by Caitlin Howle
With the century mark on the horizon, at 75 years young, Hamilton continues to innovate and shows no sign of stopping. The Hamilton of today looks much different than when it was founded 75 years ago in 1947.
The company was always known for events, but in the beginning, most people were introduced to Hamilton through its parade floats, many of which appeared at the Indy 500 in Hamilton’s hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. The company has evolved since those early days, as has the events industry, and its evolution largely has been customer-driven.
Hamilton Prides Itself on Building Deep Partnerships
Lynne Damer, Hamilton’s vice president, strategy, says the company prides itself on building deep partnerships with their clients. “All of our clients are unique, every brand is different and we strive to always meet the occasion,” she says. “We never stop imagining or thinking about how to bring our clients’ brands to life.”
Damer says Hamilton enjoys working with clients who believe in face-to-face marketing and are passionate about their products. “When we have a client with a strong vision who genuinely wants to make a difference in their market, we provide the best solutions,” says Damer. Notable clients they’ve worked with include Cummins, ADT, Mailchimp, Baxter, Cornerstone Building Brands and Johnson Controls.
By approaching each client as an individual with unique needs and goals, Hamilton’s clients instill in them a strong sense of trust. Damer says, “Hamilton strives to become an extension of our clients’ marketing team. We take great pride in learning about our clients, digging deep to understand their goals in order to design successful, interactive and impactful events.”
Remaining Innovative and Cutting Edge
Hamilton used the pandemic’s forced hiatus from in-person events to embrace virtual events. They developed new technologies to enhance their clients’ virtual experiences, including creating an online platform that their clients could use to guide virtual facility tours. Hamilton’s dedication to remaining innovative and cutting-edge keeps it a consistent front-runner in new industry technologies. Their innovative spirit only serves to help bring their clients’ ideas into reality.
Damer says, “Our digital engagement team continues to develop solutions to help our clients measure their success, which is extremely important. Hamilton’s digital solutions combine our clients’ message and story with our strategy and design, creating solutions that engage, inform and inspire audiences.”
After 75 years of innovating and growing, Hamilton has no plans to stop. As Damer says, “Change is inevitable, and Hamilton intends to evolve right along with the industry.” On the horizon, the company is launching what they consider to be the future of event marketing: an in-house creative studio that they say goes beyond just designing an exhibit and develops a completely integrated experience. “We have one of the most innovative and creative teams in event marketing,” Damer says. “They are visionaries who surpass traditional industry standards to create experiences that elevate brands and drive emotion.”
Hamilton’s Success is Clear
The reason behind Hamilton’s success is clear. Their team consistently focuses on its clients and is dedicated to not only bringing their clients’ vision to life, but creating unforgettable experiences for their customers. “We are passionate and believe in what we do, which sets us apart from our competition,” says Damer. Hamilton also cares deeply about their employees, as every member of
the Hamilton team has come together to celebrate its 75th anniversary all year. The organization is inviting remote employees to their celebrations, creating events and retreats for staff and coming together to give back to their community, thanking them for their support over the past 75 years. Damer says, “We think the future is bright for event marketing, and we’ve got the depth and talent to lead the industry for years to come.”
Learn about Hamilton’s history here: hamilton-ex. com/hamilton-history
View a Hamilton timeline here: hamilton-ex.com/about/hamilton-timeline