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years into his tenure, Sanders wrote up a business plan, and, with $100,000 he’d saved, launched HRG. In its first year—while still fo- cused only on the Event Solutions division— the fledgling company nearly made back its initial capital investment.
Today, the corporate events managed by Event Solutions run the gamut, from nuts- and-bolts-type meetings to conferences and outings. In the nonprofit sector, HRG is involved in all of the logistics for fundraising galas and event outings for clients such as Guiding Eyes for the Blind and the Boys & Girls Club. Event Solutions’ client roster is 60 percent corporate, 40 percent nonprofit. For the past seven years, HRG has also managed the meetings-and-events division of Manhattan-based Ovation Travel Group, which holds 250 meetings a year. HRG has six employees working on that account alone.
Naturally, when managing live events, preparation is crucial. “When it comes to events, we’re making things happen on the fly. It can be difficult because you don’t have control of the environment. We always have a Plan C,” notes Sanders, adding that this as- pect is a competitive advantage for HRG. “A lot of companies in our space don’t have a
make things more convenient, but some of it takes away the people-to-people interac- tion,” says Lattari. “Certainly, there’s an age factor: The younger generation is more apt to use the technology than some of the more senior folks, so you have to adapt to differ- ent ways of using it and determine if it’s ap- propriate for that particular audience.”
HRG invests about $25,000 a year to use software from online events-management platform Cvent, which includes offerings like event websites, online check-ins, and even management of special dietary require- ments of event attendees.
Going In New Directions
By 1999, once the events side of the busi- ness was established, a fortuitous meeting propelled the company to expand in a new direction. Sanders gave a sales presentation at Doral Arrowwood’s hotel-and-conference center in Rye Brook that was so successful, it led to subsequent sales presentations and cor- porate training, culminating with the forma- tion of Strategic Training Solutions. Accord- ing to Lattari, STS’ team-building exercises are not “off the shelf” but tailored to a compa- ny’s or nonprofit’s specific needs and goals.
“Eighty-five percent of our business comes
from referrals. That’s a huge number, and
that’s something we take very seriously.”
—Robert O. Sanders Jr., founder and chairman, HRG
events, the company began to offer public- relations and marketing services, ultimately resulting in HRG’s third division, Allegis Communications, which was formed in 2004. This last expansion was a natural pro- gression, since, Sanders says, his company was continually hiring other companies to do the PR, marketing, branding, and website design for the events it was managing. “We were just talking one day,” he says, “and decided to start a division under the HRG
Plan C or often even a Plan B,” he says. HRG’s CEO, Michael Lattari, says man- agement technology is key for both corpo- rate and nonprofit events, with online regis- tration sites becoming “almost mandatory.” However, using online-based technology to do things like check in for a meeting can
have its drawbacks.
“The growing rise of technology can
“We customize everything we do based on the group and what they are looking to do,” says Lattari. “It can be something class- room-based, or it can be a scavenger hunt, or cooking; any activity that is done in a group where you can analyze how everyone’s per- sonalities work together.”
As more and more clients started ask- ing for help spreading the word about their
Sanders Says!
Five tips from Robert O. Sanders Jr. on how companies and nonprofits can get the most from their events:
➊You do not need a huge budget, but you need a direct purpose. “That is the biggest thing I give guidance on. Organizations should have a desired outcome in mind and should ask themselves: If we do this, what benefit do we get as a company? Do we get exposure? Do we get clients?”
➋Engage the team. “Identify the key stakeholders in the company who can help determine how to get things done with limited resources. Look at who your superstars are within the company; a lot of the time, people want to get involved if they are asked.”
➌Find sponsors and donors to help cut costs. For nonprofits, securing sponsorships to underwrite the costs associated with the event—such as food or music—can be the key to a successful fundraiser. “Often, people you deal with on a regular basis, whether it’s your bank or your insurance carrier, want to be involved; they’d be thrilled to put their name on your event.”
➍Get the word out. It’s important to have a clear strategy on how to promote the event. Is it the Web? Social media? Direct mail? E-blasting? All
of the above? “I recommend a written marketing plan for the event, but it must have focus and direction.”
➎Follow up. Not scheduling post- event meetings with key clients, sponsors, and staff, can lead to missed opportunities for valuable feedback. “So many times people don’t follow up with the clients and ask, ‘Hey, what did you think? Should we do something else?’ There is no follow-up to bring it to the next level. So, you had the event, and it was fantastic, but what was the outcome?”
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