Shannon Gerber is director of events management for Home Depot’s Atlanta headquarters. With the company since 2002, she was initially hired to oversee enterprise-wide events such as the annual managers’ and shareholders’ meetings. Over the years, though, she realized smaller meetings were falling through the cracks when her team would be called to do damage control for contracts or commitments negotiated by administrative staff or other non-pros. In late 2007, Home Depot rolled out a pilot program, EventsTHD, to capture and manage smaller meetings and events. A year in the making, EventsTHD was rolled out companywide in February 2008.
What was the impetus to put the plan in place?
For me, it was being a part of so many different organizations, like Meetings Competitive Advantage Forum and the National Business Travel Association Groups and Meetings Committee. It’s learning from people around you. We recognized that there was a need to centralize the process, which would provide greater cost savings. It was just finding the time to focus on it and make it a priority.
What are the logistics of EventsTHD?
We’ve created a Web site that’s Internet and intranet accessible so associates who are tasked with a meeting can register the event. The process is done through a third party we hired. I’m copied on all requests as well as the third party—they’re like an extension of our team. They get back to the person who requested the meeting and do the contracting and sourcing. There is also on-site management and logistics support available if the meeting requestor needs that. If it’s of the scale where we need to be involved, we contact the client and help with the management.
What kind of events does it cover?
The tool covers anything involving 10 attendees or more that’s outside our offices or training facilities and anything with 10 guest rooms or more. Now we’re getting smaller room blocks and catering-only functions in addition to full-scale meetings.
How many events have you brought in since the rollout?
I’m guesstimating 60 to 70 percent used the process before 2008 was over. We’re driving to improve it to 100 percent by the end of this year.
What’s the biggest benefit of this new system?
It reduces risk, drives cost savings, and really streamlines the meeting planning process so our associates can stay focused on customer-facing tasks. Another plus is knowing we have consistent, approved contract language.
What’s your biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge so far is driving awareness and compliance. We’ve got over 300,000 associates, thousands of whom might be tasked with planning an event. We’re getting the information down to the store level by utilizing our intranet, making slides shows, sending weekly email communication, and placing posters in our elevators and table tents in our cafeteria.
What financial results have you seen so far?
We’re noting a 10 to 15 percent cost savings per meeting planned, primarily due to the consistency of the language as well as the negotiations that take place. We had one training event for approximately 300 people that took place at the end of 2007, and because we had a skilled meeting manager assigned to it, I estimate we saved 16 to 18 percent through their negotiating.
