Tech Letter Example
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You can only use the venue WiFi.
The hotel will charge me an enormous fee for in-house WiFi if I use an external audio visual provider, and there is nothing I can do about it.
The venue WiFi is shared across all meetings and guests.
WiFi is only one of many service options I can choose from for my event.
The fastest option will be the venue WiFi.
The hotel or venue can block any outside WiFi.
Venues do not offer a variety of options to customize WiFi for your specific needs.
Technology is flawless.
If you have any questions about WiFi for your event, fill out the contact form below!
At Valley View Mall in Dallas, Texas, the Sears building demolition and Park Heritage reveal started with a bang! This multi-use project launched the beginning of a revitalization mission for the North Dallas area. The Sears building was the first to come down for “the biggest mixed-use urban projects in Dallas — a $1 billion redevelopment of part of the old Valley View Mall,” reports Dallas Morning News.
To elevate this ceremonial event for KDC Development, Merestone provided high quality audio visuals for all speakers, queued confetti cannons, and custom branding for Park Heritage. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings was in attendance and personally pushed the Launch Button supplied by Merestone for this significant occasion.
For construction and development launches, choose Merestone to deliver hands-on services from start to finish.
After being in the production industry for over 47 years, we thought we had seen it all. Then, last month, Netflix and Hulu dropped their documentaries on the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival. After watching both, Merestone asked the in-house event experts what critiques they had.
Of course you want your big event to be fantastic and have cool amenities. But if you cannot deliver, then don’t promise it. One of the biggest issues the Fyre team faced was keeping up with the luxurious stay packages their Chief Marketing Officer came up with on the fly. They marketed these packages for attendees to buy before ever consulting their vendors or event production team. “You got to be a conduit between all entities of an event to make it a success,” says Merestone Executive Producer, Cindy Kenna. As an event production veteran, she knows how to plan large-scale shows. “When you have your hand in the pie, you need to share what you have with your marketing team, your event production team, your vendors… in order to execute.”
With all the buzz on social media that Fyre had created already, hundreds of people started spending thousands of dollars on cabanas that weren’t accounted for in the original plans. Instead, the team found and used disaster relief tents leftover on the island from Hurricane Jack. They also promised private jets, sushi cuisine, and meet and greets with celebrities that never showed up. In fact, none of the entertainment or talent arrived. They weren’t paid and so the music festival had no music.
The nightmare continues…
Fyre Festival didn’t start with a strongly developed business plan and well researched course of action. Instead, the extremely well-connected and financially invested entrepreneur, Billy McFarland, and his friends flew to the Bahamas and stumbled upon an island with a deserted landing strip. Previously owned by the infamous Colombian cartel kingpin, Pablo Escobar, McFarland and his team had the brilliant idea of having a music festival right there in the middle of the Caribbean.
“Everything was wrong about this from the beginning,” says Rob Hill, Merestone’s Vice President. “The infrastructure on that island was not equipped to handle the number of people they were expecting. There wasn’t enough electricity, plumbing, shelter… no one considered the environmental impact either.”
Taking the time to understand the infrastructure capabilities and logistics is key for any event planning. But this was not reviewed at the pre-conception of Fyre and ultimately led to their downfall. “That’s why Merestone goes out and does site inspections. We know our resources, we know our people, and we know the logistics. It’s also about building relationships with the people on the ground and who know the area,” Hill stresses how important it is to do the research of a venue and the location beforehand. Having professional input is highly valued in Merestone production planning.
Another major error the Fyre decision makers made was ignoring the advice they were receiving from the experts hired; event planners, production teams, engineers, audio, visual and lighting technicians, talent agents, and caterers. From the beginning, the experts raised the red flags but it fell on over idealistic, deaf ears.
Merestone’s cast members are exceptional industry professionals with diverse background experiences to ensure the recommendations clients receive are informative, well-researched, and dependable.
