VOL 07 | ISSUE 08 | 2020
The
Most Promising
Management Companies in 2020
Cheryl Cecchetto Owner & President
A PRESTIGIOUS EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY
Editor’s Desk
Managing Events for Better Stature
Managing events requires various skills and qualities, but most importantly creativity
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he world has always witnessed many evolutions in the businesses, in almost every industry out there. And being a part of a business world, the responsibility falls on the every leader that they must put forth some exceptional innovations to keep the fire burning. Thus, the baton must be passed for others budding personalities. Currently, we are in amidst COVID-19 pandemic that significantly affected the businesses taking the economy to fall. Be it healthcare or event management, every industry has paid their fair share of struggle during this difficult times. There are numbers of solutions providers in the markets who have a deep sense of comprehension of the necessity of quality-oriented products for the better business. Yet, many organizations are failing to attend a promising and trustworthy event management solutions to rely on. This edition, ‘The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020’ solely focusses on some top notch event managements who are significantly contributing in the growth of industry. Here is the cover featuring—Sequoia Productions is a full-service event production company specializing in décor and entertainment-driven celebrations, corporate events, and family milestones. Their clients include the Oscars®, the Emmys®, The Australian Government, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, L’Oréal Paris, The Westfield Group, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Special Olympics, Guess and Warner Bros.
The Covid-19 crisis has shaken the event industry to its core, leading many of us to a complete redefinition of what a special event is, as well as its purpose. Fundamental changes to how events are produced and executed are inescapable. Our community is tasked with redefining the very nature of special events, while also exploring, identifying and creating new technological protocols to envision, promote, and construct special events in both the pre and post-vaccine worlds. Let’s unveil such alike, inspiring stories and interviews of many such passionate leaders in this special edition and spread a word about their contribution in making this world a better place. Also, while flipping the pages, don’t forget to go through the articles and CXOs written by our inhouse editorial team and industry experts respectively. Have a good read!
Bhushan Ghate
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Cover Story
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36 CASPIAN AGENCY Helping Clients Clarify Strategic Goals
BASSETT EVENTS INC. When Luxury Event Management is an Art!
Arti ALEXANDRA JURAN ARTEGO PRODUCTIONS Creating World’s Best Gala Events SEQUOIA PRODUCTIONS A Prestigious Event Production Company
CONTENTS
32 TECH TALK Infographics: Presenting your Business in a Different Way
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CLY Italian Creativity Meets German Reliability DYNAMIC EVENTS Cultivating Meaningful and Innovative Experiences
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52 EDITOR’S VIEWPOINT Entertainment-driven, Corporate, and Sports..
REDFILO The Professional Event Management Company WE CRUSH EVENTS Planning and Executing Engaging Experiences
CONTENTS
Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller
Executive Editor
Assistant Editors
Kaustav Roy
Jenny Fernandes Rohit Chaturvedi
Visualizer
Art & Design Director
Associate Designer
David King
Amol Kamble
Sanket Zirpe
Co-designer Asha Bange
Senior Sales Manager
Business Development Manager
Kshitij S
Peter Collins
Marketing Manager
Sales Executives
John Matthew
David, Kevin, Mark, Vishnu, Andy's
Technical Head
Business Development Executives
Jacob Smile
Steve, Joe, Alan, Omkar Rao
Technical Specialist Aditya
Digital Marketing Manager Marry D'Souza
SME-SMO Executive Prashant Chevale
Research Analyst Frank Adams
Database Management Stella Andrew
Circulation Manager Robert Brown
Technology Consultant David Stokes
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A Pres gious Event Produc on Company
Cover Story
Founder & President
Cheryl Cecchetto
S
equoia Productions is a full-service event production company specializing in décor and entertainment-driven celebrations, corporate events, and family milestones. Their clients include the Oscars®, the Emmys®, The Australian Government, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, L’Oréal Paris, The Westfield Group, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Special Olympics, Guess and Warner Bros. Corporate and Social Event Production in the age of COVID-19 The Covid-19 crisis has shaken the event industry to its core, leading many of us to a complete redefinition of what a special event is, as well as its purpose. Fundamental changes to how events are produced and executed are inescapable. Our community is tasked with redefining the very nature of special events, while also exploring, identifying and creating new technological protocols to envision, promote, and construct special events in both the pre and post-vaccine worlds. As Sequoia Productions negotiates the challenges of social distancing and the elimination of large gatherings in the near future, we have been compelled to connect with our clients, colleagues and friends on a very personal, human level. The Covid-19 restrictions inhibiting our ability to manifest the visceral, in-person human connections we are usually known for are actually bringing us closer together, urging us to seek out each other and build a stronger community. We are discovering a period of introspection within the company, and between Sequoia and our clients, vendors and friends. There is a common experience and shared challenge, amid all the separating, that begs the question, “Where do we go from here?” For now, and likely for the remainder of 2020, most events remain purely virtual. They will consist solely of on-line elements shared by a remote audience, designed to strengthen relationships and promote client brands. Though not in-person, events will still need to be personal. While events will not have the traditional live production elements, they are not without production requirements, and as such the need for knowledgeable event producers remains. Virtual events will require management of invitations, “save-the-dates”, ticket purchasing, scheduling, guest list and
