Are two heads really better than one? At Wizard Studios, we firmly believe there is no better method to reach success in the event industry than having strong partnerships. Utilizing the strengths and unique skills of others is one of the most strategic ways for businesses to expand and resolve challenging issues, whether it be small partnerships between coworkers or large partnerships between businesses. 

Collaboration through strategic partnerships is essential for generating successful outcomes. Wizard Studios has been lucky enough to partner with some of the most awe-inspiring venues. Check out our list of New York City’s venues where Wizard Studios is preferred or exclusive here. Two of these cherished partnerships are with Ellis Island & The Statue of Liberty, New York City’s most historic and treasured national landmarks. We sat down with Wizard Studios’ Nikki Leynor and Juliette Jones, and Ellis Island Events’ Patti Golden and Tara McGill to talk about their wonderful partnership and why businesses are better together. 

WHY ARE PARTNERSHIPS ESSENTIAL?

Some businesses may be reluctant to collaborate with others, but given the realities of the business world today, partnerships are essential to combining resources, expertise, and purpose to better serve communities and clients. Golden and McGill explain why their partnership with Wizard Studios is so important to the integrity of the venue. 

“Ellis Island & The Statue of Liberty are National Monuments. A piece of history that is protected by the National Park Service to share with generations to come. This is the main mission of the National Park Service and one that we too stand behind. There are many rules & regulations from the National Park Service that we must abide by in order to keep the Monuments in pristine condition. These Monuments are open daily and events can never impact the day visitors. This results in tight timelines for installations with any event. Plus to add to the challenges, storage is extremely limited - after all, these are museums - not typical event venues - that is the fun in hosting your event with us! These Monuments come with a lot of security for everyone's safety, resulting in a longer load-in & strike for all partners involved. It is important that anyone who works on Liberty & Ellis Islands have this same passion and understanding that it is a privilege to work at these great Monuments and that adopting regulations of the National Park Service as their own.  As all equipment needed to produce all shows needs to be brought in for each and every event it is essential that the partner follow the same rules that we follow every day.  It would be impossible to produce our events without our partners. We truly value them!” 

Leynor added that “it's an excellent opportunity to meet new clientele that we otherwise wouldn't have a chance to meet. Our goal is to exceed expectations to ensure clients hire us again, so this is fantastic for relationship building. The Events Industry is intense and we work hard, long hours so there's something really gratifying about working at a venue that you feel an unexplainable connection to. I feel it every time I cross over the service bridge to begin what tends to be a 2-day herculean effort to produce an event. I see it in the faces of my team once we've wrapped a successful show. By the way, I still can't believe that you can rent the Statue of Liberty for a company event! Why don't more companies do it?!” 

You can see that partnering with other businesses is valuable and advantageous for both companies. “Same team, same dream!”, as Leynor says. “Not one person, or company for that matter, can do everything. It’s been said that when someone is an expert of everything, they are an expert of nothing. It’s much more efficient to utilize each other’s specialties to streamline the process and produce the best result possible”, explains Jones. Together, we work better.

WHAT’S THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS? 

“Communication and collaboration… When a production company has a strong relationship with the venue, it instills confidence,” said Jones and Leynor. For a partnership to succeed, an emphasis on clear communication between partners is essential. “I think the most important part of the relationship is to share. Share everything - every detail,” says Golden and McGill. Open and effective channels of communication between constituents of the partnership will ensure there are no misguided expectations between businesses. “Thorough communication is essential throughout the process to ensure that all parties are set up for success,” added Jones.

Significant breakthroughs and major progress don’t happen in isolation. Working with trusted partners creates fuel for growth, creativity, and innovation. How does one collaborator earn that trust? “It is very simple = listen,” says Golden and McGill. “... following our Vendor Guidelines and understanding why these Vendor Guidelines are so important. The Vendor Guidelines were not developed to just pass along and say follow these rules but rather to help everyone working the event succeed.  Details, details, details which is what every event professional should live by.”

This is why Wizard Studios is the perfect event production company to partner with. We listen and communicate with a level of professionalism and respect that you can depend on. To ensure effective outcomes for all, we continue to build relationships that are aligned with our values and that concentrate on shared objectives and complementary strengths. Do you represent an event venue and are searching for an event production company you can count on? Jones suggests “Start with a test run! Vet your production companies with a few events and ask yourself, is this production team dependable, and are these people I enjoy working with?” Why not start with Wizard Studios?

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF PARTNERSHIPS?

The benefits are clear. When you continue to work with partner businesses that share a mutual passion, respect, and valuation, a level of trust forms that is as strong as a rock. 

“We love Wizard Studios. Nikki is always supportive and understands the "ins" & "outs" of working on a National Monument. This is paramount to a successful partnership.  Your sales representative should love your venue as much as you do!  We value our relationship and know Nikki always has our back in helping us to meet the expectations of our clients. Yet, there also needs to be a support team behind her - and Wizard Studios brings that to the table.” You can count on Wizard Studios to always have your back and create unforgettable experiences! “The companies that come to Ellis Island for events tend to be celebrating something significant, so it means there's a good chance that budgets allow us to flex our creative muscles,” says Leynor. “That and working with good people. Patti is not only an expert on all things Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty and The National Park Service, but she genuinely cares about her clients and is a joy to work with.”

Wizard Studios strongly believes in the power of partnerships. “Businesses are better together because you have access to additional resources, ideas, and innovation with a larger collective team.” “I couldn’t agree more,” says Golden. “It takes a TEAM to do what we do! Together Everyone Accomplishes More! Partnerships make us all look better - we all succeed when everyone is supporting each other and on the same mission. Successful partnerships help us all to grow both professionally and in business. Successful events together = more business together.” Take a look at our previous blog article featuring Ellis Island, “Wizard Studios and Ellis Island Events: A Partnership in Alignment With Women’s History Month” and see how these amazing women work together to pave the way to greater gender equality in the industry. 

Do you want to host your next special event at Ellis Island or The Statue of Liberty? Reach out to Wizard Studios today!