Set realistic dates and deadlines for yourself, your team, contractors, and vendors. Large scale events don’t happen overnight. Coachella’s planning began in 1997 and the inauguration was in 1999. Keep in mind Coachella didn’t start out offering VIP experience ticket packages with bungalows in the Bahamas right on the beach, private jet flights, and meet and greets with the top 10 models and influencers of the decade for thousands of dollars. Instead, they sold “come as you are” tickets and had space for attendees to pitch a tent or sleep under the stars in the middle of the desert.
In comparison, Fyre Festival needed considerable time to efficiently plan their first event. Unfortunately, they rushed everything and ended up with a major PR disaster and a federal investigation. With the advice from the Merestone event production experts, your large-scale show won’t go down in flames.
Take a look at the exceptional projects Merestone has successfully completed for our clients: PORTFOLIO
Our new hand-crafted Phoenix Podium is the perfect choice for a magical evening. Made from beautiful ash wood and adorned with gold leaves, this podium is truly a work of art. Built in-house by our talented scenic shop, it is available for your next event.
Contact us to learn more!
When it comes to understanding the impact the economy has on event businesses, Merestone’s executives have experienced the roller coaster of economic growth and decline first-hand. With the local economy on the rise in Phoenix currently, event production companies are experiencing a blissful period of upgraded venue options that are contemporary and appeal new businesses, not only in the valley but also those considering travelling here.
In a recent interview with the Phoenix Business Journal, Camille Hill, Merestone’s President, gave insight on what clients expect when trusting an event production company with their brand, audience, and presence.
“They want a perfect show. When you’re standing on stage and you have an audience, you can’t be more exposed,” Camille stated, “When you spend the money to assemble all these people, you want them to be happy.”
Read the full article below or on the Phoenix Business Journal website
S&P Dow Jones Indices, the world’s largest global resource for index-based concepts, data and research, held a conference to explore Indexology. We created several environments in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona, utilizing S&P’s brand and marketing campaign imagery with highlighted items such as custom panels, light-boxes, lighted high-tops and lighted bars. Guests gathered to meet, greet and network in the Indexology Lounge. Three screens with custom animation helped illustrate how Indexology is defining the future of indexing and pushing past its frontiers for the benefit of investors today and tomorrow.
Movie theaters today are becoming more convenient, comfortable and glamorous. A prime example is the newly opened Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square. While walking the halls of the Camelview, guests can admire five different dioramas emulating some of the Harkins team’s favorite films. Merestone created these movie scenes to be adored by moviegoers for many years to come.
Merestone’s new Director of Client Relations position has been filled by Heather Trent. Her extensive knowledge in the event meetings and management industry along with her enthusiastic personality pair well with what Merestone was searching for in a company front runner.
Heather is a twenty-year veteran in the hospitality and meetings industry who most recently worked for Visit Phoenix as Director of National Accounts. She was responsible for strategically placing citywide business in the Phoenix Convention Center. Her focus was to build new business opportunities and nurture continuous partnerships in Texas, California, and various Southeast states. Before joining Visit Phoenix, Trent was a Global Account Executive at ConferenceDirect, During her time there, she solicited new clients and executed site selection and contract negotiations on their behalf. Trent worked in sales for convention and visitors bureaus based in Washington, D.C. for Chicago, Denver, and Indianapolis. While living in Louisiana, she began her career at the Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission. She also has hotel experience serving as Senior Sales Manager at both the Courtyard/Residence Inn Downtown Austin/Convention Center and the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
Trent was born and raised in Louisiana and is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations with a minor in Spanish. Trent has been an active member of Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
On her days off, Heather is a loving dog mom to her rescued pup and she cheers on the New Orleans Saints. Certified as a yoga instructor, Heather has even practiced yoga with Saints players. Welcome to the Merestone cast!
Fred Krueger has dedicated 30 years to Merestone Productions as a talented Artist. His sketches and drawings have inspired several clients to choose to work with Merestone over the years while also capturing the imagination. As tribute, Merestone compiled some of the cast members’ favorite drawings and also interviewed the company executives in this employee appreciation video.
Thank you, Fred, for all you do!