RSVP management, silent and live auctions, donations, eventspecific websites and chatroom management, etc., all elements Sequoia Productions previously handled for its preCovid-19 events. Sequoia Productions is already fielding requests for high-end virtual and semi-virtual “hybrid” events where multiple production components are required and non-virtual items must be delivered to attendees individually. Hybrid events can include hard product delivered to remote participants; anything from promotional materials to prepared food and Champagne. Sequoia Productions is currently in the exciting process of producing a re-tooled, black-tie event which will take place in 20 locations simultaneously. Each location will have controlled guest counts, socially distanced seating, and identical, custom menus finished in 20 remote kitchens. Guests will be connected to a single live performance main stage via large screen video conferencing, merged with inperson performances by 20 unique musical guests at each location. It is a very exciting project and a template which we believe will remain unique and relevant even post-Covid-19. Even as we map out a new path for the production of virtual events until a vaccine for Covid-19 is available, Sequoia Productions has also been focused on the imminent renaissance of medium-sized, milestone gatherings, especially weddings, for which there is a serious backlog due to Covid19 postponements. Every day we are discovering new venues where reduced scale events can still occur, where we can come together safely to celebrate, such as with a young bride and groom whose wedding we are reimagining together so that it can still be the happiest day of their lives. Together, the events industry will get through this. We still learn and grow and do what we do best, which is to bring dreams to life and bring people closer together. One-Stop-Shop – Event Design, Production and Management Sequoia Productions supports clients by providing an efficient production model. Its vast experience and capabilities in event design, production, and management make it specifically adept at ensuring the entire process is efficiently orchestrated. Team members all share the same mandate - to elevate their client’s vision and forge a reality beyond expectations. Sequoia Productions’ diverse portfolio of events highlights the uniqueness of each project, reflecting the essential distinctiveness of every client’s vision, goals, personal taste and corporate culture. Technology Platforms and Event Production In an increasingly competitive industry, the use of technology and the immediacy of access to information have been
Cover Story transformative in the production of events. Technology has revolutionized how Sequoia Productions conducts business, from how it provides mockups and ideas to clients to how production managers communicate during an event. In the continually evolving special events marketplace, efficiency, creativity, and customizable service are critical to success. Technology allows team members and clients to be interconnected through all stages of an event, together nurturing the vision. The use of technology showcases Sequoia Productions capabilities and versality. Creating specialized project teams is essential to producing exceptional events. Sequoia’s in-house pool of twenty producers, coordinators, and administrative personnel provide the resources to make that happen. The efficiency built into their corporate and production models benefits their client’s budget and each project’s deliverability. The use of project management programs such as Microsoft Teams and Slack has streamlined the teams’ work and communications. These platforms provide the teams with cost-effective methods to manage and co-create complex productions that often involve thousands of individuals and transactions. Through software platforms including AutoCAD, InDesign and Rhino, Sequoia Productions can vividly illustrate to the client proposed concepts and designs. Each project team is able to clearly demonstrate the evolution of a client’s vision via computer-generated artist conceptions, as well as animated video and schematics, many of which are adjustable in real time. Offering expedient, tangible options via computer modeling is essential to maintaining Sequoia Productions’ competitive edge. Gary Levitt [Partner | EVP] routinely evaluates the technology options available and upgrades the Company’s production technology to ensure optimum efficiency. In the end, Sequoia Production’s exceptional team of event specialists drives the business, while technology ensures that visibility and operational efficiency remain ahead of the curve. Educating the Audience and Inspiring Clients In the crowded field of event producers and designers, word of mouth and real-time messaging from customers and their guests at events has proven to be instrumental in driving prospective customers to investigate and ultimately hire Sequoia Productions. Maintaining a strong visible presence in the cyber marketplace has been an essential link to educating potential clients about the Company’s ability to deliver events with an almost endless number of design and concept possibilities. Ultimately, the objective is to establish a personal contact with a prospective client in order to zero in on their unique culture, personal style, and specific goals to and demonstrate that Sequoia Productions can deliver the event they desire.
