SBDC talks with Matthew Schwam, the President and CEO of Long Island City based Holiday Image, Inc., which creates from conception to completion many of the striking holiday displays you see around New York City, including those at Cartier, the Time Warner Center, and Macy’s.

SBDC: What have you learned about managing the need to deliver high profile projects in volume while preserving the artistic uniqueness of your designs?                                                                                                                                                                    
Mr. Schwam: When we look at an international retail program, our design objectives are often challenged by manufacturing processes, material considerations, factory lead times, distribution channels and, yes, budget. We begin the process by learning our customer’s design and branding goals intimately. We then take a no limits approach to material, manufacturing and design options. Then (matching prototypes and processes with budgets) we narrow the range of initial options. Balancing the business and logistical considerations while maintaining the integrity of our initial design is an area where Holiday Image has great strength.

SBDC: What makes Holiday Image successful when competing for contracts for New York City’s top holiday retail landmarks?
Mr. Schwam: Holiday Image is uniquely positioned as a direct resource for top material and manufacturing available from over 500 factories in two dozen countries. Our multifaceted disciplines of impeccable design capability, logistical and rigging expertise, and experienced manpower as well as the diversity of our customer base and unique ability to consistently deliver custom branded programs has set us apart.

SBDC: Getting the right people on board is an important step to building a business. How did you build your team?
Mr. Schwam: There are layers of diverse technical competencies required to create a successful management team at Holiday Image. The backgrounds of our management team consist of entrepreneurs, fashion executives, stage set designers and event coordinators. Their great diversities are balanced with their consistent passion, authenticity and dedication to their personal growth and to the company. *

SBDC: Holiday Image is committed to socially responsible collaborations with suppliers around the world. What have been the challenges and rewards of this?
Mr. Schwam: When Holiday Image set out to build its worldwide supplier alliance, we wrote a comprehensive Social Compliance Program outlining clear expectations for factory conduct with a zero tolerance policy toward any level of human rights abuse. We collaborated with a reputable third party company to help us manage this program. When a factory requests inclusion to our matrix, they are interviewed and if qualified, they are monitored on an ongoing basis. Our reward is that we are doing the right thing.

SBDC: Since the inception of your company, what has been your biggest surprise and how did you deal with it?
Mr. Schwam: The employees of Holiday Image practice basic principles of fair business and authentic communication, and focus on individual growth as our motivators and passions. Our global approach to the business, life balance has attracted wonderful and powerful people to work with us. Our growth is just a byproduct of how we conduct ourselves; this is the sweet surprise.