Kenny Stokes was tired of going to multiple vendors to plan big events.As a technical project analyst for the Coca-Cola Company, Stokes couldn't find one company to provide all the sound, lighting and staging needs for events.
In 1996, Stokes went out on his own to begin FUSE, a full-service production company in Stone Mountain which provides graphics, video production and all aspects of staging for businesses. Since then, it has done work for companies such as Home Depot, Lockheed-Martin, BellSouth and AGCO.
FUSE aims to provide all the elements for the perfect meeting. "People perceive it as a waste of time if a meeting is not well-put-together," Stokes says. "The concept of the company is that we can do all these services in-house: we can plan what they want, video and graphics can be produced and everything has the same look and feel. We have the same technical and creative resources so there's not a disconnect."
FUSE's eight full-time employees and team of freelancers can travel around to locations anywhere, even out of state, to set up lighting, video screens and audio and sound equipment for conventions and meetings. Stokes recalls a meeting staged by his team in Boca Raton, Fla.
"Coca-Cola was holding a meeting to create a new business plan," he says. "We provided all the services, including intranet, mobile offices, a large crew - everything. The company wanted a 30-second commercial produced in an hour and a half. So we grabbed a camera guy and some assistants, and shot and edited on the camera. The company was ecstatic."
Stokes says that one of the keys to FUSE's success is having a crew capable of doing such seemingly daunting projects. "We have to have experienced and confident people who understand what they can do to help the clients and bring in that level of professionalism."
Staying on top of what's hot in the world of technology is another key company ingredient.
"We can give high-definition video production at roughly the cost of regular video," Stokes says. "Most people think it's out of their reach - we're here to help them reach that."
FUSE is also here to reach a new client base in Gwinnett County. The company is working with the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and the convention and visitors bureau to reach out to more local companies.
"A lot of companies in Gwinnett are driving out to Atlanta to find companies that do the same things we do," Stokes says. "We hope that by getting to know people in Gwinnett, we can do the same things for them as the Fortune 500 companies."
>> Learn more: To see more about FUSE's services and portfolio, visit www.fuse-inc.com.
