Rachael Glaws, Principal & Creative Director of RGI Events

This episode of CEOs You Should Know features Rachael Glaws, Principal & Creative Director of RGI Events.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
I grew up in Alexandria, Virginia. I was born in San Diego,
but moved to Alexandria when I wastwo. It's kind of the the the
only home that I consider mine andvery you know, proud to have been
born and bred here in Virginia.I went to school on the West Coast.

(00:23):
I went back out to Los Angelesfor college at cal State, and
then stayed in California to work inthe entertainment industry. I was in the
music industry. I started working ontours and live concert productions and was intending
on staying in that industry. Ibecame the talent buyer at Baby Kings in

(00:52):
Hollywood, and our staff was sosmall that I ended up doing a lot
of the leg work around the buyouts. You know, whenever we would have
a movie, rap party, ora corporate holiday party there in the club,
I would do all the logistics aroundthat and kind of fell into special

(01:14):
events through that means. And movedback about fifteen years ago to the DC
area and started looking for a jobdoing what I had been doing in Los
Angeles and really couldn't find one atthe time. Really, the only jobs

(01:37):
that were available in special events werehotel catering gigs, those that type of
work, which just was not kindof meeting the creative outlet that I had
found, you know, with theevents that I had print producing in Los
Angeles. And I always say thatif I was any smarter or any older,

(01:59):
I probably wouldn't have done it.But I was running out of money,
and he fit a job, andthus our GI Events was born,
and fifteen years later here we are, well, thank you for that origin
story, and it's a lot offun. And I got to tell you,
you know, you're in an industrynow more than ever. As you
know after getting through COVID, thecustomer service is just imperative with everybody.

(02:21):
And I mean when you go outto a restaurant, or if you shop
at a store for clothes or shoes, or if you want an event put
on, and I imagine that there'spressures that go with that. So before
we talk about all the capabilities andthe cool things that you and your team
do, I would like to askyou about your mission statement and what that
is. Our g Events connects organizationsto audiences through the power of shared experiences.

(02:45):
We draw on our decades of successesand an unshakable belief in what can
be achieved when we gather together.All right, So let's talk about capabilities,
because when you're an event company,I think there are so many tentacles
that you can touch when it comesto different events that it must blow your
tops sometimes about there's so many differentopportunities out there. But if anybody that's

(03:08):
put on a party knows how hardit is, and I know you and
the thirteen person team that includes yourself, Rachel, there's a lot of work
to be done all the time.But with all that said, why don't
we talk about some of the capabilitieswith a company that you work with?
The clients are most important, whatpeople are requesting these days. Yeah,
absolutely, you hit the nail onthe head. This is an incredibly multifaceted

(03:30):
industry and there's a lot of nuancebetween what's a planner, what's a producer.
The role that we fill is reallytaking a lot of those tentacles and
bringing them all in one place forour clients. So we are strategically driven
planning, production, design, andmanagement for primarily corporate, some government you

(03:53):
know being here in the DC area, and nonprofit partners. Basically, what
we aim to do is to achieveour clients' goals through treating the event as
the vehicle rather than the destination.So really all aspects of the event process

(04:15):
from conceptualization, you know, andsetting those goals throughout the entire logistical and
project management process, you know,from your venues, to your attendees,
to your sponsors, to your mediapartners obviously design. We've been broadly recognized
across the country in a class theworld as one of the top event designers

(04:39):
when it comes to how your roomlooks and making sure that then once everybody
is in the room, making sureit's strategically goes off without without a hitch,
and that on the backside of thespecial event that we're producing for you,
you take away assets you know thatyour event keeps working for you long
past when the event concludes. So, whether your goals are to raise money,

(05:02):
to raise awareness, to educate,to inspire, to galvanize your team,
whatever those end goals are for yourparticular organization, whatever type of organization
it might be, we use ourstrategic special events expertise to make sure you
achieve those you know, we hadtalked off the top that including you,

(05:24):
it's a thirteen person team that youhave and to relate a story to you
with context. My wife and Iwent to a Washington Spirit game over the
weekend and we watched the on fieldcoordinator basically handle everything when it came to
pregame before they kicked the ball tostart the game, and my wife and
I were remarking, and I'm insports too, so I've seen these people.