Green events are critical to ensuring global sustainability in the event service marketplace. Sequoia Productions is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of their business during event planning and implementation to ensure minimal impact on global and local environments. The company endeavors to design, re-purpose and up-cycle event “hard product”, also donating items such as furniture and florals to local organizations when feasible. This supports their client’s mission to have environmentally friendly events, while at the same time finding budgetary savings.
The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020 Creative and Managerial Responsibilities Cheryl Cecchetto - Founder and President began Sequoia Productions in Los Angeles in the late 1980s before the world of “Special Events” existed as a stand-alone business sector. The company has grown in tandem with the industry, with service and innovation as Cecchetto’s guiding mantras. As the world of special events evolves and diversifies, Cecchetto and her team of producers, designers and support staff oversee an increasingly comprehensive repertoire of creative, production and managerial responsibilities. Exploring new Ideas to Enhance and Evolve The most striking transformation in event design and content is the evolution of immersive guest experiences where the lines between audience, performers, and décor are blurred or practically non-existent. The event environment can be completely altered through the use of cutting-edge technology in concert with physical elements, creating transformational environments via sounds, sights, textures, fragrances and taste sensations. Sequoia’s extensive, 30-plus years of service is grounded in the classic event experience with all eyes on emerging technology and future trends. Comprehensive Consulting Services Sequoia also offers comprehensive consulting services to architects and construction companies focusing on integrating event infrastructure and technologies into existing and new-build venues, creating state-of-the-art event facilities. Sequoia Productions is continually exploring new opportunities and partnerships locally, nationally, and globally. Utilizing Social Media to Share Event Experiences The company positions their strategic messaging in the special event ethos on various platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, as well as on their website showcasing imagery from their latest corporate productions and social celebrations. Messaging highlights the unique, custom-designed nature of Sequoia’s events and their up-to-the-minute acumen in fashion, design and technology trends. Website: www.sequoiaprod.com Cheryl photography provided by Chris Schmitt Cheryl photo shoot venue provided by NeueHouse, Hollywood
Cover Story
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VOL 07 | ISSUE 08 | 2020
The
Most Promising
Management Companies in 2020
Cheryl Cecchetto Owner & President
A PRESTIGIOUS EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANY
Choose E xc e l l e n t, Choose Insights
The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
Alexandra Juran Director
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Alexandra Juran Artego Productions
Creating World’s Best Gala Events
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reating a luxury event is not for the faint of the hearts. So, in 2006 Artego Productions was founded, by Alexandra Juran. Since then, the organization has become famous for taking celebrations to an entirely new level of sensation and luxury. Bespoke events by Alexandra Juran usually take place in the most spectacular locations in the world. Alexandra Juran Artego Productions is tabbed as one of the TOP-20 Event Agencies in the World. Society Weddings, iconic Private Parties, Birthday Celebrations, extravagant Galas, Corporate Events, Fashion and Art Events worldwide, from intimate private events to large and lavish extravaganzas, every celebration Alexandra Juran creates is unique. So, in an Interview with Insights Success and Alexandra Juran Artego Productions, the spokesperson of the organization has shared unknown stories about the organization and its journey. Below are the highlights of the interview; What led to the inception of the company? A desire and courage to be able to create the Perfect Moment that people will remember forever as the most remarkable day in their life. Describe your company and its event management services which address all the needs of your customers. We produce unique events worldwide: from the grand opening of The Venetian Macao to the famous Rome Gala and Fellini Ball that was exhibited as an outstanding work of art in The Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt. We are proud that our clients’ events are among the most highly regarded worldwide.
