Gramercy Tech

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital producer of LEO Events, LLC, a worldwide special events agency that produces both B2B and B2C services. We have 50–100 employees, and we’re based in Memphis, Tennessee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy?

There are many vendor options in the world of event app development, but I was looking for an agency that could give me customized experiences. I don’t like being bound to an existing infrastructure that some larger companies offer. These kinds of companies give clients some freedom to design as they wish, but only within set parameters. With Gramercy, I can basically dream anything, and they make it happen.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gramercy works with us on many of our digital initiatives. They do everything from fully customized event applications to digital activations and experiences for our attendees and customers to evaluate when they’re at events. This includes the latest in Bluetooth tracking capabilities, registration databases and input, Q&A sessions, and feedback on the backend for the client.

We’ve also done reaction walls with them that incorporate RFID [radio frequency identification] and Bluetooth technology. These systems recognize who a person is via Gramercy’s collected data during the registration process, and then uses this data to react to the user. It displays the user’s selfie, where they came from, the current weather at home, how far they traveled, their favorite sports teams, and also plays one of their favorite songs. There are all kinds of interpersonal types of reactive responses.

They offer RFID, Bluetooth, event apps, and reaction walls, as well as networking experiences and lounges, etc.

What is the team composition?

My daily interaction is with a project lead who conveys information to the rest of their development and beta testing teams. There are anywhere from 10–20 team members on average.

How did you come to work with Gramercy?

Our senior vice president of production recommended them to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $1.5–$2.0 million over the past three years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

A lot of the stuff we do is customized, so we often face the problem of sample size. We can beta test all day long, but until it is released to the public, it’s hard to get feedback. We’re lucky enough to have returning customers who put forth the effort with that understanding. We found that when we launch a product with a smaller group and really beta test it with them, that we can take that feedback and adapt moving forward.

For example, we had an experience where a wall would recognize users as they walked up to it. We found that people weren’t using that as an individual experience, but rather as a team. We would have 3–4 people walk up to the wall, but the system was trying to identify just one. We needed it to identify everyone, so we augmented the technology to take everybody’s picture.

How did Gramercy perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always very responsive. We use Dropbox often, and we have a proprietary format set up to execute tasks. They always deliver to my standards and expectations. I have direct access to the company’s owner at all hours of the day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I always require at least one of their representatives to be on site with me at events. This sets them apart by far because it gives me immediate access to whatever I need on site. No show has been perfect, and there’s always small mishaps that happen along the way. I always have someone or a team of people to help me at the absolute highest and quickest possible level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re not the cheapest option out there, but I'm not looking for the cheapest, I'm looking for the best and they deliver that every time. They continue to work with me on my price as my volume increases and we always find an amicable solution. It's hard to call something that they are willing to work with me on a detriment.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared for collaboration, because they’re really good at it. They will always tell their clients if they’re exceeding the possible limits of technology. They’ll never let clients design something with a creative team that isn’t possible to execute. They never promise things they aren’t capable of. They always deliver a product that works the way it’s intended to work at that time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Imagination is a global branding and communications consultancy focusing on connecting experiences. We create interactive experiences for events, conferences, permanent installations, customer centers, and branded environments. I’m the director of digital in our New York office.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

We have a client that works with automotive technology. For this project, we wanted to communicate the future of automated mobilities and the future of cities. Our goal was to do it in a fashion that made people feel like they were seeing something innovative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We went to Gramercy for help with a Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality presentation that was premiered at the CES [Consumer Electronics Show] 2017. There were 3 developers working on the HoloLens experience using Unity programming. They created an augmented reality app for the HoloLens, developing all the 3D objects and graphics for the app based on our storyboards. They programmed the whole animation. We also created a separate project for that same client, which was an interactive presentation on the technology that goes into an automated driving car.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

I had known the founder from a previous position. We chose Gramercy because they’re very experienced in the live event arena, having worked on many trade shows and show floors with a public audience. Gramercy has an understanding of how to use technology in a public setting, which is often different from personal or private use. Also, they’re a nimble shop that’s willing to experiment and see what’s possible with technology.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

We spent $100,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working on this project in October 2016. The project was delivered at CES in January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

One of the guests said it was the most impressive HoloLens experience at CES 2017. Gramercy’s team was great at problem-solving and dealing with the conditions on site.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve used Slack in the past to manage projects, but they didn’t with this particular project. Most of the project management happened on our side since we were dealing directly with the client for the schedule and deadlines.

