Rock The House Annual Meeting A Huge Success!
RTH Combines Fun and Humility to Beat Competition
If your first thoughts once you realize you’ve been scheduled a 9 to 5 on a Sunday include the idea of cashing in one of your sick days, then you don’t work for Rock The House.
From the moment RTH team members arrived at their annual All-Staff meeting, the stage was set for something more colorful than your typical yearly staff assembly. Team members, who on this day felt more like guests of honor, were politely encouraged to meet and greet with folks they hadn’t met yet over coffee and an array of breakfast muffins.
For members like myself, it was a chance to put names to faces that – to that point – I had only shared emails with. For others, it was an opportunity to relive memories with someone they hadn’t worked with in a long time. Perhaps even as long as last year’s Annual Kickoff Meeting.
“The production team spared no time or resources when designing the audio, video, and lighting design. We do this for a living, but it was an exciting opportunity to put what we do into action for our own team.” — RTH Founder & CEO Matt Radicell
Two giant video screens accented both sides of the elevated stage, and there was enough lighting to host a respectable New Year’s Eve party. The stage, which was at least two feet off the ground, looked more prepped for a rock concert than a company meeting. There were a half dozen sets of high-end, and very loud, speakers strategically scattered throughout the Event Hall of downtown Cleveland’s Red Space, the perfect setting for such an event.The stage also featured a see-through glass bowl that was introduced to members as ‘the question bowl‘. Throughout the day teammates were encouraged to write relevant questions with the provided pen and notepad and were promised an answer by RTH managers at some point during the day. The effect was two-pronged; it allowed the meeting to flow smoothly with minimal interruption, and it allowed every person in the room a chance to ask whatever they wanted and receive a genuine response before they left.
Red Space, created by Hot Cards is a unique open gallery designed to host a variety of different events. According to isescleveland.com,”This raw and open space is perfect for eclectic events looking for something different.” Red Space has hosted everything from conferences and weddings to art shows and wine tastings. It truly allows the client to dictate the setting. It was a perfect fit for Rock The House.
Now, Let’s Get Hands On
The all day affair didn’t just entail team building exercises and listening to speeches. Peppered into the afternoon activities was a little hands on training that proved to be very beneficial to rookies and veterans alike.
Another point of the meeting was to stress the importance of attention to detail. Hanging drape is an essential component of a multitude of RTH shows, and a brief re-teaching course of how to do it was an inevitable stop along the map of the days activities. A recap of the terminology paired with some secret tips and tricks allowed team members to pick up on a few things they either didn’t know, forgot, or just were never formally taught. The heights and weights of the drapes used in some shows can be substantial, and the short learning session can be considered a safety issue if nothing else.
Carnival Cruise Director Eric Brouman was brought in to offer some of the core values coveted by his employer. The theme of this interaction was to highlight what Brouman called ‘being on‘, stressing positive attitudes and professional appearances the moment team members walk into an event. As expected, the similarities between the two entertainment company’s were bountiful. As part of his module, RTH members were split into two groups and instructed to come up with their own core values. After the lists were compiled each team voted on their favorite codes. A brief discussion and video recap highlighted Brouman’s segment.
While Sunday’s meeting had all the flair of a high profile party, the intent and attention to detail provided much more than your regular company meeting. We laughed. We learned. We focused our energy on one goal; being the best and becoming better.
Throughout the day it was apparent that Rock The House was a company built by people that genuinely care about their members. For myself it felt like more than just a typical work meeting, it felt like a celebration.