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I dedicated my career to creating people’s dreams. It might take us a year of work to create only one day – the day that you will remember forever. We have a global reputation for producing outstanding luxury experiences and timeless moments for clients demanding world-class event, first class service and a dream to live. www.insightssuccess.com
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
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INFO GRAPHICS Presenting your Business in a Different Way
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e all have almost skipped on dialogues when reading a comic book just to see at the pictures and tried to understand the story just through pictures. In simple language that’s infographics for you.
Recently the use of infographics in various fields such as school, business firms, food-chains, transport and many more have been increased to an extent. An infographic consists of visual presentation of a certain information or data in design form. We can convey a message through infographics very easily that is nonchalantly understood by the reader. We unknowingly see a large number of infographics daily. Using infographics can make a creative content for your business. As it is a proven and effective method in seizing the attention of the reader since they procure various information in a glimpse. Nowadays as there are many types of digital learning, most of it is dependent on infographics. In the time of visual learning there is no doubt in my mind sooner or later it will benefit your business. How can we use it for spreading awareness regarding your brand? Here are some points that we may help you how infographic can help you.
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Tech Talk We all have heard many different stories over the year. You can tell a short and sweet story
Telling a Visual Story
through infographics making it reliable source to reach to the consumers. Letting consumers know about your brand in a simple way through formative visuals. Your ideas are better expressed in a visual form than just written.
Infographics can help your brand to get in limelight in way that approaches mass audience, over the internet and as well as physical posters too. Also infographics with proper keywords helps in SEO, and plays a huge part giving exposure to your brand. On the contrary you can show your statistics in an attractive and unique structure. Infographics doesn’t need charts or graphs to show a data. A normal statistics chart
Statistics Designed in Expanding Brand Exposure
can be made more alive using infographics. It helps spreading a deeper knowledge of data in a real simple and attractive way.
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There are abundant ways where you can target your speciďŹ c audience using infographics. For
Targeting Audience
example we see many real-estate infographic ad selling a same property but in different ways. If you visit a fast food outlet you may have seen many small pamphlets showing you info-graph of the place and food letting you know the details about the outlet.
Frequently, making a quick decision needs to be fast, thus you have to go through all the data no key information. With effective infographics, reports can be created with ease taking in consideration of all key points overall. Visual data can provide you instant key information that are easy clarify resulting in fast decision making. To conclude, Design is more than reliability. It creates a value for a business that can be help your brand grow at a good pace. Inclusion of design in business to reach out to customers in an effective manner is what infographics provides. Infographic is just simpler way to compress a large amount of data and allows it to be represented in a visual form yet telling a big story in summarized form. After all a good
Assisting Decision Making
design has a great story.
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
Italian Creativity Meets German Reliability
n today’s time, event management is more vital than ever before as several companies desire their presence to be recognized in the global market, and thus, they have to put on a show that leaves a lasting impact on the world. Many event management companies try to create this magic but only a few succeed. CLY is an international event agency based in Berlin and New York City that has persistently followed their passion for lifestyle and luxury brands and delivers exclusive event experiences.
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A Kick-start Raffaele Castelli founded CLY to create unique and personal projects for luxury and lifestyle brands. When CLY stepped into the market ten years ago, their first “office” was in an old clinic, which is where the idea sparked for the name Creative Laboratory (CLY) as it perfectly fit the brand and the name itself defines the significance of innovation and creativity for each and every project.
CLY Founder Raffaele Castelli has combined the spirit of professionalism with free-roaming creativity. With over 20 years of experience as a creative director, he has envisioned every project as a uniquely bespoke world for clients and consumers to experience.