The services are extremely collaborative, which is helpful for agencies. Often, clients change the scope or the parameters mid-way through a project. Unlike a lot of development shops that have a very strict and clear set of functionalities, Gramercy was a lot more flexible. They understood the nature of clients and how things change in creative work as things get reviewed.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

We were impressed by their problem-solving abilities — they could dive in and come up with solutions quickly. For example, it was probably the first time the HoloLens was used in such a large setting. We had to use 10 headsets, and 8 of them were being used actively. Another thing we didn’t account for was the room lighting. We had done a lot of testing when the room was empty, but the lighting was different when the room was filled with guests. That changed the ability for the HoloLens to scan the room and recognize where it was. Gramercy figured out a fix to that almost instantly and added it to the app. Every time the application was launched, it quickly rescanned the room so the 3D objects were set in the correct location.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

They could improve their process for setting milestones and showing progress.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Boardpackager is a real estate software company. I’m one of the co-founders and also the COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

When we started with Gramercy, it was to find a development partner who could take our ideas and wireframes and turn it into a viable product. They were brought on as our technology partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built a very large platform similar to Salesforce.

How many resources were assigned to your project?

The number of resources varied. We’ve had between 6-12 people working on the project depending on what stage we’re in.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

I had worked with the founder previously. We knew they had the expertise to pull off the scope and scale of the product. In terms of pricing, they were willing to work with us to find the most efficient solutions for our limited resources.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

We have spent more than $1,000,000 with them over the past couple of years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2013, and the relationship is ongoing. We scale up and down as we need to with Gramercy. I view it as a long-term partnership rather than a contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The results speak for themselves as we have some of the top real estate companies in New York City, including Douglas Elliman, signed up with us and using our product. We’re signing up an average of one new client a month. They [Gramercy] continue to improve the product.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything is fairly remote. We have in-person meetings only once a week. We were using Basecamp when we started, but we are now using Slack, Trello, and JIRA.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

We wanted a tech partner that understood our vision of starting small but thinking big. Gramercy Tech is one of those places where they don’t mind starting small, but they really want to help you think big.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

Every company goes through growing pains. We had asked them for something that had never been done before. I’m not sure even with 20/20 hindsight that there was anything they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Pablo Taboada, and I am the owner of Gearedgraphix. We are an IT and design company specializing in meetings and events for Fortune 500 companies in the automotive industry, credit cards, pharmaceuticals, beverages and so on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

We needed to fulfill our programming needs. In other words, anything related to technology, writing code, and putting the company on a higher step compared to everybody else, when it came to gadgets and state-of-the-art tech.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We specialize in Wi-Fi solutions, and needed a company that could develop an app for a particular customer.

One of our tasks was building a RFID video wall which would deliver personal information for people going through it, interacting with attendees of different meetings.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

Their owner, Jeremy Patuto, was an IT person for one of the production companies we’d used. He decided to start his own company around 12 years ago and contacted us about it. As the business changed, and apps became more prevalent and usable, we started getting requests from our own clients for building one for scheduling and other tasks. We went to Jeremy, and found that this was exactly what they specialized in.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

The cost of Gramercy Tech’s work has been above $1 million per year, over the last two to three years. Our needs have changed more recently, and we haven’t gotten as many requests for Gramercy Tech’s services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gramercy Tech’s founder almost 14 years ago. We have an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

This isn’t necessarily an age-related issue, but Jeremy is probably the oldest person in Gramercy Tech. Most employees have an average age of 23 years, and they are driven by technology. They’re passionate about what they do, and no one in that company is sitting behind a desk, waiting for a paycheck. They’re all aiming to be one step ahead of any competitor, which I’m sure they are.