(05:45):
The communication that you need to dosomething like that is incredible, and
I throw it at you. Foryou and your thirteen person team that includes
you, I imagine communication is utmostat top priority, but maybe if you
could take it to the next level, give us a big behind the curtain
kind of scene what it's like whenit comes to communication with your clients,
about what all that entails. Ohmy gosh. Absolutely. Communication is a

(06:11):
pillar of our project management style.We want our clients to feel as though
we are just at the next desk. And this is not you know,
a post COVID or a COVID inspiredyou know, new way of working ethos.
You know, this is always youknow, for the last fifteen years,
with clients flung to the far sidesof the country and all over the

(06:35):
globe, how we work with ourclients. We I think are very unique
in that we bring a really veryhighly recognized and sophisticated level of production to
our clients with a boutique style clientmanagement. You know, we see ourselves
very much in the business of hospitality, in the business of customer service us

(07:00):
and we want our clients to getthat responsiveness from us as though you know,
we were just in the next roomrather than across the country or across
an ocean. So I mean,it's really it's key. There's a lot
of trust that you have to have. Special events are kind of intangible,
right It's you know, you mightbring on a production partner for an effort

(07:25):
that you might have going on ninemonths in the future and say this is
our goal and here is our budget, and you might write me a check
and I'm off to the races.But I'm not handing you back something that
you can hold. You know,you're going to be on this ride with
me for the next nine months orsix months or three months until we bring
it across the finish line. Sowe want every single second you know,

(07:48):
of our relationship, our interactions withour clients, and through that thorough enthusiastic
communication to paint this picture of theend product they're going to get and to
build that trust. And that's oneof the reasons why or client retention rate

(08:09):
is so high. We have heldan over eighty percent client retention rate year
over year for over the last decade. So I really think that people come
to us, you know, forour talent, but stay with us a
lot for what you just said.You know that communication aspect, Well,
thanks for sharing all that. Andthat's about customer service and I know that

(08:30):
means a lot, especially in today'sclimate where at RACHEL, I didn't want
to ask you about challenges and successstories. So let's put let's put a
pin in success story just for asecond. You can think about that,
But I know that today's climate bringsa lot of challenges with that and with
all that said, being a boutiqueagency like you are when it comes to
our GI events, what kind ofchallenges even though you can get through them

(08:52):
and navigate present themselves today with yourclients, I'm sure our challenges closely mirror
what a lot of other business aregoing through at the moment. You know,
UM, supply chains are less reliable, costs are higher, UM,
So there's a lot of expectation againcommunication, you know, we it's up
to us to manage our clients expectations, you know, about things like turnaround

(09:16):
time or how much things are goingto cost. Um events that are annual
events who maybe have worked with usfor the last ten years, we might
have a completely different budget you know, these days to put on the exact
same event. Um. I thinkthat customers and consumers you know, an
attendee base are also far more savvyum we have. They have so much

(09:39):
information you know, at their fingertipsand us living in kind of this,
uh, the age of the influencer. They also have barreted by these amazing
you know images, and so Ithink there their sophistication, uh is very
high. They expect a really highlevel of execution and work product and to

(10:03):
balance that with you know, anyclient's budget. I think it's also always
you know, a challenge that wenavigate through authentic, timely and transparent communication
and leaning on our expertise, youknow, in our relationships in the industry
and what those relationships enable us tobe able to get for our clients faster

(10:28):
or at a lower price point,you know than maybe a newer company or
one that hasn't enjoyed kind of thesuccesses that our GI has. All right,
well, thank you for sharing allthat. And as Rachel mentioned,
I mean when it comes to lifeand running a business like this, you
know so eloquently as you explain,there aren't a lot of rainbows and unicorns

(10:48):
all the time when it comes tothis type of business. But with that
set, I would like you toshare maybe one success story that you were
proud of. You don't have tomention who the client was, but maybe
just something you said, you knowwhat, we really knocked it out to
the park for that client. Itwas pretty special. We're pretty proud of
what we did. Oh my gosh. Yeah. You know. One of
the things I love most about thisindustry, and I think the reason that

(11:11):
you know I'm still in it aftertwenty years, is that there really is
a lot of job satisfaction. Theroad is not smooth, you know,
but when you get to the endof it, truly making an impact that
we have made for Titans of industry, for some of the most well known

(11:33):
nonprofits in the world is really somethingthat I am very proud of. We
say a lot here that you know, we may not be the ones to
change the world, but we willbuild the ones that will change it a
stage literally and over the last fifteenyears, we have supported raising over a
billion dollars for our nonprofit clients,you know, in their fundraisers throughout the

(11:58):
year, throughout about the years ofour fifteen years in business. And I
think that is not a small dropin the bucket. And I'm pretty darn
proud of that for sure. Youknow, in my series, Rachel,
I've had the opportunity to talk toso many smart, talented women like yourself
that are now running companies or ata manageria role that's very prominent. And

(12:20):
as you as principal and creative director, we have a lot of women that
are listening to this series and ifyou were to impart any advice on coming
up the system, whether they wantto be a CEO and executive director of
principle or at a manageria level,impart some advice for our female listeners out
there about your experiences and maybe justsome advice that there are going to be

(12:41):
challenges, there's going to be somedoors open and closed, but not necessarily
your specific experiences, but just maybesome advice in general for them. I
think that's so important, and ithas always been really important for me throughout
my journey of being a business ownerto take part as much as possible in

(13:01):
opportunities to mentor women UM and andspeak to and encourage women on their own
journeys. UM. I think thatone of the most helpful things that I
may be able to impart to otherwomen is to trust yourself and to lean

(13:24):
into the things that make UH Aleadership coming from a woman different than leadership
that may come from a man.Don't you know, run from the aspects
that you know, you don't haveto to to fit into any specific mold.

