Adjusting The Structure of a longtime business to accommodate growth and new services is not always easy. We checked in with Dawn Abbott, CSEP, to get an update on what’s happening at Fun Productions, which she co-owns with her husband, Tim.
COM+E: What prompted the recent changes at Fun Productions?
DA: We have separated out the company and/or started new companies. This was done for branding and marketing purposes as well as from an operations efficiency standpoint. We were running three distinctively different entities as if they were one. Strategically from both a sales and an operations point of view, it was not efficient. Clients needed to understand the unique qualities and services of each, and the way the event types were handled internally from a staffing and planning perspective was very diverse.
COM+E: How are the three companies different?
DA: Fun Productions, Inc. is now strictly a full-service amusement rental company concentrating on inflatables, casino, carnival, sports and video games. We still offer the same inventory of 200-plus entertainment services and fully staff all our events.
The new “smarty pants little sister company” is Colorado Teambuilding Events, Inc. We were doing team-building events for years, but we decided that it is a totally unique type of event with different staff, logistics, equipment, etc. We wanted our clients to know we didn’t just put inflatables in a field and call it team-building. The equipment, staffing, and the entire agenda of the event is custom created for each client’s needs and goals.
Last year, we started VIE Events (Visually Interactive Entertainment). We moved some of Fun Productions’ equipment into this division and also invested in many new pieces that fit this line. This company is all of the promotional and higher-tech items like Virtual Graffiti Wall, PopNoggins, green-screen photos, LED dance floor and bars, etc.
COM+E: Has the effort paid off?
DA: It has been some extra work getting everything separated, as these are distinct companies and not divisions. From a marketing standpoint, just having the new websites and new printed materials as well as salespeople for these new entities has made a huge difference to the overall bottom line and really increased revenue in the new entities. So, all in all, it has been great.