I own my own company and have been in business for 20 years, so I’ve learned how to read people’s minds and identify the ones who are simply waiting for a paycheck from the ones who love what they’re doing. Every single person in Gramercy Tech’s team loves what they’re doing. I hate to use the word “nerds”, but that’s what they are, just like myself. I’ve always said to my wife that, had I not been in IT, I would have been broke, since I’d be buying all the technology, and not generating revenue out of it. I need to have the latest and greatest of everything on the market, regardless of whether I use it or not. I see the same thing with Jeremy, with the only difference being that, instead of buying the product, Gramercy Tech develops it.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

I am not aware of how project management is handled on their end. I am in contact with Jeremy and also talk to some of the developers from Gramercy Tech. We have an agreement by which, even though we are a technology-driven company, we need to talk over the phone, not through email, and we need to see each other face-to-face at least once a month. We meet in the city for coffee or sushi near our office, and, even though we may talk about personal stuff in many cases, we also talk business. I have a somewhat special relationship with Gramercy Tech, even though they consider me a client.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

The first thing that their team will say to me is “It can be done”. I never heard of any challenge being impossible, which gives me confidence when talking to my own clients, and they bring unique demands. The first thing I tell them is also “It can be done”, since I know that I’ll get the same answer from Gramercy Tech.

We used to contact competitors about advertisement technology which we were unsure existed. If something would cost too much to develop with Gramercy Tech, we would go to another developer and ask them for a similar product. The first response was usually “Not a chance, we can’t do it”. We gave up contacting any other people, and, whenever we need something, we go to Gramercy Tech.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My name is Clay Francis, and I run the digital department of Blueprint NYC. We’re a production and internal communications agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

We were looking for a proprietary app for our business, as well as other solutions like microsites and email campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gramercy Tech developed an iPad and iPhone app for us, among other projects. We were working with four or five developers for the development of our apps and web-based CMS [content management system].

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

We found Gramercy Tech through a connection from industry peers. We work in a freelance-based field, so many vendors work together. Gramercy Tech was a great fit because they had knowledge around the event business. Our clients change their minds at the last minute, and things are very deadline-based. Gramercy Tech was flexible in working with us, even with these changes. They really understand the business and our needs.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

The cost of our app project was between $50,000 and $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gramercy Tech almost four years ago. The apps were completed in a six-month iteration, but we have an ongoing engagement with Gramercy Tech. They have a need to evolve.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our attendees had to use the apps in order to navigate through events successfully. We’ve had some very successful metrics and have received feedback from people who have used other event apps. They enjoy the usability and versatility of the app, as well as its flexible design.

The app is hosted on Amazon Web Services and has great uptime. We’re really happy with Gramercy Tech’s work, as are our clients.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Gramercy Tech uses the Scrum methodology and Trello for project tracking. They’ve come a long way in the four years of our relationship and have come to hit on all cylinders. There’s great attention to detail, which is important since our clients are picky and want changes at the last minute. The response time is great with Gramercy Tech. They’re always available and respond quickly when we need to get in touch with them.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

Gramercy Tech understands events, and how attendees experience them. This is unique to their company, and it is one of their main focuses as a company. Because Gramercy Tech comes from a production side of things, they also understand what the people producing the meeting are going through, as well as the clients putting on the event.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

In the beginning, Gramercy Tech was a smaller and scrappier company. The project management did need a bit of work, but, in the time we’ve worked with them, they’ve realized and met that challenge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the communications manager of a mailing service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

The challenge was to develop an agenda application for an employee conference. It should allow users to view all session information and connect with fellow attendees via their mobile devices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We used a product called Paperless Events. Over the course of the project, we have worked with around four people from Gramercy Tech organization.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

We received a good reference from the production company that handled the staging for our meeting. They had used Gramercy Tech in the past and recommended that we take a look. After looking at their work, we ended up replacing a homegrown system with Gramercy Tech’s solution.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

