What's It Like? | Photography for ACG Western Michigan
It was 2010 when I was first contacted to photograph an event for ACG Western Michigan.
I thought to myself, what is ACG and what do they do? I quickly found out they were the group responsible for business growth in West Michigan.
ACG stands for "Association of Corporate Growth" and the Western Michigan chapter is made up of bankers, CPAs, consultants, attorneys and private equity investors.
What that simply means is ACG Western Michigan is where business gets done. Serious business.
We love working with long term clients who understand the value of great photography.
That is why we invest in learning about clients like ACG Western Michigan: what their needs are, what type of images work best for their marketing and media needs, etc.
ACG hosts events for members (and non-members) throughout the year with a few flagship events that are the highlights for the chapter.
A few of those events include the Outstanding Growth Awards, ACG Cup, Women in Finance, ACG Michigan Public Policy Summit & ACG Young Professionals.
Since I have been working with them since 2010, I have been able to see the growth of the chapter, the growth of networking opportunities and just this past year, watching ACG Western Michigan be recognized as "Chapter of the Year" by ACG Global in 2016.
All that is to simply say, if you're looking to meet the business community in West Michigan, ACG Western Michigan is the place to be at the moment.
They are responsible for moving the business community forward in Grand Rapids and making the area such a great place for businesses to relocate to and continue to grow.
Many clients wonder what it's like to have a long term relationship with a photographer who photographs events and provides images for social media, marketing collateral & public relations.
Since we've been working with ACG Western Michigan for over 8 years, I thought I could give you a taste of what it's like to get to know an organizations needs and then create images that meet those needs.
ACG Western Michigan is a volunteer run organization, but that doesn't mean there's not staff putting all the pieces in place to make sure the chapter runs well. Julie Metsker, owner of Professional Association Resources is the Chapter Executive & manages the day to day operations.
She has managed the chapter since the early 2000s and her leadership, along with strong boards for ACG Western Michigan, have grown the chapter to over 300 members strong, 80+ networking events a year and the honor of being named the 2016 ACG Chapter of the Year.
We have built a great working relationship with Julie and her team at PAR and because of that relationship, have created a photo library for her and her team that dates back to 2010. Below you will find a recap of some of the flagship events we have photographed for ACG Western Michigan.
You will see how their events have evolved, grown and morphed into what they are today: Grand Rapids' premier business networking organization.
You will also see how our photography style has changed since 2010 (for the better).
2010 Outstanding Growth Award Winner, Perrigo
(JW Marriott, Grand Rapids)
2011 Outstanding Growth Award Winner, Service Express, Inc.
(DeVos Place, Grand Rapids)
2012 Outstanding Growth Award, ADAC Automotive
(Frederik Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids)
2013 Outstanding Growth Award, Zeeland Farm Services
(JW Marriott, Grand Rapids)
2014 Outstanding Growth Award, Founders Brewing Co.
(Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grand Rapids)
2015 Outstanding Growth Award, JR Automation
(DeVos Place, Grand Rapids)
2016 Outstanding Growth Award, Open Systems Technologies
(DeVos Place, Grand Rapids)
2017 Outstanding Growth Award, Comfort Research
(DeVos Place, Grand Rapids)
Who is ACG in 2017? Check out this short film by David at Motivity Pictures who shot & produced the video for the 2017 Outstanding Growth Awards.
ACG Cup Western Michigan
Beginning in 2015, ACG Western Michigan had us come out to their annual student competition, the ACG Cup.
Not only does ACG gives undergraduate and graduate students exposure to real world mergers and acquisition scenarios, it also gives away $10,000 in prize money to the winners.
ACG Western Michigan is the only chapter in the world that offers the opportunity for undergraduate students to compete in the ACG Cup. This is one of the pioneering programs the Western Michigan chapter has created in the past few years.
Teams from around the state converge into Grand Rapids where they present their recommendations to a "board of directors" made up of professionals from the business world. It allows students the chance to network, discover internships in their fields of interest and meet the people who are moving business forward in Grand Rapids.
Following the February event, winners are announced at the Outstanding Growth Awards in March every year and presented with the ACG Winners Cup & a check for their hard work.
In addition to the competition, we provide students with the chance to have a new professional portrait taken to update their online presence.
2015 ACG Cup Competition
2016 ACG Cup Competition
2017 ACG Cup Competition
Here is a quick recap of the 2017 ACG Cup in Grand Rapids, again by David at Motivity Pictures.
ACG Western Michigan has also pioneered two different programs: Women in Finance and ACG Michigan Public Policy Forum.
ACG Women in Finance
The goal of the Women in Finance committee is to "Create a Community for the Advancement of Women in Finance."
Through the pillars of Mentorship, Education and Work-Life Integration, the Women in Finance Group has brought in several keynote speakers & hosted panels from women (and men) in the finance world right now who have wisdom in specific topics.
ACG Michigan Policy Summit
The ACG Michigan Policy Summit brings together both the Western Michigan and Detroit Chapters of ACG to educate its members about what is going on in state politics.
The Summit was held in 2015 and again in 2017 with Lt. Governor Brian Calley being the keynote at both events. Calley provided his thoughts on what Michigan is doing and can do to make the business climate in Michigan more attractive. He also fielded questions from the audience.
In addition to Lt. Governor Calley's remarks, a panel of experts in the M&A space around the state were brought together and asked questions about the current state of business in Michigan.
ACG Young Professionals
In addition to all these networking opportunities, ACG Western Michigan has made it a priority to invest in the next generation of professional in the business and finance world.
ACG Western Michigan Young Professionals (Young ACG) is a group specifically for those in the business and finance world "under 40".
The Young ACG group has special networking events in addition to the regular programming ACG Western Michigan offers (and at some pretty fantastic spots like Varnum's rooftop and Start Garden).
If you're looking for the folks who are going to be the next generation of CEOs, COOs and business owners, the Young ACG group in Western Michigan is the place to find them.
If you've made it this far, it means you're probably interested in knowing more about ACG Western Michigan.
I would recommend checking out their upcoming events and finding one that is right for you. Or you can reach out to the chapter directly and let them know you heard about them because of this post.
Our relationship with our clients is what we hold in highest esteem.
We want to learn about you, your company, your culture & help create a photo program that will meet your marketing and PR needs.
That's what we've done with ACG Western Michigan. We can do it for you too!