When Alexander deHilster, founder of ADH Events, talks about the event and meeting planning business, it's with the understanding that what looks like a glamorous life of parties, galas and fundraisers is really about careful planning and hard work.
Based in Chicago, ADH Events is an NGLCC-certified company that produces a wide range of programs for corporate clients, including diversity retreats, training seminars, product launches, dinners, incentive trips and fundraisers.
The company has grown by more than 150 percent since its start in 2006. Born in the Netherlands, deHilster has lived in the United States since 1986. With more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality and planning industries, he's a recognized expert in the field.
After referring more than 30 companies to the NGLCC for potential certification as LGBT-owned businesses, deHilster was invited to present his own company to NGLCC’s Procurement Council at the 2009 National Business and Leadership Conference.
In our BIZ Q&A with deHilster, he shared anecdotes and experiences from his long and rich career, and explained why he is an NGLCC-certified business.
BIZ: What gave you your start in the hospitality and event planning industry?
ADH: Growing up, my parents always had great themed costume parties, with matching themes for food and wine, ranging from Middle Eastern to Turkish to Western. As I grew older I started tending bar at events at two non-profit community centers. It was there that I organized my first event, a successful fundraiser for a youth center. When I came to the U.S., one of my first jobs was at the pediatrics department of a hospital. When I left, as a goodbye gift to the hospital and the kids, I threw a Hawaiian party and covered all the registration stations with palm leaf roofs. I created leis for all the staff and purchased small gifts for all of the kids. I really enjoyed doing that, but had no idea at the time that there was an entire industry out there just doing event planning.
After that, I started traveling as a tour director around North America for visitors from Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Although the experience was amazing, I decided to settle down after eleven years and ended up in New Orleans, where I became a certified local tour director. One day, I was called by the agency that I worked for to help out with a difficult client. I met with the client and instantly hit it off. I ended up doing the logistics for all of the client's meetings in New Orleans, and later on was asked to help produce their programs in California and Florida from their Chicago office. I ended up moving to Chicago, and have been in event and meeting planning ever since.
BIZ: Tell us how NGLCC has helped you get your foot in the door with LGBT-friendly businesses.
ADH: Since late November, we have now been registered with more than 300 companies. At the moment we're in talks with several pharmaceutical, technology and consulting firms and have just completed our first RFP. Over the last few months I've made some great contacts, met some wonderful people, and over time, I know the benefits of our certification will be rewarded.
BIZ: How can the NGLCC certification be helpful to other event planners?
ADH: For anyone who is a business owner, I would highly recommend becoming certified by the NGLCC. Don't let the paperwork turn you off. The certification helps get your foot in the door. At the same time, don't rely on the certification alone to get you business. You still have to do sales, keep up-to-date with upcoming corporate events and happenings, and keep reminding people within the organizations that you are a certified diversity supplier. Have patience.
BIZ:Tell us about your very first challenge in this industry?
ADH: I've had several big challenges in the industry but my very first memorable one was about 10 years ago at an event on Capitol Hill. I had no experience with the Secret Service, and all the drawings [laying out the event] were done by hand with a ruler, and I had never done an event of that scale in a very short time frame. It combined a trade show, conference and press announcement. We only had a few hours to set up the trade show booth, lighting, audio-visual and press boxes. At three in the morning we lined up with trucks at the Secret Service offices to have all the trucks searched for bombs or anything else that shouldn't be on board. After being released by them, all the trucks had a fixed number of minutes to make it from their site to the venue, which was being tracked. There was no time for extra stops or detours. Upon arrival everything needed to be unloaded, dragged into the building, brought down into the basement on a single elevator, dragged down an underground hallway, and then brought up two floors to be set up. Thankfully, my drawings of the draping, furniture and backdrops were exactly to scale and everything was coded, so it was just a matter of taking it to the right location and dropping it off. The event went off without a hitch.
BIZ: How did your experience in the tourism industry help you with planning events later in your career?
ADH: As a tour director I had to wear many hats, which helped me immensely in my event planning career. For instance, while conducting tours, I had to be knowledgeable about local and international events to keep my guests updated and would read several newspapers a day. These days I also have to keep up with what's going on in my industry, find out about unusual venues around the globe that other planners haven't heard of, constantly update menus and wine lists and catch up with technological developments in the industry.
Also, during the tours, I developed great memory skills by repeating everything four times a day in French, German, Dutch and English. It helps these days to run several shows at the same time and being able to remember all the details without having to use a cheat sheet. I also learned to read rooming lists to find out all the peculiars of hotels upon walking in. I would always walk into a hotel first while my guests stayed on the bus collecting their items to make sure everything was perfect. Today, it takes me just seconds to review rooming lists and hotel contracts to make sure that everything is as planned. With my hotel background, I also have a better understanding of how hotels work, and even when they're ‘sold out' I can still find ways to accommodate my clients' guests.
BIZ:Has the industry been affected by the current economic downturn? How has ADH Events coped with that and what incentives has it given its customers for some relief?
ADH: The industry as a whole has been affected. I think this has partially to do with the press criticizing the corporate sector's expenditures on meetings and incentives while not realizing their overall effect. One of our meetings recently got cancelled, as the client was concerned that they were going to get bad press like AIG. The program was in the works for a year and got cancelled one week before the date.
With other clients, I've noticed less attendance and have seen some sponsors drop out. Meetings still need to take place. Web seminars are great, but they don't replace face-to-face meetings. Corporate sales teams just need to work on becoming more efficient and save costs to become more profitable. Perhaps instead of paying $1 million to a rock star to open an event, they can use local talent. Instead of flying in motivational speakers from outside the city, they can use local ones. One can use cheaper rental equipment and still create the same effect.
One way ADH Events is saving clients money is by giving up our hotel commission fee. Third party planners are paid a commission by the hotels for bringing in business. We don't charge that, or the fee for managing the rooming list and room changes, etc. In addition, when an event involves audio-visual equipment, we now let outside vendors bid in addition to getting a quote from a hotel, often saving our clients about 20-40 percent.
