From Relationships to Resourcefulness: Navigating the Current State of the Event Industry

Hargrove’s legacy includes longstanding relationships with a wide variety of vendors. While facing competition from other industries, strong relationships and building trust go a long way. Fostering these business relationships over time provides us with connections across the globe for everything from materials to services.

That established, personal connection is something we aim for not only with our vendors but with our clients. It’s the tenets of doing good business with others: reliability and communication. Frequent communication to discuss potential issues and working together with our vendors to problem solve helps to reinforce our partnerships. Choosing vendors with a long and stable history, provides you with the benefits and security of their strong relationships in all areas of logistics and operations. Having these established vendor relationships on national and international levels, provides us and our clients with the resources to create incredible event experiences anywhere.

Supply chain issues are impacting both the availability and price of materials. Costs are wildly variable, fluctuating on a daily basis, and creating competition amongst industries that were previously never at odds. Navigating resource shortages has required us to evolve and adapt our plans and approach. The skill and experience of our talented fabricators and craftsmen, allows us to make informed decisions with materials and design choices.

Sometimes this means getting creative with our resources, selecting unconventional materials, or reimagining a design, so that we continue to deliver an exceptional experience without compromising on function or aesthetics. It’s critical to work with vendors that are knowledgeable about and skilled at working with a wide variety of materials. Limiting your options can limit your potential, being resourceful and inventive is imperative for event success.

Being a full-service event production partner, means that there’s a strong connection between each division of our business. We work as a team and rely on our experts to make recommendations based on their experience. If the traditional solution or material is in short supply, our experts can educate our event managers on alternatives.

This communication and knowledge-exchange enables us to bring unique and innovative ideas to each project we work on. Empowering people that are passionate about their work encourages them to share their valuable insights. Working with your event team is more than just signing a contract. Together, our team will make expert recommendations, collaborate, and work as partners invested in your success and your attendees’ experience.

As the obstacles our industry faces continue to evolve, so will we. We’re ready to help you reconnect with your teams, grow your communities, and create memorable experiences in live, virtual, and hybrid event settings. With over 75 years of experience, Hargrove is accustomed to having back-up plans for our back-up plans, forever expecting the unexpected. Our team is committed to navigating the current industry challenges and coaching our partners through these realities, while making expert suggestions with the success and integrity of your events as our ultimate goal.