The cost of Gramercy Tech’s work was between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The status is complete, but we have an open-end arrangement to develop the product further. The development took around eight weeks, which was a compressed timeline for doing everything we needed to do.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Gramercy Tech gave us day-to-day metrics of who was logging into the system and how much they were using it. We saw 100% adoption for the application, which, from our perspective, was highly successful. The usage metrics are skewed by the fact that our attendees had to use the app, but we’ve had some anecdotal feedback on how easy it was to use. The app was much better than what we’d used in the past.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked on an accelerated timeline, so we’ve had a number of daily status calls while working directly with the developers. In terms of response time, Gramercy Tech was phenomenal. I’ve worked with many developers in many companies, and I’ve told Gramercy Tech that I’d never used such a helpful and responsive team in all my career.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

Gramercy Tech took a yes attitude to everything we requested, and never refused to do something, or deemed it as external to the product. “We can’t do that” was never the first response. After looking at a problem, Gramercy Tech did tell us about elements that weren’t achievable within our timeframe, but they always have a willingness to listen to what we needed and attempted to figure it out.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

I can’t think of anything. We’ve worked through every single challenge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Richard Attias and Associates specialize in large global conferences, specifically organizing government and problem-solving conferences. We do work in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Africa, and Argentina. I am a director in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

We needed solutions for on-site registration and badging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gramercy Tech has developed websites for a number of conferences, including a healthcare one at Stanford University. They also handle the transfer of attendees as well as communication.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

Gramercy Tech’s partner used to be my IT manager at a previous job. I had faith that he knew what he was doing.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

Each of our projects had a cost of between $25,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial project was completed. The one for Stanford University is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We've mostly received verbal feedback. Gramercy Tech is easy to work with, flexible, and available. Compared to others, Gramercy Tech's backend is more robust and easier to transfer to other event applications. Gramercy Tech is also a cost-effective company.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

The communication has been mostly verbal, relating to the production schedule. I don't like using tools like Microsoft Project.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

Gramercy Tech also has very creative and capable programmers. They have done a lot of work for event production companies like ours, which means that they a good understanding of the field. There are many other agencies who think they understand events, but they don't. Our activity is last-minute and ever-changing; no two events are ever alike.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a digital company developing apps for kids. I work as the technical director on the TV portion of our activity in our New York office. We have between 50 and 100 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

We were trying to add scalability. There had been a switch in our tech approach, and we were migrating from our current Unity build for the iOS application to a native version. Our deadline hadn't changed, but the staffing needs had.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially engaged Gramercy Tech for scaling up and building the major components of our platform. They were more of a partner in the development of the TV platform rather than working as if it was a one-off project. We have also engaged them in building an Android application from scratch, solidifying and bringing our backend codebase up to standard, and building many of the major components in our admin portal.

Throughout our working relationship, Gramercy Tech's iOS developers built our product using Objective-C, and we've also used native Android and Ruby on Rails developers, project managers, backend engineers, and a full-stack team.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

I found them through a referral from one of my former colleagues at another company who started working for Gramercy Tech. We kept in touch and involved Gramercy Tech in the request for proposal group.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

The cost depends on the component being worked on. We have worked with Gramercy Tech on projects ranging from $10,000 to $150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Gramercy Tech in February 2016. We don't currently have a need for their services, but Gramercy Tech worked with us up until we announced that the TV platform would be revamped.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our work with Gramercy Tech allowed us to meet deadlines and get the product out. They were an integral part of building the platform, from small-scale pieces to large components. Gramercy Tech did the majority of the heavy lifting, and also served as partners for our small team in New York, allowing us to bounce ideas with Gramercy Tech's CTO, CEO, and project managers, and making the product more complete. The work was always of top quality, and Gramercy Tech was proactive with communication. They worked out of our office depending on what we were doing, and how many resources we were engaging. The quality of our product was fantastic. It performed well, and Gramercy Tech minimized the number of crashes we experienced on the platform, helping us meet requirements for supported devices.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Gramercy Tech had internal project management tools, including JIRA, but they also integrated into our own software. We gave them accounts for Pivotal Tracker, and they were proactive in providing Gantt Charts, project schedules, and feedback for the scope of work and hours used by the engineering team.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

The key strength is Gramercy Tech's ability to take a single project and make it feel as if they're a part of our team and can contribute to the success of the platform. Even though Gramercy Tech was not working on certain components, if they saw an issue which alarmed them, we were alerted in time and told what would take to get it fixed. If not, Gramercy Tech would simply go ahead and fix it themselves. They were an extended part of the engineering team, which is rare from my perspective.

