According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, "9 out of 10 US start-ups fail." Of those 196,694 businesses that registered in September 1997 and survived start-up, 70% were out of business by year 10 and there is an 80% "death rate" by year 20. So, I stopped reading the research and wish to pause to congratulate the fewer than 38,000 businesses still generating revenue, paying taxes, and employing people since 1997. I love challenging the odds; at The Event Group, we always "Plan to Astound!"

When Covid-19 hit I was concerned we would become one of those "business death" statistics as we all know events were quarantined! Reaching a "still going" landmark has not been an easy road to travel. When in 2001, after 9/11, business events and all travel ceased, as our country was attacked and conferences/travel were cancelled. The Event Group and Netflix both started up in 1997, the later perhaps had a better business model. When the world quarantines, events retract, as people stay home and watch movies.  

Our secret to long-term success is built upon relationships…YOU! In the early-years, friends would swoop in before we put on large conferences and volunteer to collate thousands of attendee bags. Our initial staff worked out of my home throughout the night before our first major conference featuring Dr. Maya Angelou. Cash flow almost killed us a few times, and I am forever grateful to friends and family who would just drop-in and say "What do you need, how can I help?"  

While 25 years has passed in the blink of an eye, astonishingly everything about doing business has changed while staying the same. Our company has one of the country's oldest continuous websites as we established it before we even incorporated! When the company started, everyone was issued a laptop and worked from home, decades later the pandemic hit and that became mandatory. The first multi-city conference we produced in 1997 was built around utilizing computer technology; keep in mind, the majority of small businesses did not yet have employees working on computers. Yet that first conference series featured sessions on the importance of "securing your data!" Today all our events focus on cyber security!

I am so proud of the hundreds of employees, interns and volunteers that have passed through The Event Group doors. Our peeps have gone off to work at Fortune 500 companies, international organizations, and non-profits. Few have traveled through the door without learning a few of the following lessons…

• We never do things simply because that's the way it was done before!
• Last minute changes are coming, regardless of the deadline stated
• Added Value = always negotiating a better deal for our clients

Through the years, we have been honored to produce "Thought Leader Events" around the world. We have helped organizations grow their sales, celebrate their milestones, and educate people. The speakers we have been honored to work with have been amazing and fulfilled our mission of "Planning to Astound!" We have been inspired by Nobel Laureates, awed by leading cancer researchers changing the world and scared into action by cyber security experts. We have been called upon from the White House to the State Department, from Fortune 500 Corporations to non-profit Associations. We have produced thought leader forums that have inspired and educated locally and globally.

I have always said there are a lot of companies out there that can do a good job for you logistically, in that demeaner, we are not unique. However, we have always taken on projects where we can partner to create events that will Inspire, Astound and Strive to Change the World.  

So today, on our company's 25th anniversary, we celebrate you! Our amazing clients, partners, speakers, former associates, friends and family. Without you, we would never have achieved and succeeded to today. As you have helped us reach this milestone, we want to help others "Continue to Astound!" So, in your honor, a contribution has been made to the following organizations:

Breast Cancer Education Association
FBI Minneapolis Citizen's Academy Alumni Association
Habitat for Humanity – Women Build
Mayo Clinic
Samaritan's Purse International Relief - Ukraine
Twin Cities Opera Guild  

My Best,  

Eileen M. Manning
CEO
eileen.manning@eventshows.com