A huge way Entech Innovative Engineering continues to be The Company That Works is the way we actually get the work – the constant effort we put towards business development. Constantly getting involved, meeting new people, and maintaining relationships/connections is a huge part of the way we get business.
Entech is involved in multiple industry related associations, including Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC), International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) and more. Taking full advantage of these memberships and maximizing our ROI allows us to build our network by meeting professionals within each respective industry to build and create new connections.
Being in Central Florida presents an advantage of its own, because it serves as a hub, especially in the Themed Entertainment and Construction industries. This benefits us for networking events specifically, as many associations we are a part of have regular Orlando meetups for us to attend. TEA and ABC have mixers/meetings in the Greater Orlando area almost monthly, most of which are free to attend. Going to these events provides endless value, because we can meet new people and connections as well as build on existing professional relationships. Face-to-face business development is just as important as regular marketing/advertising efforts because we are keeping Entech top-of-mind for both clients and possible referrals from industry colleagues. We also often have the opportunity to sponsor these different mixers and events, allowing us to increase our outreach with our logo being used on marketing materials as well as hosting a table on some occasions to tell other members more about the company.
Another way we continue to network and build relationships is through trade shows and expos. Almost every industry has related conferences or similar events to gather like-minded professionals to meet new people, create or build on connections and exchange industry related ideas and knowledge. Trade shows related to our main target industries include The ASTC Annual Conference, AAM Annual Meeting & Museum Expo, ABC Construction Expo, and the recent IAAPA Expo. Depending on the situation, we exhibit at some trade shows such as the Construction Expo or attend to mix and mingle more like at IAAPA. Both have their own benefits, and we choose based on the value we think we can get in return for our efforts.
Entech internally takes the efforts put forth in these expos and conferences and has a full questionnaire that we require the attendees to fill out to make sure the feedback from the events are accounted for. These assessments include getting a feel for the temperature of that specific industry, what feedback we received based on our message of “large scale, complex, structures, and mechatronics,” and worthwhileness to attend or exhibit again.
Conferences and trade shows have their own unique attraction different than your typical networking events, because it is often multiple days of exchanging ideas, meeting new people, and learning about new developments in that industry. For example, the recent IAAPA Expo has 4 days on the show floor and 5 days of educational sessions, press conferences, and opportunities to meet new people. Putting in the time and effort to see and be seen, learning more about the ever-evolving themed entertainment industry, and connecting with likeminded individuals from around the world can yield great results. Constantly growing our network is how we have stayed in business for the last nearly three decades, working to stay top-of-mind to those we have worked with and telling potential clients about our impressive array of capabilities.
Another component of business development for us and continuing relationships is our "Project Exit Interview". Entech has developed this to be conducted with the main client of the particular job, but we also reach out to other high level stakeholders that were a part of the job to get feedback on how the project went. This allows for not only “lessons learned” to be shared for the next job with this client, but also praise and other highlights of what went well. This allows for a discussion to be had about what was liked about our services, what could be done differently in the future, and if expectations were met. This open dialogue with the executive members who’s involvement on the job alleviates blame and allows for true listening and understanding how the client felt the project truly went. This has been welcomed by many clients in continuing the business relationship and has allowed Entech to better ourselves and a company as well.
Whether it be virtual webinars or weeklong conferences, Entech makes a consistent effort to keep involved in our respective industries and constantly making efforts to grow ourselves as a brand. As we’ve mentioned before, every member of the Entech team is in ‘sales’ and tries to promote us at every opportunity. Maintaining business relationships we have created as well as forming new ones is integral to our success. By keeping up with our business development endeavors we can keep new projects coming and of course, make sure people know that we are The Company That Works