When we first began working with Taco Bell in 1993, we were warned that they were a "difficult" client, and that they burned thru production companies at a rate of about one per event. That was 16 years ago, and we still have a strong relationship. We found that the key to working with them was to listen to what they wanted, to do great quality work, and to stay on message, and on budget. Not a difficult formula really. Over the years we have worked with Taco Bell Corporate, with Taco Bell International, with the Taco Bell Foundation, the Franchise Organization and have supported key executives at company, industry and community events.

Taco Bell's main event every year is the FRANMAC Meeting. FRANMAC is the organization representing the majority of the Franchisees, and the event is both an opportunity to get the system together to talk about the business, Products and Development, Marketing Initiatives, Store Development, Operations Strategies, and other key issues. Our audience is upwards of 1400 attendees, and we will have both general sessions and three concurrent breakout sessions. In addition to the business sessions there is an Awards Banquet, an entertainment event (He had Elton John in 2003) a presentation by the Foundation, A live auction for the Foundation, and we have hosted a Golf Tournament for the past decade or so.

Taco Bell has had a consistent management plan and market objectives over the years, and so to a great extent, much of the message has been the same, year over year. Our challenge in keeping the audience interested, was to keep the event looking fresh, and to focus on that part of the message which was new. As the venue for the event has changed, we have tied the scenic look and the graphics format together, and provided in some years a destination-themed look. As the focus in the business became the critical need to update the restaurants, and to improve operations, the meetings took the shape of a restaurant. One year we were outside the restaurant looking in, and for a couple of years we were inside the new restaurant model.

As staging budgets became an increasing issue, we focused on the message, and downplayed the scenic, but upgraded the presentation graphics. Every year we have had a mix of content to me presented. Taco Bell has an in-house Video Department, and we coordinated with them for elements used throughout the events. We have provided graphics development, rehearsal and presentation services at all of the events, for both the main venue sessions and the breakout rooms. The Main Venue presentation screen has been a blended wide-screen solution in recent years, combining HD-Format graphics with tape playback, and live video Image Magnification of the presenters and the theatrics of the on stage program. We have deployed a presentation support system for the presenters who mostly work on the stage, without a lectern, and without a scripted presentation which allows them to see both the current content and that which is to come.