Michael Zaskey. Photo by Leah Martin Photography
By Mark G. Auerbach
Anyone in business, large or small, can find event planning a daunting experience. Whether you’re participating in a trade show, presenting a guest speaker–or being one yourself, launching a product, or planning a meeting, the scheduling, attention to details and their resulting stress levels is where one-stop event planning and production services come in.
Meet Zasco Productions, a Western Massachusetts owner-operated company for 28 years, provides fully-integrated, turnkey creative and technical production solutions for corporate, educational, non-profit, theatrical, entertainment, and broadcast events coast-to-coast.
The company’s founder, president/owner and senior technical director Michael W. Zaskey started his operation videotaping family events and weddings in 1986. Zasco Productions was launched in 1990.
“When Zasco started, there was one employee–me, and a handful of customers. Today, we have five full-time employees, 12 part-timers, and dozens of freelancers,” says Zaskey. “One of our more current events included a full-size rock concert by Shinedown in a New Hampshire man’s back yard for his birthday. In early 2018 we had our gear trucked to San Diego for a corporate event. We are always working on new and interesting projects”
Zasco’s calendar for the next few weeks includes The Bay Path University Womens’ Leadership Conference in Springfield, MA; Greater Hartford Junior Achievement Hall of Fame Dinner; a Springfield Symphony Pops presentation of The Texas Tenors, and a BAE Systems corporate meeting in Austin, TX.
[amazon_link asins=’1519178204′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingin-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’cc224c89-367a-11e8-b81c-d166adf7cbfd’]Trusted advisor vs. vendor
There are other production companies based in the area, but Zaskey believes that Zasco Productions is different from its competitors. “Our total commitment to customer service sets us apart,” he says. “We work very hard to make the client’s experience with Zasco a smooth and enjoyable experience. We would rather be thought of as a trusted advisor than just a vendor.”
Zaskey sees many changes in how business is done since he started the company. “The business world has changed in so many ways since I started the business. Now with social media and more competition more times than not, it is your reputation that sells you. Being a small business owner means living your business. Managing and marketing the company and seeking new business are like balls being juggled. I’d like to believe they are all getting equal time. With the addition of more executive level help recently, I think we are getting closer to that being the truth.”
Zaskey believes that the most important lessons he’s learned from building a company are: “Take care of your customers. It takes years to nurture a client and seconds to lose one.” Zaskey added that if he could tell the Mike Zaskey starting the company with advice he’s learned over the years, he say “Listen to everyone’s advice; then be true to your own convictions. In Corporate and Institutional Event Production, your job is to help your client keep theirs.”
And that’s succeeding in small business.
For information on Zasco Productions: http://www.zasco.com/
Zasco also owns Big Video Screen: http://www.bigvideoscreen.com/
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Mark G. Auerbach is principal at Mark G. Auerbach Public Relations, a Springfield, MA, based marketing, public relations, development and events consultancy. You can find more information about Mark at Facebook and LinkedIn.
