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Road America's first experience hosting Camp Jeep was phenomenal! It was a true pleasure working with the Gordinier team from start to finish; their professionalism and attention to even the smallest of details enhanced the enthusiasm of the Jeep community. George Bruggenthies, President and General Manager, Road America.

As always, we executed the work of our partners, BBDO and George P. Johnson including:

• Moving 1,500 yards of dirt to build the courses (and put it back when we were done)
• We used 1.2 Million watts of electricity
• It took 2 miles of rope to create a pedestrian walk-way around the site
• Attendees drank 30,000 gallons of water in 3 days
• We set up 74 tents that allowed 78,964 sq. feet of covered space
• We brought in 125 semi-trucks loaded with freight and Jeep vehicles
• For a finishing touch we laid down 2,000 yards of mulch
• It took 285,414 sq. feet of grass seed to return the site to its original state
• And all of this was set up in 16 days and taken down in 7

• Tell us, what's the deal with the nickname Groovyruvy.
  I got the nickname in college when I was pledging my fraternity. My last name morphed into all kinds of handles - Groovy Ruvelson, Groove Dog, Groovy Baby, etc. The one that seemed to stick was Groovyruvy.
• What do you bring to an event?
  I'm tenacious and will do whatever it takes to make an event successful for my client. I have a wide range of experiences to draw from, a deep roster of talent and suppliers that I like to work with, and awfully high standards.
• What are the big events happening right now?
  I think we've all noticed the shift away from traditional advertising to experiential marketing programs like mobile tours, and ride and drives.
• What are you currently working on?
  At present, I'm involved with three major programs, all involving a ride and drive component. I love working on tours that utilize double-expandable trailers, and I'm currently working with some of the industry's top creative and production talent to design one from the ground up.
• What is fundamental before the event?
  Excellent planning, and attention to details both pre-show and on-site are very important. I have a checklist that I punch through for every city on a mobile tour. Everything from contracts signed to insurance handled, signage, sleeping rooms booked, etc. A good hand-off to the road team is key. I have an e-packet I send out to the entire road team, which includes a PowerPoint photo walk-through of the event and the space, as well as other information such as key contacts, delivery / pick-up schedule. Having a signed promotional agreement in place is also important.
• What is vital at the event?
  Promoting the event on-site. I try to visualize every event from the perspective of a guest, and consider all possible approach angles that lead to the event. From there I craft a signage plan to create as much awareness on-site. Lots of good clear directional signage is so important. If guests have to seek you out, you've lost the battle and the war. Getting promotional agreements signed ahead of time makes it easy to put up banners and other signs without pushback from the promoter.
• What needs to be done post-event?
  Excellent site reclamation. There's nothing worse than leaving a mess behind for the venue / promoter to have to deal with, making it tough to go back the following year. And a team debrief to discuss what went well and what could be improved is huge.
• How do you plan staffing?
  Good planning involves a number of considerations: course design / length, amount of properties / materials, number of vehicles you can secure, target number of test drives, event location, expected overall throughput, etc. I make a list of all of the known variables and back into a staffing matrix from there.
• How do you seek out and hire the right on-site execution team?
  Working with proven suppliers is a good starting point. After identifying all of the various staffing needs for a particular tour, I usually make a list of the top 2-3 suppliers in each category I'd like to use. Usually it's required to 3-bid it out, so reviewing budget proposals is a key factor. Knowing that the company has the bandwidth to support the program and a dedicated point of contact is important to me.
• What are consumer's expectations at a ride and drive?
  I think they want to have a positive overall experience and learn something about the vehicle(s) in a no-pressure environment. To me that means a lot of things, most importantly having friendly staff, and knowledgeable pro drivers / rider coaches that can translate the behind-the-wheel experience into meaningful real-time commentary that resonates with the consumer.
• What are you doing to ensure these expectations are met?
  I interview all key personnel ahead of time. I'm at all beta events and all launch events and truly take a hands-on approach to all the training. I often author the training curriculum and deliver it myself, so I know everyone's getting that advantage. At events, I talk to everyone on the crew, from the tractor drivers to the road producer. I ask guests what they thought of the event. I ride the course to see how the pro drivers are doing. I'm pretty good at telegraphing my expectations to the crew, so they know that there's an expectation of excellence. I also have systems in place that capture key metrics, so I'm able to speak intelligently on hourly / daily attendance, number of test drives / hour, utilization, etc. And post-event debriefs are key.
• What do you want consumers to take away from one of your events?
  I'd like them to have a positive overall experience, a test drive that was inspiring and informative, and leave with a better impression of the manufacturer / vehicle(s). I also would like them to feel that their time was well spent.

