EVENT PRODUCTION, POWERED BY PASSION
Innovative vision, loyalty, and work ethic fuel more than a decade of growth for this leading provider of broadcast production labor services
What good is acquiring new customers if you don’t keep the ones you have got? Program Productions, a labor management services company that serves the broadcast, sports television, and live event industries, ranks on the Inc. 5000 for the 13th consecutive year by retaining its clients—not just acquiring new ones.
Those customers include professional sports leagues, college athletic leagues, and large concert promoters. They rely on Program Productions to produce some of the biggest events in sports and music. The business also provides labor management expertise to corporate customers running live events. CEO Robert Carzoli credits the track record of steady growth to passion, work ethic, and smart use of technology, among other factors.
TOP-TIER PRODUCTION TALENT
Program Productions was founded by Carzoli’s father, Robert Carzoli, Sr. Carzoli, Jr. joined the business in 2003. That year, they generated a little north of a million in revenue and supported 115 events with 125 employees. This year, they are on pace to generate more than $75 million in sales, by supporting 7,500 events with a team of 16,000.
The team is what it is all about. “I am like an NFL quarterback—I get too much credit when things go well,” says Carzoli, adding it is the work being done on the field and in the studio, day in and day out, that matters. Passion sets these people apart. Passion is why you can walk into a Program Productions office late at night, and it looks like 2pm on a Tuesday. To be sure it attracts and retains likeminded employees, Program Productions treats all field production staff as W2-variable-hour employees, rather than freelancers, so it can offer benefits like workers’ compensation insurance. Admittedly, navigating state-by-state compliance issues is challenging, but worth it, Carzoli says. It is this large, loyal workforce that has earned the business its reputation for excellence.
THE HITS KEEP COMING
Technology also plays a role in the company’s success. Recently, the team rebuilt their proprietary enterprise resource platform on a Salesforce cloud platform, allowing them to take their business to the next level, Carzoli says. They also deployed an event labor management mobile app, ProCrewz, which gives crews in the field access to real-time information and makes efficient communication simple. Crew members can use the app to punch-in with a geo-fenced time clock within a select radius of the venue. They can also submit receipts and access work and pay history data. The app also includes a personalized calendar, a chat feed that keeps everyone on the job in real-time contact, and emergency communication capabilities. Technologies like the cloud platform and the new app help the company deliver the quality, reliable services its customers value.
To further support its clients, the Program Productions team recently started a new business, XLT Management Services, an outsourced provider of payroll and data management for companies’ event staff. The new venture benefits from Program Productions' reputation and loyal “fanbase.” Carzoli predicts the startup will rank on the Inc. 5000 next year. And, if all goes according to plan, Program Productions will make the list for the 14th time.