Even though our work was project-based, most engagements with other third parties stop along with the scope of the work, and they don't give the impression of being a vested member in the result. Gramercy Tech was definitely unique in this regard, and it was why we continued to work with them.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

Not that I can think of.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Gramercy Tech?

You can't go wrong in working with Gramercy Tech. Not only do they have the technical capabilities, skillset, and staff, but the company as a whole will care about the end result, and they take pride in the work. Any project on which Gramercy Tech works on will be all the better as a result.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a creative production company specializing in strategic training, production, and communication for digital and video campaigns. We're a full-service agency handling corporate clients. I act as executive producer or producer for the company, depending on the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gramercy Tech?

When we come up with a crazy idea in partnership with our clients, we turn to Gramercy Tech for help in executing it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gramercy Tech has collaborated with us on building event and meeting apps, as well as virtual reality library apps and everything in between. They are our partner for our digital problems.

Gramercy Tech has a wide technology skillset. They can code everything on the backend and frontend, acting as a one-stop shop for our work. I cannot get into specifics since I don't personally work with their project managers. My digital producers liaise with Gramercy Tech on a day-to-day basis, while I get involved on a higher level in order to understand our scope and timeline.

The size of the team will vary depending on the scope of our project and the urgency of the need. We have used anywhere from one to ten resources from their team.

How did you come to work with Gramercy Tech?

A colleague came upon Gramercy Tech after an online search for companies which could help us develop a meeting app. It was a great partnership since our company was in its infancy, and the same could have been said about Gramercy Tech. It was a perfect match; we grew up together with them.

How much have you invested with Gramercy Tech?

The cost of Gramercy Tech's work has been significantly above $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our company has just celebrated its fifth anniversary. I believe that the relationship with Gramercy Tech is at least four years old. We have some ongoing communications projects with Gramercy Tech, and the development flows will vary depending on client needs. I'm not working on anything with Gramercy Tech from an executive producer role, but I have colleagues who are. Gramercy Tech is almost our digital department.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

This might have something to do with our company's position when we met Gramercy Tech, but they've been a wonderful partner. Even though they're a vendor, they know and understand our group. They've done a good job of cultivating a great team, which makes it fun to work on projects. Things become less stressful when working with people we like.

We have partnered with Gramercy Tech on creating an events app which has come to serve tens of thousands of people over the last three years. We have never had any complaints about our technology or the assets we've developed with Gramercy Tech. We've come up with ideas and used them to execute on those. We've always delivered in surprisingly short timeframes, even when clients' needs were unrealistic.

How did Gramercy Tech perform from a project management standpoint?

Gramercy Tech has performed as one would expect from a professional standpoint. They never under delivered, and the team is highly organized. Both of our companies have experimented with different platforms, from Bootcamp to Trello. We have a daily Scrum meeting with our production team and Gramercy Tech's. They have adjusted to our needs, and have always been open to more efficient approaches.

What did you find most impressive about Gramercy Tech?

Jeremy, their owner, has been a great person to work with. He was my introduction to the company. As our groups have grown, we have come to speak less and manage more, but I know that everyone he hires will mimic his personality. Gramercy Tech has fantastic people. The differentiator is on the human side, not the technical one.

Are there any areas Gramercy Tech could improve?

I feel that anything I could name as an improvement is directly tied to what we could have done better. If Gramercy Tech was ever pinched for time, it was because we pinched them after our client pinched us. They've never missed a deadline, and we never performed an installation which failed. In the end, I only care that we delivered.