It was certainly exciting when we moved into our new facility in Hanover Park, but it was even more exciting when it was time to welcome 200 guests inside for the coolest open house they’ve ever been to. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but a lot of work went into making this event a unique and memorable experience for our guests. BIGGER BETTER ER2 was a celebration of how far ER2 has come, but it was also a celebration of our clients.
We wouldn’t be where we are today without their support and their trust in bringing their ideas to life. We wanted to show them a side of us they may have never seen before. It was time to put on our party shirts … underneath our business shirts (we’re still professionals, after all).
Welcome Bubbly
To make sure the evening started off on the right foot guests were greeted with a glass of champagne. They were then escorted to a colorful ER2 inspired “photo op” back drop where they got the opportunity to work it for the camera. The champagne might have helped a bit, but the photos spoke for themselves.
From there, ER2 staff guided them through the facility for some behind the scenes action. There was a lot to take in, so to make sure no one got too mesmerized and ended up lost, “magic” footprints acted as a second guide (added bonus: they also guided you right to the bar).
Out to Inspire
Every machine in the building was up and running, with an operator at the ready to answer any questions. A lot of our work is experimental, and we wanted our guests to be impressed by how we push the envelope. Samples of our work were on display so our guests could get an up close and personal look at the types of substrates, techniques and details we love to capture. We were also secretly hoping to inspire out guests to “think bigger”. You know, that’s kind of our thing here.
Practice What You Preach
When your motto is “Ideas are bigger here”, then you better bring your a-game (spoiler alert: we crushed it). Our whole building was one big walk-in sample for our guests. The space is a mash-up of all the people whose passion helped create it, and the design choices made throughout the building showcase the broad range of talents and possibilities ER2 offers.
We had guests that walked through the door who were unaware of the depth of our services, but then thought, “Wow, you can do that?” as they explored the spaces. Their eyes got bigger and their jaws dropped open as they started to realize just how large the realm of possibilities actually is here at ER2. Our intent was to inspire new ideas, but also, we’re sorry for anyone whose face is just stuck like that now.
All jokes aside, being the inspiration behind someone’s great idea is our favorite thing and judging from the looks of amazement during the tour – mission accomplished.
Building Stronger Relationships
Speaking of feeling amazing, there were a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” when the machines were running, and our operators could not have been more pleased. Most of the time the only interaction they have with a client is reading a name on a work order. They were excited to be able to show off their expertise first-hand, and many spent a lot of time preparing for their moment in the spotlight. To get an idea of how hard they worked, just imagine every inspirational montage scene from every movie you’ve ever seen. Are you picturing it? Good. That’s what it was like.
Our biggest goal for this event was to build stronger relationships through interactive education – getting people through the door so we could show them all the tools at our disposal that will help give their ideas life. It’s one thing to see a picture and think, “Oh, that’s neat” and then file it away. It’s something else entirely to be inspired by something and have an immediate conversation with the very person who knows exactly how to bring it into reality. We hoped to instill our clients with the idea that we can be a resource from the very first step of their creative journey.
A Bright Future
A surprise awaited all our guests at the end of the trip. Remember the photos we took before the tour started? We printed them while they were busy exploring, but not just any old 4×6 print would do. Waiting for pickup were canvas prints mounted on foamcore with an easel attached to the back. A fun treat, but also a nightmare for anyone who hates having their photo taken and hoped to never have to see the results (our bad, but you looked wonderful!).
Guests were then free to head to the bar and lounge area for refreshments, good conversation and live jazz music.
This kind of event wouldn’t have been possible when our business was housed in three different locations. Having everyone together under one roof completely changes the atmosphere of our operations. When you walk through a building that has been so lovingly designed by the people that work there, there’s no doubt that we’re a tight knit group of professionals who are passionate about making ideas bigger and better. We hope that our love for design was the spark that ignited a flame of inspiration in our guests who attended.
If you couldn’t make the party, then we hope that you’re super jealous and have to live with this regret for the rest of your lives.
Just kidding.
We’re always happy to provide tours of our building. Whether you’re interested in getting a closer look at what we do, or if you’re looking to educate your team about the most cutting-edge digital printing equipment available, we’d be glad to set something up. There may not be champagne, but every day here is kind of a party on its own. Please contact our tours group and let’s explore bigger and better possibilities with you.
