Prepare Your Business for Success

Panelists:

Bick Jones, PEAK Event Services Inc., Woburn, Mass.

Jane Hutton, Arena Americas, Orlando, Fla.

Steven Way, ALPS / Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Canton, Mass.

Educational Sponsors:

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Prepare Your Business For SuccessPresented by:

Steven Way, ALPS/Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Canton, Mass.

Jane Hutton, Arena Americas, Orlando, Fla.

Bick Jones, PEAK Event Services, Woburn, Mass.

Educational Session Sponsors

Please stop by their booths to thank them for their sponsorship.

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Prepare Your Business For SuccessPresented by:

Steven Way, ALPS/Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Canton, Mass.

Jane Hutton, Arena Americas, Orlando, Fla.

Bick Jones, PEAK Event Services, Woburn, Mass.

Steven is the President of ALPS/Advanced Lighting & Production Services, a Boston based theatrical,entertainment and event lighting company he started in 1981 at the age of seventeen.

He started as a small production company, setting up and running lights for bands and events in theBoston area. When customers began asking about straight rentals and sales of lighting equipment,the “light bulb” over his head turned on and he expanded his services.

Over the past 37 years, Steven has grown his organization into a strong regional player, with fivedivisions serving a very loyal client base with lighting Rentals, Event Production Services, Box Sales,Permanent Installations and Repair/Maintenance Services.

Steven has spoken at numerous local, regional and international conferences for several years, andenjoys educating others on collaborating as partners, as well as understanding the technical andbusiness sides of our industry.

Steven is a very active member of several industry organizations, including ILEA, ESTA and ARA, andhas served on the board and committees of many of these organizations for years.

Steven Way

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I started out in this crazy industry in 1990. My partner and I opened a party rental company with the help of an SBA loan and a 5,000 sq. ft. facility. By 1992 we had outgrown our space and moved to a 12,000 sq. ft facility closer to our customer base. We developed an extremely loyal following, catering mostly to high end Palm Beach clientele. We provided full service tabletop and tenting, up to 50’ wide in frame tents and 60’ wide in pole tents. In 2002, we acquired our largest competitor and 55,000 sq. ft of warehouse space. At that point, our business more than doubled and we expanded our customer base substantially. In 2007 we were acquired by Classic Party Rentals. I stayed on as GM for the first year and then did project management for a few years after that. In 2014, I was approached by Arena Americas and am now a National Business Development Manager for Arena, servicing the south eastern portion of the United States and wherever else my clients take me.

Being a woman owned company helped, but the SBA was very impressed with the package that we submitted. One of the requisites for the loan was a complete breakdown of every item that we intended to buy, the cost to purchase each item, the rental rate for each item and, the number of rentals expected from the item. It was a very valuable tool for us and definitely helped us get started on the right foot. Our only mistake was not asking for more money!

Jane Hutton

• CEO PEAK Event Services, Boston October, 2017 – present • Chief Operating Officer PEAK Event Services, Boston October, 2016 – October, 2017• Bick Jones & Associates – consulting January, 2016 – October, 2016• RVP Classic Tents September, 2014 – November, 2015• RVP Mid-West (Dallas, Memphis, Nashville) 2009 – 2015

o Other regional roles included Phoenix, Albuquerque, Florida and Chicago• GM Ducky-Bob’s Dallas, Texas 2005 – 2009• Ducky-Bob’s acquired by Classic December, 2005• Regional Manager and GM Ducky-Bob’s for Stellar Events 1999 – 2005

o RVP for companies in San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta and Pompano• Owner Ducky-Bob’s (along with 2 other active partners) 1994 – 1999

o Sold to Stellar Events 1999• Acquired and owned Cannon Ball Party Rental Dallas, Texas 1986 – 1994

(merged with Ducky-Bob’s Event Specialists in 1994)o Acquired Ashton Party Rentals 2008

Active in various industry organizations, lectured at The Rental Show® and The Special Event, worked on several committees in ARA. Participated in a rental business analysis group (SEBAG) for 20+ years consisting of 10 business owners in the U.S. and Canada.

Bick Jones

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Predictable Success Model

Leadership Styles

V - O - P - S

Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

Visionary

V

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Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

Operator

O

Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

Processor

P

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Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

Synergist

S

Source: www.predictablesuccess.com

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Prepare Your Business For SuccessPresented by:

Steven Way, ALPS/Advanced Lighting & Production Services, Canton, Mass.

Jane Hutton, Arena Americas, Orlando, Fla.

Bick Jones, PEAK Event Services, Woburn, Mass.

Next Sessions

Tents, Tents, Tents – Which One is Right For You? Room 272

Extend the Life of Your Inventory Room 277

Creative Selling Techniques That Engage Customers Room 267

Coffee Break

10:30 – 10:45 a.m.

