I have no idea what the seminar was actually about, but I know we did our utmost to make the message as clear as possible. Despite not knowing the exact impact the seminar would have on the medical field, I do know a significant contribution was made today. It feels good to be a part of it.
The Following Thursday, 4:30 pm Phone rings. “Hello, this is Steve Malick of PSAV, what can I do for you?” “Hi Steve, it’s Abbey.” She had received the DVD of the digitally captured surgery, complete with commentary and notes, along with my thank you note and the invoice, and had just filled out the feedback form on Maritz. She had shown everyone at work the pics from the session and had sent copies of the DVD to the attendees. We talk about the pros and a few minor cons. She approves the invoice. Suddenly, her tone changes. She’s back to the curt, POM 5 Abbey I remember from our first phone call. She has another challenge for me.
PSAV 60
This time, she has volunteered to chair an educational program with PCMA and was going to have to turn around a seminar for the annual meeting and then stream it at each of the chapters. Could we run the show? Envisioning + Storytelling Design: Sebastien Cantin Storytelling: Elizabeth Adams Creative Direction: Dianna Carr, Paul Roelofs © 2006 PSAV Presentation Services®