Henry
Givray of SmithBucklin
Chicago-based management firm SmithBucklin is
gaining favor among hospitality industry associations. In the last
two months, the management firm has snapped up contracts with both
ICPAAn Association of Insurance and Financial Services Conference
Planners, and the Center for Exhibition Industry Research.
Robert Sivek, a former president of the International Special
Events Society, which signed with SmithBucklin in 2000, said the
recent swell of management outsourcing was no surprise. “Probably
every organization thinks they can self-manage, or wants to, until
they realize they’ve actually got to do it,” said Sivek.
ICPA had been self-managing for years in its Vancouver office
until April, when the association transferred management to
SmithBucklin. According to ICPA board member Steve Clark, the
association’s decision was difficult but crucial.
“We’ve barely kept up with attrition,” said Clark, who added
that without the move to SmithBucklin, “we could have ceased to
exist within five to 10 years.”
Chicago-based Douglas Ducate, president and CEO of CEIR,
described similar struggles. “After fighting through the lean
years,” he said, “this leaves us much freer to do serious work on
strategy and our overall vision now.”
Commenting on the rush of recent signings, Henry Givray,
president and CEO of SmithBucklin, said, “It’s true our success in
this industry has been striking over the past several months, but
there’s no connection among the groups in regard to their
decision.”