Winning the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber’s Small Business of the Year award is an incredible honor that has strengthened the DCE Productions team in profound ways. For us, this journey wasn’t about a single goal; it was about coming together, understanding who we are as a company, and recognizing how everyone plays a crucial role in our collective success.
A Full-Team Effort from Start to Finish
Our path to this achievement was a complete team endeavor. Every functional area of our company—Sales, Customer Success, Event Management, Project Management, Marketing, Accounting, Creative Services, Video Production, and Warehousing — played a part in putting DCE Productions in the spotlight for this year’s top honors as Small Business of the Year. It was inspiring to see our team members step up, each bringing unique talents and perspectives that contributed to our success.
The First Step: Committing to Small Business of the Year Application Process
When we were first nominated, we had an important decision to make: could we allocate the resources and time to embark on what would be a months-long journey? After all, we learned about our nomination at the start of the busy spring event and conference production season. The event production business tends to be very predictably seasonal, and we knew we’d be literally all over the world producing in-person conferences, virtual and hybrid events. If successful with our application, the chamber’s process would culminate during the peak of the fall event production season. We decided to go all in, assigning a project manager and cross-functional team to guide us through the application. Our team collaborated to tell our story, focusing on who we are and what we stand for. The extensive application phase fueled one of the most meaningful marketing endeavors in our company history, igniting a fresh sense of purpose and pride in our team.
The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s support made a difference right from the start, as their staff and volunteers offered invaluable guidance and insights from past participants. With enthusiasm building, our commitment was rock-solid as we headed into the semi-finalist interview.
The Interview Process: Sharing Our Story from Innovative Tampa Startup to a Global Production Services Company
When we reached the interview stage, we knew this was our chance to demonstrate who we are as a company. Instead of having just one person lead, we presented a diverse cross-section of DCE team members, each prepared to share a piece of our story. True to our event-production roots, we planned and rehearsed each segment of our allowed 10-minute presentation meticulously. However, in a twist of fate, one of our key team members went into labor just hours before the interview. Despite the curveball, our team adapted seamlessly, filling in and delivering a unified presentation that reflected our core values: integrity, teamwork, and exceeding expectations.
Making the Final Cut and Preparing for the Site Visit
Upon learning we’d made it as finalists, our excitement soared, knowing we had one last chance to show the chamber judges what makes DCE Productions unique in the world of event management and corporate video production . We brought in our Creative Services team to craft a dynamic and highly interactive hybrid event experience for the site visit, transforming a section of our warehouse into a demonstration of the immersive environments we create for clients. The virtual appearance of our VP of Enterprise Accounts and Event Management from a client’s studio in Los Angeles, paired with a live testimonial from a client in Miami who joined via Zoom , showcased our commitment to both in-person and digital innovation.
For the site visit, 16 DCE team members contributed with speaking roles, with everyone—from our founders to first-time public speakers—highlighting our skills, unity, and passion. By the end of our presentation, we knew we had demonstrated not only our capabilities to execute a flawless hybrid event but also the spirit that drives us forward.
More Than an Award: A Stronger Team, a Unified Vision
While we are honored by the Small Business of the Year award, the journey itself was the real prize. This experience allowed us to witness the strength of our diverse talents and reinforced the importance of our core values. More than recognition, this award deepened our appreciation for each team member’s role and solidified our commitment to collaboration, innovation, and excellence.
Our gratitude goes out to the Greater Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce for this opportunity. Winning Small Business of the Year has brought us closer, reminded us of the power of unity, and inspired us to continue pushing boundaries to serve our clients and community with greater passion than ever before.