Customer Driven Services CLY has always been passionate about lifestyle and luxury brands, which helps them create individual concepts within the range of event production, influencer campaigns, celebrity relations, and experiential marketing. The core team of senior-level communication professionals remains driven by a penchant for perfection and they make sure that even the smallest details contribute to the one-of-a-kind feel of every production. Their international network of specialists allows them to flexibly cater to their clients’ broad range of ambitions and specific requirements.
CLY has collaborated with global and regional brands, including OMEGA, Lufthansa, Coca-Cola, Glashütte Original, Samsung, and Adobe.
Standing Out in the Crowd As a boutique agency, CLY offers its clients decisive advantages compared to larger agencies. CLY takes a 360degree approach to all projects by managing conception, planning, and implementation while coordinating hand-inhand with the client to create first-class experiences that leave lasting impressions. Confronting Hurdles CLY strives to advise their clients with the best solutions that are appropriate for their brand and budget rather than saying yes to all client ideas. From CLY’s numerous experiences, they understand which trends work and which 40 | July 2020
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CLY
Raffaele Castelli Founder
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ones don’t for different brands, industries, and audiences. This knowledge and expertise allows them to provide their clients with better ideas and solutions that are innovative and that make sense for client objectives and budgets. It is challenging to communicate these things to clients in a precise way, but it is essential to achieve the best possible outcome for their clients. Utilizing Technologies & Future Aspirations One aspect that sets CLY apart is its focus on sustainability. The boutique agency attaches great importance to the zero waste factor and looks to incorporate unique technologies and products to make their projects more sustainable. In the forthcoming future, CLY is continuing to build and expand a team focused on the company’s philosophy of innovation and creativity. They plan to continue doing events that they are proud of, and it doesn’t matter how big or small the project is.
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Testimonials “We chose CLY because everyone on the team works with perfection, professionalism, and passion to ensure that the smallest detail is right, even for large productions.” -Peter Taubitz, Manager, Lufthansa “I have been working with CLY for 3 years now on outstanding projects to create true premium experiences for our consumers. CLY is all about the love of detail, creativity, and unmatched excellence.” -Natassja Dos Anjos, Brand Manager, Coca-Cola “CLY’s work is just amazing… Creative, fun, and highly professional, it’s always a pleasure to work with them.” -Christina Angelov, Head of Retail Design, Glashütte Original
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
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ENTERTAINMENT-DRIVEN, CORPORATE, &
SPORTS..
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Editor’s Viewpoint
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hat is the connection between a sports event and a military display? What is the synergy between a world class show and a record breaking event? The answer lies within Event Management Organizations. Event Organizations multinational companies and event promoters is an active ďŹ eld of live communication, corporate events, public events, festivals, sports events, TV, shows and concerts and artists tour management. These companies translates creative ideas and designs into practical planning that includes staging, temporary structures, tents, sound and light equipment, video screens, power supply, machinery, and decoration. Event Management Companies designs and visualizes a total view of the client’s stage or event and make a
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complete quotation of all facilities needed to translate designs into reality. The team needs to be flexible and ambitious and which ensures professional and high-quality results. It is a detail-oriented industry which minimizes the risk of errors. This field always looks for ways to improve existing products & processes and comes with up new solutions.
delayed delivery due to traffic, to a power outage at the venue that could shut down the production for hours. Audience engagement is the key for a successful event. The right sound is evidently important in the event industry. However, audio is not always something event organizers think of at the beginning of the event production process. Audio can actually make or break your event. In order to achieve the desired effect on the audience it is most important to make an audio plan at the start of the event production.
Corporate clients create a business event for their employees, with a festival vibe. Most of all they want to give their employees a nice experience and make them feel at ease in a casual atmosphere. Their aim is to make sure the employees came to work the next day, relaxed and happy. Often a corporate event takes place at a venue with one hall. Corporate festivals, much like regular festivals, consist of multiple areas and the look and feel is of greater importance. On top of this, corporate festivals often have a lot more diversity in the program, entertainment and activates. Same goes with other events like artists, festivals, public, and sports, TV, Shows & Concerts.
