The Nocking Point

With company headquarters in the heart of the mid-west, when July & August roll around, we know we’ve hit the dog days of summer.

However, lucky for us, the “dog days” tend to happen all year.   We have written about this before, but Fox Business recently posted an article that long enforces what we at Bow & Arrow have known for awhile– simply put, dogs make the office better.  

And there are a couple of four-legged friends at Bow & Arrow who always make our office just a little brighter… Katie & Maggie.  

 

They provide constant companionship when working on late night projects, their endearing looks are sure to brighten up any day, they can ease the most stressful situations, help generate the most creative of ideas and they are by far the best listeners around!  

And let’s not forget they have official duties. Squirrels haven’t attempted to visit our office for over 5 years and every visitor is welcomed with a wagging tail.  

Katie (head canine of our creative division) and Maggie (head canine of the technical division) will continue to make appearances here on our blog & social media. And if you are ever near our offices – be sure to stop in and tell them hi! 

 

Site Visit For Upcoming Show

Matt Stutsman

It’s been longer than normal since we’ve given you an update on our blog and for very good reason.  In the past few months we’ve literally traveled coast to coast having the opportunity to work in some amazing venues.  In this post we’ll highlight some of our summer travels and preview a few new things coming to Bow & Arrow this fall.

It's been a busy couple weeks and we're gearing up for another great event in Washington D.C.  Part of my preparation process is reflecting on the challenges our team has encountered in the past month and evaluating our performance.  This post will highlight our approach of "working backwards," allowing us to better serve our clients in all areas of business.

Chairman's Conference,  Maui

Many people, in almost every industry, get stuck focusing on the little details of a project. This keeps them from seeing the big picture and ultimately, hinders creativity.  As a rule of thumb, our staff starts with the 5,000 ft approach and drills out the little details as the project progresses.

By doing this, our staff avoids a monotonous routine, and instead are able to think outside the box when facing even the simplest challenge.  Doing this while keeping the client's goals in mind allows us to keep and open, creative mindset to provide a superior service.

Load-in at Diamond Cross Ranch

As a plan begins to develop and take shape we allow ourselves to be driven by communication. Letting our client's message drive our focus allows us to take a unique approach to the way we run a show, and ultimately our business.  The creative material we develop, the staging we build and the gear we buy are all driven by the needs of our clients and the direction of their business.

Being a smaller, boutique company who deals with large corporations means we must focus on how we can best serve our clients, yet continue to stay cutting edge. This may not mean buying the latest and greatest gear, but instead buying the necessary tools to deliver the message.

The result is a tailored and extremely unique product for our clients to take their events to the next level.  We've essentially avoided the "fat" of the business world all together to provide lean, more focused and extremely competitive service.

Over the last few months we've worked on the beaches of Maui, a beautiful horse ranch in the Teton Mountains and a major conference center in Orlando. Our ability to stay extremely flexible has proven to be a key to our success as we look forward to another great event in Washington D.C. this weekend.
-Chris Mars

Those of you who have visited our office in the past have already met our office mascot, watchdog and creative companion here at Bow & Arrow Productions.  For those of you who have not, we would like to formally introduce Katie Mars, a three year old Golden Retriever who is a vital part of our office culture.

At Bow & Arrow Productions we rely on teamwork to function properly both in the office and on our show sites. As we all know, working in teams can be a difficult task when stress levels are high. In this article, published by Aaron Crowe of AOL Jobs, Crowe finds that dogs create a more cohesive work place, act as an "Ice Breaker" and can provide a creative spark in the office.  Katie is an excellent example of how a canine can positively affect an office environment.

When renovating our office our goal was to create an atmosphere where clients can escape the daily grind and focus on their upcoming event. Katie couldn't be happier to greet them with one of her favorite toys as they walk through the door. She plays a big role in setting the relaxed mood the moment a visitor steps into our our office.

According to Crowe's article, many businesses who rely on creativity also rely on dogs to keep the creative juices flowing.  High stress levels and tension in the office are things that can adversely effect productivity.  Playing fetch, going for short walks or just being a foot warmer are all things Katie has mastered to help us refocus on the task at hand.

Wether we're working individually in our offices or meeting in a conference room, Katie can be found laying under the table or waiting to play tug-o-war. We find these brief escapes from the daily routine can provide more than entertainment, they are a way for us to clear our minds and refocus on the task at hand.  The concerns and obstacles of the day seem to disappear when Katie comes strolling into your office.

Katie has become a vital member at Bow & Arrow Productions, specializing in the tangible things to keep our office culture focused yet relaxed.  We're extremely lucky to have such a positive member on our staff and hope you all get a chance to meet her at the door of 820 Prairie Street in Adel sometime soon.  

By: Chris Mars

As we reflect on the first two months of 2011, I've been updating our communications pieces and took step back and evaluate the work we have done so far.  A new version of our website should be sent live in the next few weeks with an updated portfolio and the addition of some video elements we've completed in recent months.

Along with these updates, we are currently working to better describe our Mission Statement, Creative Excellence Through Effective Partnership.  This new material should be helpful in describing what drives Bow & Arrow Productions and separates our company from the competition.

As I work on these updates I began to think about the mission of this blog and how it can benefit our readers.  As a staff, we feel this can be a tool for our readers to get a sense of who we are on a more personal level, highlight the business relationships we develop, and the struggles and successes we have along our journey.

In the next couple weeks we will be updating this blog in hopes of giving you an insider look at what makes Bow & Arrow Productions unique.

It's a rainy day here in Adel, Iowa and most of our staff is taking some much needed time to relax and recover. Since the beginning of the new year, our 2010 production season has been like the world's longest roller coaster ride. As you can see, I finally have some time to update our blog page with some recap and cool pictures thanks to Pat Tierney. I apologize as some of this is old news, but we have been hitting the ground running after each show.

So what's new in Adel? Well, we've continued to settle into our new office and are making some great technological improvements to our historic building. Most notable, is our new Production Room here in our office. This room gives us another creative space to cut video, storyboard, and build graphics for our clients. A pretty cool resource for the Bow & Arrow staff.

Now that we have some time to reminisce on the year thus far, I can't believe we've pulled it all off! We've had our struggles and our mountains to climb, but we always got the job done. Looking back, what we realize is that we work with some pretty amazing people and would could not have done it without them. In the next few days I will feature just a few of these amazing people who have made a lasting impression on us as an organization.

The important thing for us to focus on now is how to streamline our processes to make our events more enjoyable for our clients. It's always been our goal to take care of all the details and let our client focus on their message. This is something that takes planning, preparation, and most importantly communication.



Photo Credit: Adel Partners