Communication and Motivation Ideas for today’s audiences

February 1st marks the ten-year anniversary of when we opened Esprit Productions. Our goal today remains the same: Deliver high-quality meeting planning and event production services to organizations that want to harness the power of face-to-face communication among employees, members or customers. I want to acknowledge my many clients and suppliers who continue partnering with me to help create memorable events for our audiences. I consider it a passion and a privilege to pass along some of my experiences and tips through this newsletter to hopefully help inspire some of your efforts, and I thank you and other communication professionals I’ve met along the way who make our industry so rewarding.
--Ron Springer

How today’s meeting audiences are adapting, connecting

To commemorate a decade of planning and producing meetings for world-class organizations, I’ll use this newsletter to share some trends in our industry plus a few special client moments I’ve had over the years.
Effective meetings and events involve helping audiences relate to the current state of an organization and where it’s heading. We help do this by first understanding its business and cultural backdrop and who we’re trying to reach. This means getting to know people on a personal level as well as understanding their communication needs and preferences on a broader scale as audiences become more complex. I’ll briefly explore here how multi-generational audiences are using communication and technology to adapt and connect in business today.   Read More »

A Decade of ROI for our Clients

Measuring Esprit’s results is directly linked to our clients’ success and our strong relationships with them over the years. We’ve followed their evolving narratives as organizations, and been invited back to support them through creative ideas, solutions, and quality meeting services that have aided their overall growth and success. Here are three examples.

Nielsen – Ten years ago, Nielsen was part of foreign-owned VNU before being bought out by the Carlyle Group. Since then, CEO Dave Calhoun and his senior management team has driven Nielsen’s innovation and expertise and continues to be the world-wide leader in media measurement and ratings. Esprit’s role in this success has been to produce Nielsen’s annual Consumer 360 Customer Conference through staging, production, live streaming and working amid a broader team to deliver world-class presentations that have meshed visually among other conference elements.   Read More »

Reflecting on ten years…past, present, and meeting predictions

Milestones like anniversaries are a great opportunity for reflection, so I checked to see what was happening back on February 1, 2003 when Esprit first opened vs. what’s happening today. In science

• Then – Feb 1, 2003 marked Shuttle Columbia’s tragedy
• Now – The U.S. rover, Curiosity, continues its drilling quest for life on Mars.

In sports

• Then – Jim Harbaugh was QB for The Oakland Raiders while brother, John, was special-teams coach for The Eagles.
• Now – Jim, Head Coach for The San Francisco 49ers, faces off with John, Head Coach of the Baltimore Ravens, on February 3rd Super Bowl XLVII…or "Superbaugh" to you sports fans.

In entertainment

• Then – "Chicago"  won Best Musical or Comedy Film in 2003 at The 60th Annual Golden Globes.
• Now – "Les Miserables"  earned the same acclaim at January’s 70th Annual Golden Globes.

In business

• Then – Apple was $6/share, and launched its revolutionary iTunes in April 2003 with 200,000 songs and total corporate sales of $6.21 Billion.
• Now – Apple is $450/share, and celebrates iTunes’ ten-year anniversary in April with $12 Billion in annual iTunes sales alone through a library of 26 million songs plus an Apps and iBookstore.

In meetings and events

2003 marked:

• A return to growth after 9/11 with a boost in training and sales-related meetings;
• $82.52 was the average U.S. room rate;
• The U.S. business-to-leisure travel split at 52%/48%;
• Gas at a mere $1.83/gallon.

2013 trends indicate:

• A 5.2% increase in U.S. group travel spending; o $102 and rising for the average U.S. hotel rate;
•  U.S. business-to-leisure travel as a 40%/60% split; o Gas will hover at $3.50/gallon.

 Read More »

This paper includes a few predictions and trends about the future of meetings from our production assistant, Mary Grace Thomas, who shares her views from a millennial perspective. 

Meetings are a journey and a destination

How do you go about selecting the best travel destination? I often browse sources like T&L 500 world's best hotels, or watch for others’ personal stories like my millennial colleague, Mary Grace, and her Madrid travels. But I’d like to stick closer to home for my anniversary and reflect on all that Chicago offers us as meeting planners.
 
I may be bias as a Chicago native, but during a January drive into the city I’m amazed at how excited I still get. From architecture to our people, Chicago offers sheer diversity: The Mag Mile; Millennium Park; the lakefront; a world-class orchestra; gritty blues clubs; unique local neighborhoods; and an amazing restaurant scene.



We can’t overlook the great hotel scene, either.
T&L features seven downtown gems: Four Seasons; Park Hyatt; Ritz-Carlton; Sofitel Chicago Water Tower; Peninsula Chicago; Trump International Hotel & Tower; and Waldorf Astoria. Other hidden gems include Ian Schrager’s Public Chicago Hotel and newly-remodeled Pump Room Restaurant, complete with Public Express “fast food” service feature. It combines contemporary elegance with a healthy dose of friendly, mid-western service. Finally, Langham, one of the finest luxury hotel brands in the world, debuts The Langham Chicago this summer.
 
It’s for these reasons and more that I think "Chicago" when I think of a great corporate travel destination. It’s a city that helps event planners dream up solutions right down to an individual’s personal experience, and makes the most of our meeting dollars through its many tangible and intangible benefits.
 
Wherever your meeting travels take you this year, you’re always welcomed to Chicago and I’d be happy to connect any time to help you make that happen. I wish you safe travels and a productive planning year!

Sincerely,

Ron Springer