The event environment is completely altered with technology in a positive fun way. Technology allows connecting with an audience in many ways. Through the use of creative ideas and the right technology, you can make an event from average to outstanding. Technology and Systems are being introduced to make life of event professionals easier, from drones to VR and AR, to concierge robotics.
Technical productions can come with all sorts of challenges. When working across the locations is sometimes an area of concern. Unexpected problems can range from as small as
The event industry was thriving in 2019 and will continue to grow in 2020. Recent research on event marketing showed that entrepreneurs believe that in person events are
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critical components of their company’s success. To continue this, event organizers need to keep up with current trends and increase their knowledge on the newest techniques: Live meets Online: Customers are more and more interested in bespoke events, new ideas and new ways of communicating their message. It is a vital tool to expand the audience. For example, an event for a few social media inuencers can suddenly make a small event into a huge hit with millions of online views. Innovation: 2020 will be all about innovation. Online registration systems, interactive and live communication at events, social media incorporation, but also new usage of light, sound and special eects. With the right experts on hand, the sky is the limit. VR and AR is an also still a trend, but in the end an event is about meeting people and getting your message across in real life. Total Experience Design: Nowadays events have to be a 360-degree experience. Only one stage, a simple backdrop, and a beamer are not enough. People expect more. So think 3D when planning next event. Make sure the audience is
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stimulated at all times from every direction and every corner of your venue. Using large curved video screens can be a good start. They literally embrace the audience and will contribute to this 360-degree experience. Synergy between all components of your event is crucial to create a total experience design. Going Green: Sustainability is a hot topic, there are many to make an event eco-friendly. Recyclable name badges, use of QR codes and websites by going paperless are some ways. To help a global green marketplace, green events are critically important to ensure sustainable development in event management by making responsible decisions during planning, organization and implementation of an event. The event industry serves to connect people. But that connection can take many forms as in-person event, a streamed event, an archived event, etc. The point is the connection. Whether that technology is AR, VR, social media, virtual events, etc, those are critical technologies to connect people.
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
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he best way to build relationships and form new ones with potential customers is “Events and Exhibitions”. It provides face-to-face customer contact. Gala Dinners and Award Ceremonies are also a fantastic way to reward your employees, acknowledge the talent, celebrate with clients and engage your stakeholders. On this communication front, RedFilo works with the creative teams to craft and create the messaging for all marketing, live brand activations that will transform the visitors’ experience from that of the ordinary to extraordinaire. An interview conducted between Insights Success and Pach Ang – Group CEO and Founder delivers powerful and unforgettable experiences by conducting events in Abu Dhabi, the Middle East, and other regions. Below are the highlights of the interview: What led to the inception of the company? Bringing his vision to reality, Pach Ang, an astute, resilient, and determined entrepreneur sought to deliver powerful and exceptional event experiences in the Middle East. In his quest, Pach quickly realized that there is a huge gap in how clients understood and interpreted the essence of what an experiential event means and have often witnessed the standards falling short. Keeping true to his aspiration, Pach and his team at RedFilo has indeed designed and delivered some of the largest exponential award-winning events here in the UAE over the last 12 years. Answering the call to Abu Dhabi’s Economic Vision 2030 in making Abu Dhabi one of the world’s most attractive cities for leisure offering new resorts, malls, world-class museums, and galleries and other leisure facilities, RedFilo seeks to further bridge this gap by elevating and producing world-class events here in Abu Dhabi and the UAE at large. Describe your company and its event management services which address all the needs of your customers. RedFilo, an events powerhouse, believes that over and above creative innovation, a strong team camaraderie, an unyielding mindset to setbacks, are fundamental building blocks to the road of success. In RedFilo, we deem ourselves as an Event Architect, and why so? Each Architect is a cornerstone of creation, commitment, and sound ethics in delivering the best event experiences to all their clients! With that in mind, RedFilo delivers a wide array of events ranging from festivals, opening ceremonies, product launches, conferences and exhibitions, entertainment, sporting events, global expos, to name a few.
