Putting 75+ years combined experience to work in St. Louis
John Nickel, president of experiential marketing agency Switch: Liberate Your Brand, and Steve Schankman, president of events and entertainment company Contemporary Productions (Contemporary), have joined forces in a strategic partnership that brings together their creativity, passion, and a wealth of services to create quality events at a cost-effective price.
John Nickel, president of experiential marketing agency Switch: Liberate Your Brand, and Steve Schankman, president of events and entertainment company Contemporary Productions (Contemporary), have joined forces in a strategic partnership that brings together their creativity, passion, and a wealth of services to create quality events at a cost-effective price.
Having been friends for decades, these civic-minded leaders unknowingly carved parallel paths as entrepreneurs, philanthropists and industry leaders. Over the years, Nickel, Schankman and their companies have worked on numerous marquis projects including Anheuser-Busch’s National Wholesaler Homecoming Street Party, Major League Baseball’s 2009 All Star Gala and ASAE’s 2012 Annual Convention. Working together, each company helps to bring jobs and revenue to the St. Louis area, plus contributes expertise and resources to create maximum impact, cost effectiveness and results for a fabulous event enjoyed by clients and guests.
“Switch and Contemporary are a perfect complement for each other’s expertise, resources and clients,” said Nickel. “With Steve and Contemporary’s entertainment and event expertise combined with Switch’s depth and in-house resources, this partnership offers a unique mix that truly benefits the customer.”
Each company will maintain its own physical locations, financials as well as business specific to their areas of expertise. Together, Switch + Contemporary will work on multi-faceted event projects and addressing each client’s goals and needs. This partnership is a cohesive solution for clients - one project lead, a team with comprehensive expertise while maximizing the creative potential, in-house resources (equipment, printing, editing, video etc.) and all under one cost-effective budget.
“Since Switch spun off from Anheuser-Busch 10 years ago, we have worked with John, his partners as well as their team on several corporate and charity events,” said Schankman. "We have learned how to work together effectively and productively as one unit. We know this partnership is a huge gain for our clients and the community.”
Events, meetings and live production capabilities encompass just one aspect of Switch’s core offerings. As an independently-held company, Switch (www.liberateyourbrand.com) is an experiential marketing agency that specializes in the design and execution of brand and sponsorship activation, field marketing, digital media, consumer and corporate events. Located in the City of St. Louis, Switch has more than 32 years’ experience working with companies and brands that seek to engage consumers and businesses with behavior-changing results. Switch's clients include AB InBev, Coca- Cola, Elsevier, Muscle Milk, 5-hour Energy, Covidien Health, Primerica, Blu E-Cigs, Enterprise Rent-A- Car and Junior Achievement. Switch ended the 2012 fiscal year posting $48.4 million in sales and the best year in their 32-year history.
Contemporary Productions (www.contemporaryproductions.com) is a full-service special events and entertainment company. From producing massive events such as the Pope’s visit to St. Louis in 1999 to events with a purpose for nonprofits, the Contemporary team has vast knowledge about every facet of an event. In 1968, the company started out booking talent for local events which quickly evolved into the nation’s top concert promoter handling acts such as U2, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Huey Lewis and many more. Today, the Contemporary team proudly works on “events with a purpose” with many of our nonprofit clients; planning corporate events; booking local and national entertainment; as well as complementary marketing services. In 2012, Contemporary posted
$5.4+ million in revenues.
In addition to Contemporary, Schankman founded I Know Better (INOBTR), a nonprofit organization that educates about children’s safety on and offline through public awareness and community events. INOBTR (INOBTR.org) is funded through private donations, corporate sponsorship, as well as state grants and two federal government cooperative agreements with the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
“Switch and Contemporary are a perfect complement for each other’s expertise, resources and clients,” said Nickel. “With Steve and Contemporary’s entertainment and event expertise combined with Switch’s depth and in-house resources, this partnership offers a unique mix that truly benefits the customer.”
Each company will maintain its own physical locations, financials as well as business specific to their areas of expertise. Together, Switch + Contemporary will work on multi-faceted event projects and addressing each client’s goals and needs. This partnership is a cohesive solution for clients - one project lead, a team with comprehensive expertise while maximizing the creative potential, in-house resources (equipment, printing, editing, video etc.) and all under one cost-effective budget.
“Since Switch spun off from Anheuser-Busch 10 years ago, we have worked with John, his partners as well as their team on several corporate and charity events,” said Schankman. "We have learned how to work together effectively and productively as one unit. We know this partnership is a huge gain for our clients and the community.”
Events, meetings and live production capabilities encompass just one aspect of Switch’s core offerings. As an independently-held company, Switch (www.liberateyourbrand.com) is an experiential marketing agency that specializes in the design and execution of brand and sponsorship activation, field marketing, digital media, consumer and corporate events. Located in the City of St. Louis, Switch has more than 32 years’ experience working with companies and brands that seek to engage consumers and businesses with behavior-changing results. Switch's clients include AB InBev, Coca- Cola, Elsevier, Muscle Milk, 5-hour Energy, Covidien Health, Primerica, Blu E-Cigs, Enterprise Rent-A- Car and Junior Achievement. Switch ended the 2012 fiscal year posting $48.4 million in sales and the best year in their 32-year history.
- Ranked #217 in AdAge’s 2012 Top 900 All Advertising/Marketing Agencies List
- Promo magazine votes Switch #47 on its 2012 "Promo 100" top agencies list
- Event Marketer magazine names Switch to its prestigious 2012 "Top 100 Agency It List"
- Special Events magazine names Switch #15 on its "Top 50 Event Companies" list
Contemporary Productions (www.contemporaryproductions.com) is a full-service special events and entertainment company. From producing massive events such as the Pope’s visit to St. Louis in 1999 to events with a purpose for nonprofits, the Contemporary team has vast knowledge about every facet of an event. In 1968, the company started out booking talent for local events which quickly evolved into the nation’s top concert promoter handling acts such as U2, the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, Huey Lewis and many more. Today, the Contemporary team proudly works on “events with a purpose” with many of our nonprofit clients; planning corporate events; booking local and national entertainment; as well as complementary marketing services. In 2012, Contemporary posted
$5.4+ million in revenues.
In addition to Contemporary, Schankman founded I Know Better (INOBTR), a nonprofit organization that educates about children’s safety on and offline through public awareness and community events. INOBTR (INOBTR.org) is funded through private donations, corporate sponsorship, as well as state grants and two federal government cooperative agreements with the US Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.
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