(13:48):
UM. Lean into your own talentsand your own strengths. Diverse leadership
is good leadership. UM and uhand and trust yourself, UM. Don't
second guest herself. The mistakes thatI find that I have made along the
way were mostly made in times whereI second guessed my gut instinct. And

(14:13):
it really is not easy. Butif you commit yourself to you know,
seeing the path in front of youand then walking down the path, you'll
make it. I promise. That'sreally good advice. And there's also a
common theme listeners that Rachel's talked aboutthat. We hear regularly from our leaders

(14:33):
and if I could read the tealeaves and what she's saying, leap of
faith as an entrepreneur, you reallyhave to take a leap of faith in
these situations. Even though it's scary, just go for it. There's going
to be some failing down there.But you know what, at the end,
if you're driven enough and if you'repassionate enough like Rachel and her team
mark, you're going to get there. So Rachel, I think that's great
advice, and thank you for sharingall that. I did want to take

(14:54):
a little bit of break from thebusiness and ask you about philanthropic and charity
work. I know that the eventsof business, it's seven days a week,
three hundred and sixty five days outof the year, so I know
that there's not a little at alot of time for sleep and also doing
some charity work. But whether it'sthrough the business or maybe you personally with
your family, what do you liketo be part of Yeah? Absolutely,
As I said, I really dojump at any chance that I've had to

(15:18):
support women in business, and Ihave been very active in our local community
and associations and organizations over the yearsas a board member or cheering events specifically
to empower and support and educate,you know, women in their business journey.

(15:41):
I'm also, as I said,a really proud Alexandria native. I
grew up and now live on theoriginal five farms of George Washington's Mount Vernon
I live now. I just backup right to the mansion and the mission
and the preservation of Mount Vernon andof the legacy of George Washington is very

(16:02):
important to me and we do alot of work, my husband and I
as fundraisers and patrons of various causesat George Washington's mout Vernon as well as
for some of the land preservation youknow, in the state of Virginia in
general, and to be good stewardsof our natural resources, especially in this

(16:29):
beautiful state. So yes, there'snot a ton of time for it,
but I think it is really reallyimportant to kind of find those causes that
you're passionate about and make sure thatyou know you spread the success around a
bit. Wow, I think that'sso cool. I happen to be a
history buff and this is my fourthtime living in the DMV, and I
think that people take for granted thehistory that we have around us, and

(16:52):
you're living right on at which Ithink is really cool that you and your
husband do that. So that's wonderfuland thank you for sharing as we put
a bow in our conversation and wrapup a lot of fun talking about our
gi events. Rachel, if youwere to give our listener one takeaway about
what exactly eye events is, whatwould that be? Passionate strategists. I

(17:15):
think we really have made a markand differentiated ourselves. There are a lot
of you know, fabulous special eventresources here in the district and across the
country. I think what makes usdifferent is that we truly do obsess our
clients brands. You know, wewant to act just as passionately to achieve

(17:37):
our clients goals as our clients are. And I think through our strategic mindset
of the power that we know canbe harnessed in these opportunities where you can
bring a group of people into aroom and affect change or inspire or educates.
I know that we do that.You know, work better than almost

(18:03):
anybody in the country. That's agood sales pitch and I love that.
And confidence too. You gotta havea little chip on your shoulder, folks.
That's what it's all about, especiallywhen you're running a bootigue business and
there's competition out there. So Rachel, if anybody is interested in working with
you, maybe a career or justfinding more about our GI Events, what's
the website and any other social channelsyou'd like to give out. Absolutely,

(18:25):
you can find us online at wwwdot RGI events dot com and we're super
active on Instagram. At our GIEvents, we do a lot of posting
behind the scenes so you can geta feel for a little bit of the
mechanics behind the magic, which isalways a lot of fun. And that's
where we are on Facebook as well. Is at our GI Events outstanding And

(18:48):
I know you know this, butfor our listeners I've been on the website
and in the event business, youbetter have a great presentation. Your website
is gorgeous and easy to navigate,so whoever is putting it together is done
a very nice job. It's areally good looking website. Oh, thank
you, Dennis. That's amazing.Well cool, Well listen, Rachel,
continue success. Give my best toyour team there and thank you so much

(19:10):
for joining us today and CEO,as you should know, we really appreciate
it. I sure will thank youDennis