POWERFUL NEWS FOR EVENT INDUSTRY PARTNERS THE MAIN What exactly are we selling? We offer our customers industry-leading technology. But we’re not just about the “machines” we deliver to our event sites. TM VOL. 3 / ISSUE 2 2004 THE INSIDER We’re also about the service. We burn a great deal of midnight oil putting together the perfect proposal or coordinating the delivery, setup and operation of our equipment. But no matter how we plan, events don’t always go as intended. So how do we handle the 4 am phone call from the movie set needing more power, or a change in the shooting schedule due to rain? Naturally, we take care of these requests with a sense of urgency, calm and professionalism. Sure, technology and service are important components of the event services business. But I think our success is tied even more to “intangibles” like job-specific knowledge and building personal relationships. Whenever we deliver more equipment to a customer or make our rounds, use the opportunity to listen, ask questions, offer creative solutions, and make sure KOHLER ‘ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER’ we’re as proactive as possible. Believe we’re providing the best service in the business — but always look for ways to FOR HOLOCAUST TRIBUTE learn more and to meet more people. That means many loyal customers to us. And that’s how we as a company can Imagine increasing the guest list by a best compete — by staying ahead of the The event may be nationally couple thousand just a week before a big event. The normal learning curve, offering creative solutions, recognized, but for Kohler reactions might be panic, frustration or denial. and by communicating better. Knowing Event Services Technician Mark But such reactions were unacceptable for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s our customer’s business like the back Bollinger, it’s both technically tribute to Holocaust survivors, held last fall at the Washington Mall. The tribute was of your hand and understanding how to sophisticated — and routine. part of a weekend survivors’ reunion that the museum organized as part of its 10th collaborate are key to building better anniversary celebration. relationships, more business and “That’s when you put your problem solving to work and you just make it happen,” greater profits. ● says Eric Blaker, Senior Application Specialist with Kohler Event Services – Washington, D.C. office. “Originally the event planners expected 4,000 attendees. Brian Tyson A few weeks before the event, registration was up to 5,000. A week prior to the event Senior Product Manager that number grew to more than 6,000.” Kohler Event Services CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 [email protected] KOHLER ‘ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER’ It’s hard to imagine a more inspiring setting for a Holocaust tribute than the Washington Mall. Kohler and HDO Productions were faced with the challenge of positioning tents, generators and heaters around the multitude of trees scattered throughout the grounds — and respecting the interests of the National Park Service. “No matter who’s the lead vendor for an event, everyone involved must be committed CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 to the occasion,” emphasizes Eric Blaker, Senior Application Specialist with Kohler Blaker and his team, working with HDO Productions, went to work bringing in Event Services – Washington, D.C. office. more tents, generators, heaters, luxury restrooms, cabling and staging. In the “We rise and fall together. It’s a nice feeling end, more than 7,000 people from 40 states — including more than 2,200 when you become a community like that.” Holocaust survivors — gathered to share their spirit and stories with one another. Several also thanked their rescuers. “The event took form days before the attendees even entered the grounds,” reflects Blaker.“You could feel the momentum building.The greatest satisfaction was watching the survivors celebrate their journeys, and explore their history with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and their rescuers.” “That’s the attitude we respect from Kohler Event Services,” says Tom Cipu, with HDO Productions. “They know they’re not only providing temporary power THE NUMBERS and climate control. They’re about making the moment special for our Kohler Event Services sprinkled customers. Eric, Jay Collins and John James from the Washington, D.C. office are generators throughout the event always so responsive. Eric, well, he’s my technician. He’s the ultimate team grounds to power all aspects of player, always willing to bend over backwards to find solutions.” the two-day tribute: Solutions were absolutely necessary in this project. In addition to an THE CLIENT Guests ever-increasing attendee list, Kohler and HDO Productions were also faced with 7,000 the challenge of positioning the tents, generators and heaters around the Kohler Event Services and HDO multitude of trees scattered throughout the Washington Mall grounds. Being Productions have worked together on Generators located so close to several national monuments, the grounds are considered several national events. HDO Productions, 10 part of the National Park Service. “We couldn’t drive stakes into the ground a nationwide, full-service tent company, 50 kW to 2000 kW under the trees’ dripline.We had to find ways to safely run cables around to bring calls upon Kohler Event Services – power into the tents and to the several stages. And everything we used faced Boxes of Cabling Washington, D.C. office for events taking the strictest of environmental guidelines. It was like working with a jigsaw puzzle, place along the East Coast. 