Chase Creative Unlimited - Event Staging and Audio/Visual Services

Chase Creative Successfully Stages Governor Granholm's Second Inaugural

LANSING—Governor Jennifer M. Granholm and Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., along with other statewide officials elected in November held the inauguration ceremony Monday, January 1, 2007, at the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. Chase Creative Unlimited, an event staging and audio/visual company headquartered in Plymouth, Mich., successfully presented all aspects of the inauguration as well as provided impeccable support for other traveling events and celebrations around the state.

Chase Creative has become a mainstay with the Governor’s office, as the company also handled all inaugural events successfully in 2002, including many more outreach events and both Upper Peninsula Inaugural events.

Traditionally, in years’ past, the inaugural has taken place on the steps of the Capitol Building in Lansing, January 1, in blustery temperatures. In 2002, the Governor’s Office gave Chase Creative the daunting task of recreating the sense of the steps of the Capitol Building (where previous Inaugural events had taken place) to inside the Lansing Center, which would allow attendees to enjoy the speeches and proclamations in comfort.

The theme of the 2007 inaugural was "Celebrating the Next Michigan," which underscores the Governor's commitment to move forward from a manufacturing sector to create a Michigan with a diverse, robust economy and jobs. Armed with only the theme, Chase Creative derived a concept and created the entire set for the event, during which more than 70 high-profile officials took the oath of office, in less than two weeks’ time. The result was a breathtaking example of how to make something look very extravagant without an extravagant price tag.

"For many years, Chase has done a remarkable job of helping to make sure Gov. Granholm and team are able to deliver messages in a dynamic, impactful way,” said Genna Gent, Deputy Chief of Staff in the Governor’s Communications Office. “They’re always sensitive to the fact that we are not working on a corporate budget and need to be responsible to the Michigan public, yet still come through with standout support."

While Chase’s familiarity working with the Governor’s office helped things to go smoothly, unexpected events led to a logistical nightmare. Detroit’s largest annual event, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) was in the midst of setup for it’s opening the second week of January. Not to mention, the holiday season was in full swing when the unfortunate passing of former President Gerald R. Ford was announced, which resulted in the canceling of four of the scheduled inaugural events.

“The most impressive feat here is that Chase Creative overcame some of the most complicated logistical issues we’ve ever seen without a hitch,” Gent said. “In every experience with Chase Creative, there has never been a failure, never been a problem, it’s a constant ‘can do’ attitude coupled with outstanding creativity.”

More than a dozen television stations attended the Granholm inaugural, and many others provided coverage as the result of a statewide satellite feed, coordinated by the Michigan Association of Broadcasters (MAB) and Chase Creative.

“Working with the Governor’s Office is something we take great honor in doing,” said Ben Ferguson, president of Chase Creative. “Being chosen to concept and create the entire setting not once but twice speaks volumes to the level of service we can provide for large-scale, high-profile events.”