Sponsored by

ARA Events & Tents Session: Prepare Your Business for Success Date: Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018

Session Resources – Steven Way Predictable Success Model Company: Predictable Success www.predictablesuccess.com Leadership Styles V- Visionary

They dislike routine. They adore discussion and debate. They’re comfortable with ambiguity. They like risk.

They trust their own judgment – and use it often.They aren’t wedded to past decisions. O-Operator

They’re action-oriented. They improvise to get things done – and move on.They ask forgiveness, rather than

permission.They work prodigious hours. They often work alone.They don’t like being micromanaged. P-Processor

They value routine.They trust data – and collect a lot of it.They dislike risk. They are wary of intuition and

‘hunch’.They prefer not to be rushed. They tend toward the status quo. S-Synergist They are more comfortable in group environments than elsewhere. In fact, they positively flower when in the company of others. They have a high degree of EI (emotional intelligence), and are skilled at relating to people and at building strong relationships. They are particularly skilled at understanding and managing the dynamics of group interactions. Not only do they read individuals well, Synergists also read groups well. They are persuasive without being manipulative.

They ask “What’s best for the group or team overall?” rather than “What’s best for me?”. Unlike the Visionary, Operator and Processor styles, which are natural and innate to all of us, the Synergist style is primarily a learned style – meaning anyone can learn to be a Synergist.

Find your own (and your team members) Leadership Style – take the Leadership Quiz: www.synergistquiz.com

Predictable Success Business Lifecycle

Resource: www.predictablesuccess.com

Books: *Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track and Keeping it There *The Synergist: How to Lead Your Team to Predictable Success

Les McKeown-author of both books

State Workforce Development Training Programs & Grants As an employer, all pay into the unemployment pool. Some of those funds are made available in the form of grants for employers to train employees. Courses that a company is legally mandated to provide (such as OSHA training) are not eligible for funding under this program. Examples: Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development and Training Purpose of Grants is to focus on job growth and/or increases in skills/opportunities of low-skill or low-wage workers. What is the mission of the Workforce Training Fund Express program?

The mission of the Workforce Training Fund Express program is to provide small businesses with the resources to improve their Massachusetts-based workers’ skills, and to maintain the economic strength and viability of the Commonwealth’s businesses. Training funded by this program should address the priorities of the Massachusetts Workforce Training Fund:

• Projects that will result in job retention, job growth or increased wages.

• Projects where training would make a difference in the company’s productivity, competitiveness, and ability to do business in Massachusetts.

Express Grant (Massachusetts): Businesses with 100 or fewer employees that contribute to the Workforce Training Fund are eligible to apply for an Express Grant. All for-profit companies automatically pay into the fund. If you are a non-profit, click here to learn if you qualify. Government agencies are not eligible to apply. Pre-established/approved training choices Grant funds are limited to $30,000 per company per calendar year and $3,000 per employee per course. If approved, the WTFP will reimburse you for up to 50% of the actual cost of training. Note: Courses that a company is legally mandated to provide to its employees are not eligible for reimbursement under this program (i.e. OSHA). You may only request reimbursement for training for employees who are on your company’s payroll and work in Massachusetts. General Grant (Massachusetts): Businesses can apply for a grant up to $250,000. Employers, employer organizations, labor organizations, training providers, and a consortia of such entities are encouraged to apply for funds to train current and newly hired workers. You may use a training provider of your choice. While we fund the majority of training content, courses that a company is legally mandated to provide (such as OSHA training) are not eligible for funding under this program. Training programs must be completed within two years.

Training grants are available for: ESOL, Project Management, Machine Set-Up & Operation, Sales, Adult Basic Education, Lean/Continuous Process Improvement, Software & IT Skills, Customer Service ISO, Leadership & Management Skills, Six Sigma, Train-the-Trainer, And much more!

Direct Access Program (Massachusetts): The Direct Access Program addresses smaller-scale training needs by making training slots available free of charge to businesses that are eligible for the Workforce Training Fund. Businesses should consider the pilot program when:

• The scope and scale of training needs are smaller than what would be proposed in a General Program application

• Training needs cannot be easily met by a consortium or Express Program grant Massachusetts: www.workforcetrainingfung.org or www.commcorp.org Workforce Training Fund Commonwealth Corporation, 2 Oliver Street, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02109 (617) 717-6943

Other state programs (just a few): Search keywords like: “Workforce Training Programs and Grants in (your state)” or “Workforce Investment Act” There are many outside/approved training companies that will help you to complete the training grant applications. Louisiana - Incumbent Worker Training Program Louisiana Workforce Commission www.laworks.net Georgia - Workforce Georgia Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds www.georgia.org Texas - Skills Development Fund http://www.twc.state.tx.us/partners/skills-development-fund Florida- http://www.floridajobs.org/office-directory/division-of-workforce-services/workforce-programs New Jersey- http://www.nj.gov/njbusiness/workforce/training/ Illinois- https://www.illinois.gov/dceo/WorkforceDevelopment/ProgramsAndResources/Pages/Grant-Opportunities.aspx