28 but together we made it work,” recalls Cipu. “We call on Kohler frequently because With several activities planned over the two-day tribute, Kohler Event Services each experience has been positive and was always close by, ready to serve if needed. “Going beyond our ‘normal’ successful,” says Tom Cipu, of HDO responsibilities ultimately impacts the success of the event,” Blaker says. Since Productions. “I’ve always been confident the event took place just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol and the White House, that the Kohler part of the event will Kohler was also called upon to provide security lighting around the perimeter of run smoothly and be handled most the Washington Mall — a job completely separate from the tribute event. professionally.” “Kohler Event Services pretty much organized a power plant,” says Cipu. Blaker knows that customers like HDO Kohler provided backup power with 10 different sizes of generators, ranging from Productions aren’t just hiring Kohler for 50 kW to 2000 kW, as well as heaters and mobile restrooms.Twenty-eight boxes rental equipment. “Our customers are of cabling distributed the power for survivors to relate their oral histories into hiring the service and expertise. If you tape recorders and transcribers. Images from the museum’s database splashed work well with the other vendors, your across several computer monitors. On the stages, participants heard captivating reward is being asked to work again for messages from Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat and Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace a different event.” ● Laureate and founding museum chair. Three full meals were served to more than 4,000 attendees. And hundreds of people at any given time rotated through the Survivor Village, where survivors and families reunited and met old friends and acquaintances.The tribute closed with a special musical performance. ● Need remote power? M. Night Shyamalan’s film “The Village” did, and Kohler Event Services delivered. What’s the story line? A close-knit 1897 community is populated by residents who look an awful lot like Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, William Hurt and Sigourney Weaver. But who — IT TAKES ‘THE VILLAGE’ – AND KOHLER or what — is living in the woods surrounding the village? A growing number of film projects shot “I advised them on how to build a special room so the in and around the city that never sleeps are Kohler- actors’ breath could be filmed,” says Tyson, “and they powered, and that has meant some long nights for built it exactly to my specs. It was double-walled and Brian Tyson, Senior Project Manager – Kohler Event double-doored to hold in the cold. We used two 50-ton MOVIE POWER Services, and his colleagues. air handlers and a chiller run on glyco (a heat transfer “There’s something in the film business — and New fluid added to water to prevent freezing) so we could get York City too — that’s hard to put into words,” says Tyson. below 32 degrees. Then we turned off the air handlers, film The Village “There’s an energy and a pulse that you can really feel. sprayed the room with a water mist, and pulled out the It’s a who-do-you-know business, but it also attracts a lot mist.What you end up with is a room at 27 degrees with of talent and technology. Film is incredibly competitive, high humidity.When you exhale, your breath looks great!” starring Joaquin Phoenix, Sigourney Weaver and it rewards people who can think on their feet, Not all films require such specialized solutions, but collaborate, and sometimes, build a better mouse trap.” Kohler Event Services is always ready with ideas and the While Tyson is always quick to share credit for any energy to execute them. Kohler also recently provided location Philadelphia technical and creative successes with his teammates, power for several other major motion pictures, including Kohler Event Services probably landed the portable power “Hide and Seek,” the new Robert De Niro film shot in generation business on “The Village” because of Tyson’s New York City. power one 100-kW and three 175-kW contribution to “The Sixth Sense,” the film that put “Providing power for major motion pictures isn’t easy,” movie-quiet KOHLER generators director M.