CMI spices up meetings with audiovisuals
The Rochester Top 100 annually recognizes the fastest-growing privately held companies in the nine-county region and is sponsored by the Rochester Business Alliance and KPMG. Here is an interview with Eric M. Smith, president of CMI Communications Inc.
CMI Communications started out doing something quite different. How did the company shift its focus?
Our organization started as a custom photofinishing company, and from those beginnings, we branched into what is now CMI Communications. We essentially operated as two separate companies with two different offices and staffs. So it really was a matter of one of the businesses growing over the years and the other seeing its market share lost to quicker and easier outlets in which to print film.
What does CMI do now?
CMI Communications provides a full range of audiovisual services to corporate and association clients. That includes stage lighting, sound systems, video/data projection. We do live video production, technical support and equipment for breakout meeting rooms, computer systems and presentation management systems. As part of clients’ demand for greener meetings, we are doing digital signage on-site.
How much of your work is in the Rochester area?
About 25 percent of our work is done right here in Rochester, the rest split between our Albany office and events we support all around the country.
I bet 99 percent of people who see your work at hotel events or conventions in Rochester aren’t aware of your existence. How do you market yourself while discreetly remaining “the man behind the curtain?”
Marketing ourselves has always been a challenge. We get a lot of new business through word of mouth, referrals and good clients who move on and bring us along. We also belong to several important trade groups that provide us an opportunity to meet new clients. We make a point of meeting all of our prospective clients face to face, which helps establish the personal service they will receive from us.
Early on, the recession caused cancellation of some conventions. How did you manage to grow despite the recession?
Our best year ever was 2008, but it was clear by the end of that year that the economy was going to turn. So we huddled as a company and worked out a plan. We cut back expenditures, but more importantly, we reached out to all our customers. We let them know we were in this together and we worked within their budgets to keep their events fresh and interesting. This paid dividends and our customers stayed with us.
In early 2009, we lost a couple of events because of cancellation, but for the most part we just saw some events get smaller. Finally, without a motivated and professional group of people who honestly care about the work they do and the clients they serve, we would not be a Top 100 company.
What are the biggest challenges in the venues where you work?
Our biggest challenge in any venue is usually space. A stage and screens take up a good portion of any room. And with a ballroom filled with 1,200 people, real estate is pretty valuable. We do quite a bit of planning on our larger events. We create a CAD drawing for each room that details where every chair, screen, speaker, camera and light fixture will go.
This helps not only the client but gives the venue a blueprint from which to work.
Who are your biggest repeat customers?
The International Knights of Columbus is definitely one of the largest we work with, but we also work with the National Fire Protection Association and the American College of Nurse Practitioners. We probably work with around 40 association and trade groups. We also work with companies such as General Electric, Paychex, Harris and State Farm Insurance. We just signed with the Desmond Hotel in Albany and have “in-house” relationships with the Sagamore Resort, Crowne Plaza Albany as well as the Hyatt Regency Rochester and the Radisson Riverside hotel.
What advice do you have for up-and-coming companies about strengthening customer relationships?
Know your customer. Our goal has always been to be a member of their team. We want them to meet their goals. Whether it’s to train, motivate or entertain, we want to know the client well enough to be able to meet whatever needs they have, not necessarily selling them on any specific product we may have.
DCARTER@DemocratandChronicle.com
CMI Communications Inc., No. 92
Audiovisual services, video equipment rental, meetings, presentations, conventions.
Year founded: 1972.
Location: 400 Mile Crossing Blvd., Gates.
Executives: Eric M. Smith, 46, of Spencerport, president; Chip Lacure, 52, of Greece, director of business development.
Employees: 40.
Web: www.MakeEverySeatCount.com
