One For All, All for One
Phillips sees the Global Presence Alliance as an organization that’s modeled in many ways after the One World and Star Alliance concept used by airlines, where the individual brands can deliver “a consistent experience” as a single unit for the benefit of the group.
“It’s very easy to look at the GPA as just about lead referral,” says Phillips, “but the real benefit is the opportunity for shared learning as part of a global partnership. That learning isn’t just one way either. We at Whitlock have learned huge amounts too. The most exciting thing for me is the sense of community.”
Whitlock has enhanced its collaboration and AV-as-a-Service offerings, thanks to techniques he’s learned from GPA Regional Business Units in the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Hans Ulman of Absolut Technologies in Brazil worked with Whitlock, then with another Regional Business Unit of GPA on projects around South America in Columbia, Nicaragua and elsewhere. The company became a Regional Business Unit of GPA in 2010 and Ulman is especially happy with the “combined intelligence” the alliance brings to his company.
“There’s a real professionalization of what we’re doing,” he says. “That’s something we couldn’t have achieved if we were on our own. Each time we do something with the GPA, we always learn. We can see how others work and we get the best out of the whole world. It’s an infinite learning environment.”
Peter Fell of Feltech U.K. joined the GPA in December 2014 after a three-month vetting process that saw them replace the existing U.K. Regional Business Unit. Feltech also represents Ireland and will soon add an office there, says Fell, giving the company a presence in Europe even after Brexit takes effect.
“It made sense from a business point of view for us to go through the process of becoming a Regional Business Unit, but the bigger appeal was the knowledge sharing,” he says.
“There’s nothing like that anywhere else in the pro AV industry that I know about. We’d be considerably behind the curve if left to our own devices. There’s no doubt 28 heads are better than one.
“I no longer have to ship an airplane full of my guys to do a job in foreign countries. That opens up considerably more business prospects for us in so many countries. We would have been reluctant in the past, but now we’re actively seeking them out,” says Fell.
Fell recently became a GPA board Business Unit, so he’s part of monthly board meetings. He also participates in weekly conference calls and says he averages two or three conversations with Regional Business Unit of GPA every week, whether about particular projects or strategy issues.
Among the clients Feltech has been able to help more completely through the GPA is a large bank and a growing software company. Overall, Feltech has seen an “exponential” bottom-line boost from the GPA, including about 20 percent of its revenue last year, says Fell.