Pach Ang Group CEO & Founder
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RedFilo Events
The Professional Event Management Company
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In Pach’s very own words “RedFilo is well known for designing impressions and revolutionizing experiences. We understand our clientele, expectations, and demands. In delivering immersive experiential events, we have come to recognize the essence of our clients’ brands and their touchpoints. Using innovation and originality, RedFilo has delivered notable event solutions that have generated amazing ROIs, much to the satisfaction of our clients.” And that’s how RedFilo makes a difference in today’s events and MICE competitive landscape! Give a detailed description of the featured person’s influence over the company and the industry. Over his 30 plus years of Special Forces military background prior to his events entrepreneurship days, Pach firmly believes and has instilled discipline, respect, mentor-ship, and leadership by example, a unified community with an all-hands-on-deck mentality in each 58 | July 2020
member of his organization ensuing its success and stability over the last decade. In 2014, Pach Ang was featured in a leading Middle East magazine as UAE’s top 20 industry Shakers & Movers. Pach was also dubbed as an unparalleled Commander, Mentor, and Business Leader in an article by Cochin Herald in 2015. Pach has earned the client's confidence in understanding their needs and a professional delivery through sound and accountable processes in operations besides being innovative and creative, always turning up with a solution at every juncture.
A discerning businessman, Pach recognizes the intense competitive landscape in the UAE events industry. Pach believes the solution lies in partnership and collaboration amongst fellow in-country agencies. And with the forthcoming World Expo 2020 Dubai, all the more, to avoid being cannibalized with the onslaught of new overseas companies incorporating in the UAE, working together is the way to go.
Awarded the prestigious Middle East ICON industry of the Year in 2017, reinforced and demonstrated the industry’s respect and confidence in Pach’s leadership and contribution to the local events scene.
In every event business market, the challenge remains, and that is, many event agencies offer, seemingly, similar services, claiming to be able to deliver the ‘same’ event experience, often led to undermining market pricing potentials and compromising the delivery quality. Pach believes that “client education” is essential and crucial in understanding what’s happening in the industry giving them an edge when working with their agencies.
What are the greatest challenges faced by the event management sector and how are they best dealt with?
What technologies are you leveraging to make your services more resourceful? www.insightssuccess.com
Together with their partners, RedFilo has been developing different technologies to digitize event processes to be employed both internally and externally. One such is project management tracking software that allows each architect to streamline priorities, track progress, and development of an event. The program has the flexibility for various conversions, such as it can be used as a workbook to be shared with clients during the pre-event phase and as a show book on event execution. A Client communication has become more efficient and achieving a higher level of accuracy of data for dissemination. What are your company’s future aspirations? What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those goals? As an astute business owner, Pach has outlined three business goals. “RedFilo has adopted a three-prong approach; Expansion, Creation and Engagement, Collaboration.” Explaining the goals, Pach detailed the following: “Expansion. I have started to expand the business geographically, with its Headquarters located in Abu Dhabi, now have offices and partner offices in Beirut, Dubai, KSA, Malaysia, and Singapore. This is only the start; plans are underway to establish more offices in several other locations. Besides expanding in various countries, I am also looking into acquiring complementary business verticals, such as event landscaping and event technologies, that will enhance or expand our current offerings. Creation & Engagement. One of RedFilo’s core strengths is in event creation and implementation. With the start of Neorun, a RedFilo sports/fun event IP has generated tremendous responses from the public and has seen both event popularity growth and a rewarding ROI in branding and revenue. I look forward to creating more IPs that can be offered as event solutions, elevating experiential events to the next level, ushering in better and fresher community engagement, both socially and from a business standpoint. Collaboration. Not just for survival sake, more on leveraging the core skills of each partner, allowing each of us to do what we do best in response to today’s competitive environment. This will strengthen business relationships, loyalty as partners in a consortium that will bring about greater impact in solution offerings to the clients.”