• The Right Site Preparation
  A thorough site assessment should be part of the planning process. This means matching the scale and amenities of your event to available and accessible venues. The type of event and the level of service you can provide depend upon a combination of your in-house capabilities, the expertise of your partners and, to a large extent, the capabilities of the venue selected for your event.
• Base Your Budget On Realistic Requirements
  With many venue and support costs increasing each year, establishing an event budget requires knowledge of execution details and realistic venue selection. This means clearly documenting event requirements and balancing the variables of experience design, attendee flow and access, necessary amenities and site constraints. Remember, lack of detailed budget and contingency planning, often results in over budget surprises or under-delivering on expectations. Neither is desirable.
• Make An Early Site Assessment
  Make sure that you assess the venue infrastructure as part of the venue selection process. The variance in on-site capabilities between venues can easily increase your event infrastructure costs by tens of thousands of dollars. By not taking the time out to visit the site in person you take the risk of planning an event too large or too small for the venue.
• Negotiating Effectively
  When working with site owners, you may feel you have none to little pricing leverage. In many cases, however, the facility may be willing to work with you to identify timing, location or creative uses to save money. After all, most facilities appreciate the publicity and want you to return, so don't hesitate to ask them for creative price alternatives. And let your vendors negotiate so site owners don't over anticipate deep brand pockets.
• Keep Management In The Loop
  As with any other aspect of event planning, it is important to over-communicate. Make sure there is complete agreement on site requirements and keep everyone apprised of progress. Inform them in writing when significant changes need to be made to manage expectations throughout the process, so there are no surprises on site or at billing time.

• It's no secret event marketing budgets are being cut, which could affect ride and drives, what is Gordinier doing to help its customers cut costs?
  Make sure that what the client has proposed is achievable within their budget. The best way to cut costs is not to compromise the event, but to start with realistic expectations. This is often easier said than done. But sometimes obtaining co-sponsors can enhance the event and help with overall budget costs.
• What have you learned through your 15 years of experience as an event builder that can help both newcomers as well as veterans in the industry when it comes to planning and executing a successful event?
  I can't say it enough; it's all about the details. I have built my business around focusing on the details many people neglect. Don't assume anything; make sure every aspect of the event is understood by your client and your staff. By understanding how the client measures success exposure satisfaction or simply putting butts in seats, everyone knows how to make the most of the event.
• Primarily your team has done many large ride and drive events for the Jeep brand, what have you done on a smaller scale outside the world of ride and drives?
  One example would be a project we worked on with George P. Johnson and Chrysler Financial in 2006. For its annual Employee Days Chrysler strived to bring its large-scale events down to a smaller scale that would fit into its corporate headquarters location, as well as give its employees a hands on experience with ride and drives. So, we came in and built a miniature version of a ride and drive course complete with family activities and remote control cars that we ultimately gave away to attendees.
• How does Gordinier work with agencies and their clients to execute successful events?
  Advertising and event agencies are our biggest partners. From the beginning, we serve as an extension of our agency partners. We provide input on the planning side, site location criteria, permits, materials and onsite execution. We have been doing this for over 15 years and we not only see the big picture we know what it takes to move 30,000 tons of dirt into a place like NYC. This gives our agency partners a leg up on budget allocation and time lines. We pride ourselves on breaking down an event and giving extra attention to the logistical details so there are no surprises. Simply put - The agency concentrates on the client and we worry about the execution. It's all in the details.
• Any examples?
  A simple example of this is our on going work with GPJ, specifically in auto show ride and drives. Over the last 4 years of working side by side, Gordinier has earned the trust of GPJ. Their team relies on our experience so that each course detail is anticipated and professionally executed. Onsite we work with their production personnel to make sure all the driving features are not only challenging, but also safe for our trained drivers and consumers.

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