When it rains it pours
May is usually a month where we’re running on high gear. Our team tackled 13 events during May, including 10 in 13 days. “The Stretch” included thousands of walkers, dozens of dignitaries, speaking timelines, headsets, stage management, flag protocol, shiny shovels, miles of roadway, and at least one baseball hall-of-famer. After catching their breath, we caught up with some team members who made it happen.
1. 51st Annual Project Bread Walk for Hunger – Sunday, May 5
Thousands gathered at Boston Common on May 5 to raise money at the 51st Walk for Hunger and 5K Run. The annual event helps Project Bread invest in hundreds of anti-hunger programs across Massachusetts, and it was the first time Conventures served as the operational lead for the event. Our sports team captain David Grilk dispatched the team to manage the event. “With 20 miles of roadway, two major event sites, and five cities and towns along the route, we needed to make sure that a lot of people and agencies were on the same page,” says Grilk. “Across such a vast area, there were two elements that were most important; everyone knowing their role to the best of their abilities and strong communication. There were extensive plans put into place by our team members on course equipment distribution, signage distribution, event site registration, and VIP hospitality, and programming. Our team members who oversaw those key roles knew every aspect of what was needed to be done in those specific areas. All those areas need to tie into one, and that’s where strong communication comes in to play—we knew when each checkpoint was set up on the course, when each police detail was in place, and had the roads closed of traffic. All of this was captured and controlled from our ‘Net Control’ system which served as a command center.”
2. Feast with 45 – Sunday, May 5
Later that afternoon, we helped Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez and his wife Carolina host a day at the ballpark with their third annual Feast with 45 fundraiser at Fenway Park. The Feast with featured great music and food from 30 of Boston’s top chefs, and the Conventures team, led by Aric Tao, helped check in all event guests to get their night started off on the right foot. “Our experience with our technology and fundraising events helps us mold our registration set-up for any situation,” said Tao. “Every event venue calls for proper positioning and asset deployment to maximize line flow and efficiency. All of our clients are unique, but each expect a tight operation for check-in, and I’m pleased with how we delivered.”
3 & 4. NACD Director of the Year Awards – Monday, May 6 and Thursday, May 9
The week brought our team over state lines as we helped organize the NACD annual Director of the Year Awards dinners for its New England and New Jersey Chapters. Led by Katelyn Connolly and a team of Conventures pros, we called the shots on décor, timeline, and implementation. “The most important thing about pulling off these two events successfully is staying in constant communication with vendors and program participants,” says Connolly. “There are a lot of moving parts with both events, and it is imperative that everyone is in sync and your vendors are fully aware of their deliverables and the event timeline.”
“In working with one venue that we knew, the Seaport Hotel, and one we didn’t, in the Pleasantdale Chateau in New Jersey, we were faced with both familiar and new hurdles, all of which we could overcome. With any awards dinner of this size, the most important thing we try to accomplish is to keep the event program on time. I think we did that very well.”
5. 18th Annual Boston Marine Corps Honor Run – Saturday, May 11
Our sports team was back to its usual road race set-up tricks on Saturday, May 11 under sunny skies for the 18th annual Boston Marine Corps Honor Run. With scenic views from Carson Beach, hundreds of military and law enforcement officers mixed into the crowd of pavement pounders on a gorgeous spring day. “As course manager for this race I often don’t see much of the set up event site or any of the start and finish, but I’m able to trust my teammates on-site to communicate through the timeline with any adjustments,” says Annie McMahon of the sports team. “Because these parks, streets, and parking lots are in such high demand by the communities and agencies which surround them, we have to be precise with our timing and thorough with our clean-up,” says Brooke Maher of the sports team. “We’re proud to start and finish our events on time, and to leave our venues cleaner than we found them.”
6. ACLU Massachusetts Bill of Rights Dinner – Monday, May 13
For the first time, Conventures helped the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Massachusetts hold its 38th annual Bill of Rights Dinner at the Westin Copley Place Hotel in Boston. The sold-out event featured speeches from ACLU’s leadership and Massachusetts civic leaders. “For the Bill of Rights Dinner, we managed the run of show day of as well as manage registration on site,” says Caroline Strouss, Account Executive. “The Conventures registration staff did a great job! We managed to get a big crowd, over 800 people, through a narrow registration area within a short window of time.”
7 & 8. Armenia Tree Project Tree Planting and Evening Reception – Tuesday, May 14
As part of its 25th anniversary, the Armenia Tree Project (ATP) partnered with the City of Boston Parks and Recreation Department to help plant seven trees in Boston’s Dorchester Park on Tuesday, May 14. The seven trees planted included three cherry trees and four white oak trees. “With any outdoor event, you’re compulsively watching the weather for the week before, and trying to manage your equipment needs appropriately,” says T.K. Skenderian, Conventures Director of Marketing and Communications. “The rain wound up holding off for much of our event, but it was a moving target to track.” The event featured spoken remarks, shiny shovels, and the watering of a new cherry tree. The commemorative tree planting at Dorchester Park reflected ATP’s commitment to tree populations worldwide, and Greater Boston’s Armenian population, one of the world’s largest.
That night, we headed to the Commander’s Mansion in Watertown where we helped ATP host its Green Evening Reception. “Although it was much colder than expected, the Green Evening Reception was a great celebratory evening for the Armenia Tree Project,” says Caroline Strouss. “Our talented team set out centerpieces, checked in guests, and ran a brief speaking program while attendees discussed the success of the Armenia Tree Project over the past 25 years.”
9. Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting – Wednesday, May 15
In what is the largest event of the year for the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, nearly 2,000 guests filled the ballroom at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center for its Annual Meeting. Upstairs, our team called the show and managed the stage, while downstairs, our team helped check in guests and get them on their way.“The most important thing about calling a show well is to always be prepared for the unexpected,” says Dusty Rhodes, Conventures President, who called the show from the back of the room. “You have to be disciplined in your programming and timing, and always prepared for an instant change.”
“One thing we always have to manage in these types of events is communication from the back of the room to the front of the room,” added David Choate, Conventures Vice President and COO, and who also helped call the show with Rhodes. “It’s crucially important to not only rehearse the run of show, but to have your contingency plans in place with our stage management to adjust as needed. I think we’ve got a great system in place for that sort of scenario.”