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The 10 Most Promising Event Management Companies in 2020
Planning and Executing Engaging Experiences
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reating an unforgettable experience for employees or clients is never easy, there are so many hassles you can face while arranging an event. Thus We Crush Events came into existence with the intent to create custom experiences for employees or clients, while saving you from the hassle and headache of the event planning process. In an interview with Insights Success, Jessica Cheney the CEO and Co-founder of We Crush Events shared valuable insights regarding the exciting journey. Below is the interview between Insights Success and Jessica; What led to the inception of the company? I have an extensive background in hospitality and events and my partner, Danielle Thieret, has years of sales and business development experience. After working together at an event tech startup, we coupled our sales expertise and event operations knowledge to form We Crush Events. When we started our company, our focus was on driving business to venues/vendors and supporting our corporate clients with their event planning needs. We knew there was a need for this two sided support in the hospitality industry and we were very excited to bring it to life! Describe your company and its event management services which address all the needs of your customers. We are a full service event planning and production company specializing in corporate events. Our team of seasoned professionals plan and execute meetings, o-sites, incentive trips, retreats, team outings, seasonal parties and many more. We primarily service the Southern California area but we have also produced events in other states and international destinations. Our hands-on approach puts our clients at ease that their events will be taken care of from A to Z. In addition to providing them with exceptional service, we help them drive ROI for client events and ensure employee engagement and retention with internal events. 60 | July 2020
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Jessica Cheney
Jessica Cheney
CEO & Co-founder We Crush Events
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g n i ag le i g h n e ,w s s e t t ea clien ith r c w r ts u s n e o e t v o a t E d t s g sh o co in u k r o s.” C n r o t e o b d n “W nces a e and e v d e c i n a a p er s s p e g x u e n i n l e l v
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How do your services differ from the other companies’ offerings? We Crush Events is the future of the corporate event planning industry. We plan and execute engaging experiences at no cost to our corporate clients, while filling space and booking dates with venues & vendors. Our unique business model benefits both sides of the event industry as we capitalize off our vendor and venue relationships, providing them with incremental revenue and our clients with full service event support. What are the greatest challenges faced by the event management sector and how are they best dealt with? An event can be a very subjective experience for both the planner and attendees. Each of our client’s has their own individual message they are trying to get across and goals they want to achieve. We have to align ourselves with them so that we can best capture their brand and culture. We do that by taking the time to really get to know our clients’ culture and brand through their eyes. We foster an open dialogue with them and gather feedback so that we can gauge their likes and dislikes. This discovery process enables us to best understand and achieve their vision.
to see how we can make our service more useful and lucrative for them. Give a detailed description of your influence over the company and the industry. As CEO and co-founder I have strived to make our company the best version of itself. However, that is an evolving process as we are constantly learning and improving. I’ve been at startups before and know that it can get overwhelming trying to keep up with the quick growth. With WCE, I have worked hard to instill an empowering mindset within our team and encouraged them that growing within themselves contributes to the company’s growth because they are each an important piece to our puzzle. Danielle and I took a leap of faith starting We Crush Events just four years ago and in such a short time we have gotten to work with some of the most innovative companies in the industry. As female business owners, we feel that we are helping to evolve the roles women can play in corporate America. The future is female and we hope to inspire fellow girl bosses to dig deep and keep pushing through because the best view comes after the hardest climb.
What technologies are you leveraging to make your services more resourceful? We use a graphic design platform to streamline and enhance all of our visual content. This tool allows us to create eye catching material that showcases everything from our sales decks to elaborate multi-venue proposals. We live in an aesthetic world and we use this resource as a way to transform otherwise ordinary documents into striking and effective presentations. For our agreements and invoices, we integrate with software that streamlines signatures and processes payments electronically. It makes it easy for our clients to review and approve their documents all in one place. Through this interface we can also track and update the status of our different deals as they move through the booking process. What are your company’s future aspirations? What strategies are you undertaking to achieve those goals? Our goal from day 1 has always been to streamline our process and grow into other cities. We see an incredible opportunity to offer our services in all the major markets that have a high concentration of Fortune 500 companies and a plethora of venues and vendors. As of now, our strategy is to perfect our recipe here, in the Southern California region, so we can easily duplicate these efforts in other markets. Our current focus is training our team and giving them the tools they need to thrive and deliver a quality service to our clients. We also actively gather feedback from our clients and vendor partners
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